DADS

Following Their Great Gift (2016), Coy and Huie team up again, exploring fatherhood through the lens of a camera and the roles that fathers play in their families.

In the backmatter notes, Huie explains that he “combed through my archives” for the photos for this book, and that may be why they don’t always complement the text and why they may seem woefully out of step for our times. For instance, “Dads help” shows a black man tenderly cradling a baby; is he "helping" by caring for his own child? “They teach” is a strong page: Dads provide instruction in riding a bike, tying a tie, and adjusting Buddhist robes. Others photos may leave readers wondering: “They get frustrated” simply shows an Asian man sitting at a table, his forehead creased but no other indication of his feelings or what might have prompted them. “They remember” includes a photo of a man of color standing over small children sitting on a curb. Two are crying. It’s won’t be clear to young readers what he may be remembering. While Huie is to be commended for showing such a great range of diversity, both socio-economic and racial, in the dads and family groups pictured in his black-and-white and color photos, his work suffers for having been posed: Too many photos feel forced, with one or more of the subjects looking directly at the camera.

While the photos and text don’t always mesh, still this is a refreshingly real-life view of fatherhood.