I WANT MY DADDY

When little mouse Arthur encounters trouble, he knows just whom to call—Daddy!

Arthur, dressed up as a knight, is hard at work building a cardboard castle, but it keeps falling down. “Too wibbly,” Arthur grumbles. “Too wobbly.” So he and his red dragon toy go for help. Daddy proclaims, “This looks like a job for more than one knight.” Arthur is delighted that his father is a “knight” too, and a refrain is introduced: “Knights together? Knights forever!” So father and son set to work on gluing (“castle cement”) and painting the castle. The day continues with Arthur playing knights in various ways; with each mishap, a shout to Daddy brings him over, and the two always work out a satisfying solution. To show his appreciation, Arthur makes “a big, sparkly crown” for the king in his life. Daddy is surprised and scoops up his son. “Hugs together?” Daddy asks. “Hugs forever!” Arthur responds. Corderoy’s text has an ingenuous tone that will help the readers connect directly to her character, and Edgson’s pictures show cuddly stuffed-animal–like characters full of charm. With the oversize format and spreads that include full-page close-ups as well as engaging spot illustrations, this will work as well in storytimes as one-on-one.

This companion to I Want My Mommy (2013) offers a charming story about father-child bonding.