LET’S HAVE A DADDY DAY

A father outlines to his two children all the fun they might have together on a Daddy Day. They might build a treehouse, catch tadpoles in the creek or go to the lake, which “would be the perfect spot to play as army rangers / looking out for bad guys as we dodge around the dangers.” Kingsbury’s doggerel limps along, ending curiously, as the dad opts instead for a wrestling match, with the conclusion that “when you’re all grown up and you look back upon this day, / you’ll know how much I loved you ’cause we took the time to play.” That self-justifying statement may fall flat when readers realize the kids have not actually had the adventures Daddy has proposed. Andreasen’s soft-focus, dappled images depict the actions hypothesized without substantially expanding on the text. (Picture book. 3-5)