DEAR DAD

There’s no one quite like Dad.

A gaggle of grinning gators enumerate the many reasons why their father rules. “Favorite dude” Dad fishes with his offspring, serves up a towering stack of pancakes (“No one cooks like you”), has a distinctive giggle that gives him away during games of hide-and-seek, and serenades a music-loving kiddo with his banjo. Dad knows how to “let loose and be silly” (an illustration of him and a youngster slurping an extravagant ice cream soda heaped with marshmallows through elaborately curved straws is proof positive), but he’s also willing to cuddle up for a bedtime story. The statements are simple but infused with affection—the kind of sentiments no father tires of hearing. The various images show Dad interacting one-on-one with each of his children—clearly this is a patriarch willing to meet his youngsters where they are, whether they prefer to go fishing or have a tea party. This father’s as tender as he is playful, gently embracing a youngster after a teacup breaks at the aforementioned party. Alligator green, echoed in the many leaves that festoon the pages, dominates the cuddly artwork; clad in caps and clothing, these anthropomorphized reptiles are sweet, with a pair of harmless snaggle teeth protruding from their snouts.

Tender moments with dear old Dad.