WHEN I BECAME YOUR DADDY

An otter dad celebrates fatherhood—and his little one.

The author/illustrator pair behind When I Became Your Grandma (2023) and When I Became Your Grandpa (2024), which featured, respectively, a panda and a lion pair, now spotlight the loving bond between father and child. Addressing his offspring in upbeat rhyming verse, Daddy declares, “You made my world complete. / I didn’t know the little things in life could be so sweet.” He expresses pride for his pup, who learns and grows each day. “If you ever lose your way and everything feels wrong,” Daddy promises to “help guide you along.” And little ones need not be afraid: “We’ll take it slowly, step by step / and walk the path as one.” “Life can be tricky sometimes,” Daddy points out, “but it’s also full of fun!” The occasionally clumsy, always sentimental verse is more likely to speak to adults than to little ones, but the cut-paper illustrations—providing the same clear, minimalist settings and bright-eyed creatures as in earlier books—are a winsome bunch. Admittedly, real-life otters aren’t monogamous, and males, who don’t raise offspring, wouldn’t actually cuddle a pup, as this involved papa does. But readers won’t notice—and the duo are certainly adorable.

A rhyming love note to the joys of fatherhood.