Girl Dad

What is a “girl dad”? Williams, CEO of the Dad Gang, offers a definition with rhythmic prose: “He’s not afraid to be en pointe/ or to paint your fingernails.// He volunteers to do your makeup/ your braids, and your ponytails!” The text goes on to present a father figure who is both “serious and tough” and keen to help “you keep your standards high,” but also comfortable wearing a pink bow, and as happy to play dollhouse as baseball. Pencil, gouache, and digital illustrations by Davis largely key to the text, and alternately feature three brown-skinned “daddy-daughter” pairs swimming, dancing, picnicking, shopping, and more. Together, text and art build to a fatherly portrait that simultaneously embraces and expands upon traditional dad tropes, yielding a cheerful celebration: “Above and beyond, that’s where he’ll go/ to give you the whole wide world./ To the moon and back, then back again—/ anything for baby girl!” Ages 4–8. (Mar.)