The Children’s Book Review | July 22, 2014
Written by Illanit Oliver
Illustrated by Guy Parker-Rees
Board Book: 12 pages
Age Range: 2 – 5 years old
Publisher: Cartwheel Books/Scholastic 2015
ISBN: 978-0-545-77558-8
What to expect: Touch-and-feel, Zoo animals, Daddy themes
This delightful touch-and-feel book is sure to be a hit with babies and toddlers. It features easy prose, colorful pictures and popular zoo animals. Who wouldn’t want to search for a walrus at the zoo?
Walt the Walrus, a clever young walrus, is playing hide-and-seek with his Daddy at the zoo where they live. He discovers a penguin hiding in an igloo (a fun slide out picture that is easy for little fingers to maneuver), and a shiny daddy lion. Fuzzy monkeys and fluffy goats encourage children to touch the pages. Then, we meet a zebra, koala, elephant and more under cute flip out cards. Kids will love the happy ending of Walt finding Daddy Walrus behind a large folded tree page.
A departure from mom-centric baby books, ARE YOU MY DADDY? will keep kids entertained over and again. Children who enjoy Kunhardt’s PAT THE BUNNY will love this book upon first reading. My two-year-old daughter was very excited to pet the animals and search for Walt’s daddy. This book encourages questions and exploration by matching zoo animals, which is a nice bonus. It’s solidly constructed, and should last for many repeat readings. And, thanks to the colorful characters, this book is sure to become a daily favorite.
Add this book to your collection: Are You My Daddy?
Available Here:
About the Author
Ilanit Oliver has written and edited over a hundred children’s books for kids of all ages. A graduate of Barnard College, Ilanit lives, works, and writes in New York City.
About the Illustrator
Guy Parker-Rees has illustrated many bestselling Orchard books, including GIRAFFES CAN’T DANCE, K IS FOR KISSING A COOL KANGAROO and THE CHIMPANZEES OF HAPPYTOWN by Giles Andreae; DOWN BY THE COOL OF THE POOL, DINOSAURUMPUS!, and ALL AFLOAT ON NOAH’S BOAT by Tony Mitton; QUIET! by Paul Bright; and THE HIPPO-NOT-AMUS by Tony and Jan Payne. He lives in Brighton, England.
Are You My Daddy?, by Ilanit Oliver and Guy Parker-Rees, was reviewed by Denise Mealy. Follow along with our articles tagged with Daddy Books, Guy Parker-Rees, and Zoo Books—as well as our categories for Ages 0-3, Animal Books, and Board Books—to discover more great books for kids.