What my daddy loves

Leading on from the refrain "My Daddy loves," children describe various shared activities for a truly affectionate morning-to-night picture of caregiving. While simple text offers high-level summaries (bird-watching, gardening, making music, and playing, among other activities), painterly digital illustrations from Figueroa get into winning specifics via narrative depictions of Black-cued fathers and children with various abilities doting on one another. In an instance of "exploring with me," a dad, locs flying behind, whizzes through a blurry store aisle while pushing a gleeful youth in the cart. In another, a father holds space for a child's sadness: "My daddy loves sitting with me." Of course, "what my daddy loves" most is not an activity, but rather a person--"me"--in this emphatic declaration of paternal devotion. Ages 4--8. (May)

Black fathers and children's love for one another is apparent in this ode to fatherhood. Dedicated "to all dads," Figueroa's authorial debut is told from the perspectives of various young children. The book consists mostly of 13 sentences that each begin with the refrain "My daddy loves," followed by common actions that children and fathers do together. "My daddy loves starting the day with me." "My daddy loves playing with me." "My daddy loves fixing things with me." Digitally rendered illustrations use a wide palette of colors; done in Figueroa's signature style, they make beautiful use of light and shadow. The author/illustrator captures the joy of the everyday: taking a shopping cart ride through the grocery store, playing with blocks, gardening. Expressive and soft, the visuals complement the text and include small details throughout that capture these characters' diversity. Though all present Black, these tender, nurturing, and supportive fathers and their children vary by age, size, shape, and ability (one dad uses a hearing aid, while another uses a wheelchair) and are depicted in various shades of brown, with a wide array of hair textures and hairstyles, including fathers who are bald. The final words of the book offer a memorable message for readers of all ages--a reminder that what dads love most of all are their little ones. (This book was reviewed digitally.) Warm and joyful. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.