WHAT DADDIES LIKE

As a father bear and his cub go through their day together, the text enumerates all the things that daddies like (hint: they are the things the cub likes, too).

“Daddies like smooches. / Daddies like hugs. // Daddies like ‘Good morning to you!’ ” After a breakfast of pancakes made to look like bears’ faces, the duo strikes out on an adventure outdoors. They swing (from his expression, Daddy’s not too sure about how much he likes to jump off), play kangaroo (Daddy gets dizzy), pretend to be monsters and roar, and then enjoy quiet time lying in the grass and blowing dandelion seeds. Back at home, Daddy like splashes, boats, and peekaboo through the bubbles, jammies, stars, and night-lights. (This last is troublingly illustrated as lighting bugs trapped in jars that have no holes in the lids.) Snuggles, sleep, and “I love you” follow. Six’s barrel-shaped, anthropomorphized bears have tiny arms and legs, big noses, and the slightest of ears. Their range of expressions is delightful, and father-child pairs could do worse than to spend their days like this.

A pleasing salute to fathers and the time they spend with their children.