YOU MADE ME A DAD

A father and infant enjoy the little moments together.

Having a baby can provide the freshly minted parent a gaggle of unfamiliar experiences—and new perspectives on life. This tale finds a spiky-haired papa and his comically circle-headed charge (both with skin the white of the page) playing, visiting the doctor, looking at leaves, and gazing in the mirror. The repeated refrain of “You made me…” takes readers in many directions. Sometimes it’s paradoxical; “you made me productive” appears beside an image of Dad lying with the baby on his belly, exclaiming, “Let’s do nothing together!” Sometimes it’s humorous; “You made me forgiving” sees the father calmly observing a urine puddle forming on his lap as the damp little one chirps, “Oops, sorry!” But it’s always filled with deep affection: “You made me whole” is a poignant sentiment easily understood by loving caregivers. Xiao’s characteristically adorable infant—similar to those in her earlier picture book Seven Babies (2024)—is reliably gleeful and barely mobile. Dad’s experiences are depicted through simply rendered black-and-white artwork, highlighted only by the baby’s yellow sleeper (and, of course, that tell-tale pee). This offering could serve as a solid Father’s Day gift for a new dad—with a message meant as much for the adult as for the child they might share it with.

Brief but utterly sweet words encouragement for parents of infants.