With My Daddy

With My Daddy: A Book of Love and Family. Jo Witek. Illustrated by Christine Roussey. 2018. Harry N. Abrams. 34 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: I love being with my dad. I jump on his knees and hug him tight, with my cheek against his neck. He hugs me back, and I feel like a little bird in a warm, comfy nest. When I am with my dad, I feel safe.

Premise/plot: A little girl recounts ALL the reasons she loves, loves, loves her dad. Many of the spreads conclude with a reason:

• When I am with my dad, I feel safe.
• When I am with my dad, I feel brave. 
• When I am with my dad, I feel daring. 
• When I am with my dad, I feel confident.
• When I am with my dad, I feel adventurous.
• When I am with my dad, I feel playful. 
• When I am with my dad, I feel calm. 

The book is packed with descriptive details.

At the pool, I plunge into the water. Dad is there to catch me. He pretends to be a boat, floating and bobbing in the waves. I am a fierce pirate, spinning against the tides.

Sometimes when I am with my dad, I feel angry. My heart rumbles like thunder and I roll on the ground. The anger builds and builds until it overflows. My screams flash like lightning and my tears fall like rain.

My thoughts: I like the premise of it. Daddy-daughter time can be a special, special thing.

This is an emotion-driven picture book. It isn't a proper story. It's like a themed chat about emotions illustrated by past experiences that may be universal enough to appeal to a young audience. I believe the intended audience is toddlers. Though not a proper board book, the pages are THICK. And the back of the book says it's part of the GROWING HEARTS series celebrating the milestones of a toddler's emotional development. It may be a bit text-heavy at times. Though how much text is too much text for the average toddler is subjective I admit.

Putting all that aside, I have to say I dislike--and by dislike I mean STRONGLY dislike--the illustrations.

Text: 3 out of 5
Illustrations: 1 out of 5
Total: 4 out of 10


© 2018 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews