What My Daddy Loves

Captures the joy of the everyday [in] a reminder that what dads love most of all are their little ones. Warm and joyful.

PreS-Gr 3--At times poignant and at other times expressly affirmative, this book is a heartwarming homage to African American daddies everywhere. On each spread, Figueroa trusts the children's perspectives to describe their fathers: "My daddy loves starting the day with me," and "My daddy loves eating with me." Readers will appreciate fathers and children spending time together, from quiet moments exploring the night sky from the rooftop or nurturing a vegetable garden, to joyful moments building blocks or careening through the supermarket in the basket, to tender moments when a child needs a father for comfort and support or a good night kiss. Each moment is strikingly supported by the artwork. Vivid color illustrations depict Black fathers with their daughters and sons playing, exploring, creating, and discovering together. Daddies come in all shapes, sizes, and ages, and are depicted in an array of occupations and hobbies. Figueroa's illustrations truly shine in vibrant color and digital clarity that capture the nuances of expression and form of adults and children in conventional situations with creative appeal. Each illustration is pleasantly crafted with humor and a touch of whimsy. VERDICT A long-awaited, refreshing celebration of African American families in roles that are both reflective, but also universal as part of the community of families everywhere.--C.J. Connor

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)