When our first daughter was born I started the tradition of giving picture books for Fathers Day. I go with her to pick a new one each year. We usually try to pick books with characters that match her dad's personality or storylines that correlate with something that's happening in our lives at the time. We also include a little handwritten note to dad inside the cover. When she was really young I would write it for her, then as she got older she told me what to write and this year will be particularly exciting because she can write it herself.
I love that it's a tradition she looks forward to each year and it also means we're building our own little library of dad related books. I can just imagine their dad in the future looking through the books after the girls have moved out, remembering reading together when they were little. If you want to start your own Fathers Day book tradition, or you just love books, these are our current top picks.
10 PICTURE BOOKS TO READ WITH DAD THIS FATHERS DAY
I LOVE DAD
WITH THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR
Eric Carle
The Very Hungry Caterpillar is one of the most iconic picture books for young children and I Love You Dad showcases Eric Carle's unique, vibrant illustrations to tell dad all the reasons why you love him. Unlike a lot of other Fathers Day picture books, this one is written to dad rather than about him. It's a lovely book to read aloud together or for emergent readers to read to dad.
MY DAD'S THE COOLEST
Rosie Smith | Bruce Whatley
Whether big or small, feathered or furry, dads always know how to make us laugh. My dads the coolest because he is fun and crazy about me... what about yours? My Dad's the Coolest captures the fun-loving bond between father and child exploring activities that they do together like tickling, playing and exploring. We got this book a few years ago when bub was still quite young and it's still a favourite.
MY DAD IS AMAZING
Sabrina Moyle | Eunice Moyle
My Dad is Amazing uses vibrant illustrations, a yeti {and other animals} and a good dose of humour to celebrate all the characteristics that make dad amazing. Whether dad is cool, tough, cuddly, brave or funny, this book has something for every dad. It also has a special message at the end for all the little people reading the book too.
I LOVE YOU, DADDY PIG
It looks like just another normal day for Peppa and George, Daddy Pig takes them to the supermarket, then for lunch with Granny and Grandpa Pig, before popping in to work for a while. But super Daddy Pig makes their day anything but ordinary by adding lots of fun and excitement to everything they do! I Love You, Daddy Pig would be the perfect fathers day gift from a Peppa Pig fan.
HOW NOT TO ANNOY DAD
Dave Hughes + Holly Ife | Heath McKenzie
This is the book we've bought for dad this year. To be honest the fact it's written by Dave Hughes and illustrated by Heath McKenzie is what originally attracted me to it, we love both of them in this household.
This book follows dad throughout a day with his kids and is a pretty hilarious {and accurate} portrayal of daily life with kids. From requests for multiple meals to different coloured spoons, to needing to pee right now... I dare say every single page will be familiar to all parents. How {not} to annoy dad is a fun book to read aloud with dad any day of the year, not just fathers day.
FRUIT BAT
BLUEY
Ok so I'm cheating a bit with this one as it technically won't be available before Fathers Day here in Australia, however it is available to preorder now and we're huge fans of Bluey so we'll definitely be getting the books. Bluey has been a phenomenal success since airing on ABC KIDS in October 2018, amassing legions of dedicated fans and taking the coveted position of being the most watched program ever on ABC iView.
What we particularly love about Bluey is that it mainly focuses on Bluey's dad Bandit and his relationship with his daughters {Bluey and Bingo} and how they approach big issues through play. Fruit Bat is the story of how Bluey wants to be a fruit bat and realises this through a dream and it also touches on her dad's dreams and how life has changed for him since he became a father.
MY DAD THINKS HE'S FUNNY
Katrina Germein | Tom Jellett
Everyone loves a dad joke right? Even after hearing them 1000 times. The ideal gift book for anyone whose dad makes them laugh -- or roll their eyes. When his son says "I'm hungry," Dad says, "Hello, Hungry. Pleased to meet you." My Dad THINKS He's Funny is full of different dad jokes, so whether you have a dad who already knows allll the dad jokes, or one who needs to brush up on them, this book has him covered. It's a bit of a long picture book so best suited to kids aged 5+
MY DAD IS A ROBOT
Matt Cosgrove
GUESS HOW MUCH I LOVE YOU
Sam McBratney | Anita Jeram
Little Nutbrown Hare shows his daddy how much he loves him... as wide as he can reach and as far as he can hop. Big Nutbrown Hare, who can reach farther and hop higher, loves him back just as much. They each use different measurements to express their love for one another until Little Nutbrown Hare declares "I love you to the moon" and Big Nutbrown Hare declares "I love you to the moon and back". Guess How Much I Love You is adored in our household and was one of the very first picture books we ever bought when bub was born.
THE VERY ITCHY BEAR
Nick Bland
Bear is here . . . and here is Flea (but Flea's a little small to see). This is Flea about to bite, but not because he's impolite. He's biting bear to say, 'Hello!', biting high and biting low. Nick Bland uses humour and rhyming to tell the story of friendship that develops between Bear and flea. I know this one isn't specifically Fathers Day themed, however The Very Itchy Bear is one that the girls and their dad have loved reading together at bedtime for years now.
Do you have any special Fathers Day traditions in your family?
Toni x
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