Celebrate Dad with Macmillan!

Father’s Day is around the corner, and what better way to show Dad some love than with a story? Here are some fun, funny, and heartfelt books to share with fathers, grandfathers, kids, and the whole family, published by Macmillan this spring. {Books provided for review/feature consideration}

DADDY DEPOT by Chana Stiefel; illustrated by Andy Snair (Macmillan Children’s/ Feiwel & Friends, 978-1-250-05889-8, May 2017, ages 2-5) 

• Perfect for every day, not just Father’s Day! Fathers are silly, annoying, and sweet all year 'round—featuring a cast of diverse dads, this is a great story for reading aloud.
• Every family shops, and many shop in big-box stores like Home Depot. Kids will recognize this and be charmed by the idea (a fantasy, of course) of "shopping" for a new dad!

MY DADDY RULES THE WORLD by Hope Anita Smith (Macmillan Children’s/ Henry Holt BYR, 978-0-805-09189-2, May 2017, ages 4-8)

• Award-winning author of The Way a Door Closes, which won the Coretta Scott King John Steptoe award, and Keeping the Night Watch which garnered excellent reviews as well as being named a Coretta Scott King Honor. Her last book, Mother Poems, also received excellent reviews and was named a Chicago Public Library Best of the Best.
• The cut paper images of father and child are powerful folk art—incredibly evocative and complement the powerful poems.
• The special relationship between father and child is universal in theme.
• This is an accessible exploration of poetry for the younger crowd, with familiar themes and language.

SATURDAY WITH DADDY by Dan Andreasen (Macmillan Children’s/ Henry Holt BYR, 978-125-0-11265-1, May 2017, ages 2-5)

• A young elephant and his Daddy spend Saturday running errands, sipping lemonade, and having a cookout. The charming art and simple story make this a perfect summertime book for fathers and their preschoolers.
• The elephant family gives this book broad appeal—much like Mike Curato's Little Elliot series.

DADDIES ARE AWESOME by Meredith Costain; illustrated by Polona Lovsin (Macmillan Children’s/ Henry Holt BYR, 978-1-250-10720-6, May 2017, ages 2-6)

• With sweet images and text celebrating all kinds of daddies, this book is perfect for Father's Day!
• With all kinds of dogs depicted, this book is irresistible to dog lovers.

GAME ON! by Dustin Hansen (Macmillan Children’s/ Feiwel & Friends, 978-1-250-08095-0, November 2016; not pictured)

• A drool-worthy must-have for dad gamers everywhere! Hansen, a veteran video game designer, highlights the creators and inspiration behind the most influential games ever, unveils historical trivia and Easter eggs (eg. the developers of Halo 2 drank over 24,000 gallons of soda while making the game), and discusses the innovations that make each game special (eg. the ghosts in Pac-Man are the first example of AI in video games).

Until next time...