Giles Andreae (text) & Emma Dodd (illustrations)
(Orchard Books)
A follow-up to the very successful I Love My Mummy by the same writer and illustrator team (it won the 2010 Booktrust Early Year Award for babies under one), this heart-warming simple picture book depicts, with a combination of sparse rhyming text and bold and bright illustrations, the loving relationship between father and child, which makes perfect reading for this very special day!
The book offers a glimpse of shared moments between father and offspring: going to the park, making pancakes, watching television and eating chocolate biscuits at the same time – but only when mummy is not there! A double-spread is dedicated to each of these special moments, and the illustration is accompanied by two rhyming lines, which flow perfectly and adds extra energy to the story.
The dad is portrayed as a fun dad, always ready for little bit of mischief but also tender and caring towards his child. The child in the story does not have a name and is drawn in a way that it could easily be a boy or a girl, which will allows the book to have a wider readership. Emma Dodd’s illustrations are, as ever, glorious in their boldness and simplicity and yet manage to depict a richness of emotions: the dad’s facial expressions ooze love for his child, and the child’s show utter adoration and devotion towards the father.
I Love My Daddy is short and sweet, and therefore perfect for little readers, but not only. The sentiments expressed will resonate just as much with older audiences and the energetic text and artwork will entertain adults and children alike.
All illustrations © Emma Dodd
Many thanks to Orchard Books for sending me a review copy of “I Love My Daddy”.
What a fabulous review to put up for Fathers Day 😀
Lovely book and lovely review. I’m so in awe of illustrators anyway (can’t draw myself), but I can’t imagine how hard it is to produce such lovely artwork which gives the child personality and yet could be either gender – amazing!
Thank you :0)