DADDY GOES TO WORK

In this picture book, a single father values the time spent with his toddler daughter even when he has to work.

Daddy, who has light brown skin, wakes each day in a room next to blond Baby’s. The two stretch on facing pages. They have time for a tea party before Daddy has to choose which clothes to wear to work. Daddy tries on a Hawaiian shirt and board shorts before selecting a sleek suit: “This one look nice? / Yaaaa!” Nana, who’s either a grandmother or caregiver, takes over when Daddy leaves. He drives on a lengthy highway (“Hi, everyone on the road!”) and arrives at his office job, where he sits at an executive desk and calls Baby on the phone. Baby eats lunch and sings songs with Nana at home. But, as Daddy points out, he “always comes back,” and at dinner, there’s time for more togetherness, including a read-aloud of the very book readers hold. Wijaya and Shah’s clean, digital illustrations with warm colors and textures and the clear, simple text and actions make for an accessible, cute lap read. The tale portrays the routines that help prepare young children for a temporary separation from their parents. The author’s sunny depiction of single fatherhood, with ample time before and after work for engagement, seems a reflection of Daddy’s executive salary. But readers in single-parent households will still appreciate this engaging story.

A sweet and effective tale about a single parent.