Common Sense Media Review
By Diondra Brown
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
A tender, visually striking celebration of fatherhood.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 2+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
DAD shares the simple, affectionate, and realistic moments animal and human fathers share with their children. The first part of the book introduces animal fathers, including an owl, a fox, and others, parenting their babies, while the second part features human father-kid interactions. The many qualities dads across species share are highlighted. The book moves through snapshots of love, protection, playfulness, and connection. Strength, kindness, patience, and love is the through-line that ties these experiences together, and there's acknowledgement that fathers sometimes make mistakes or aren't around. The final pages include short nonfiction facts about real animal fathers and the different ways they help raise and protect their young.
Is It Any Good?
This picture book's warm, expressive illustrations help communicate emotion even with very little text, making the story especially accessible for young readers. DAD is an excellent example of Christian Robinson's special style of storytelling. The simple text pairs perfectly with the expressive collage artwork, which invites young readers to linger on each page. Its quiet tone, educational value, and nuanced, heartfelt messages help it stand out among picture books about family.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how lots of animal fathers are featured in Dad. Which of these animals have you seen in real life? What's something new the book taught you about how they parent?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Christian Robinson
- Genre : Picture Book
- Topics : Animals ( Wild Animals ) , Family Stories ( Dads )
- Character Strengths : Empathy
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Balzer + Bray
- Publication date : May 12, 2026
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 3 - 6
- Number of pages : 48
- Available on : Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : June 1, 2026
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