33 USES FOR A DAD

Like moms, dads need credit for all the “jobs” they do in the family. Ziefert presents these as a numbered list of the titles dads can hold. They are the chefs—presiding over the backyard barbecue—the designer of Halloween costumes, the map reader, and so on. They love and support their children by holding their hands, teaching them to swim, and being their biggest cheerleader. They are the taxi drivers, the alarm clocks, and the ATMs that keep families running smoothly. Haley’s watercolor illustrations add warmth and humor to the list. The dad whose job is “Horsie” is decked out in a too-small-for-his-head cowboy hat, while the ATM-dad has a long line of kids waiting in front of him for their turn. Dads of all sizes, shapes, and colors are represented, though some are stereotypical: the dad who’s a dancing partner looks like he just stepped out of a bad Arthur Murray commercial, while the campfire-builder is a scruffy, plaid-wearing woodsman, but that character is also the “storyteller.” Altogether, a fun way to show children that dads do many things in families and to tell dads they’re appreciated. (Picture book. 2-8)