Review by Booklist Review
A gap-toothed child spends a fun-filled day with their father and pup in a cheery beginning reader well suited to early primary grades. The story begins as Mom drops the child off at Dad's, where they whip up a pancake breakfast. Their planned bike ride gets stymied by storm clouds, but board games tide the two over until skies clear. An afternoon enjoying the outdoors follows--"We fly kites. We look at clouds"--before dinner and bed. Bright digital artwork with bold black outlines supports the text, fills pages, and features an active child enthusiastically enjoying undivided parental attention. Short sentences in a large font sit on clean backgrounds, supporting an emerging and early reader audience. A good everyday selection for single caregivers as well as a promising Father's Day pick.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1--A young girl spends a fun-filled, special day with her dad in this book ideal for emerging readers. The day begins with Mom, who, like her daughter, has brown skin and dark hair, dropping the child off at Dad's house. Dad, who has white skin and light brown hair, and daughter soon prepare a delicious breakfast of pancakes, which they cook together with their dog. After the meal is finished and cleaned up, they head outside, only to encounter a rainstorm. They return indoors, where they enjoy games until the weather clears. The rest of the day includes bike riding, kite flying, a macaroni-and-cheese dinner, a goodnight call to Mom, an epic pillow fight, and more fun activities. Cartoon-style illustrations provide visual clues to the accompanying simple text; for instance, on a scene depicting the family cooking breakfast, the text reads, "I mix. Dad flips. Yum! We enjoy every bite." Each spread contains one-to-three straightforward sentences filled with vocabulary building text, optimal for those learning to read independently. VERDICT This bright and colorful story is highly relatable for young readers and is a recommended purchase for early reader collections.--Olivia Gorecke
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
The child of parents who live apart spends the day with their father. An illustration spanning the copyright and title pages sets the stage for this quiet, needed story. On the verso, a brown-skinned woman driving a red car smiles and waves to a child with lighter brown skin standing next to a bearded, light-skinned man. On the next page, the young narrator informs us, "I am having a day with my dad. I smell breakfast." The child stands in a bedroom, with photos of them with each parent in frames on the dresser, while their corgi, Pup, paws at them. Ensuing pages follow the narrator, Dad, and Pup through various activities as they enjoy their time together, navigating small disappointments (like when rain forces them to cancel their bike ride) and having fun. The day concludes with a goodnight video call to Mom on a smartphone. Throughout, the controlled vocabulary makes text accessible to new readers, while digital, cartoon-style illustrations provide cues to support decoding. Gently rounded forms, curving lines, and a balance of calming cool colors and gentle warm ones visually underscore the security and comfort the narrator feels with Dad and with their family's structure. An affirming read centering a child of a two-home family. (Early reader. 5-7) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
