Dad and Pop: An Ode to Fathers and Stepfathers

A girl with red pigtails good-naturedly explains that she has two fathers: Dad (her biological father) and Pop (her stepfather). Both emerge with distinctive personalities (“Pop takes pictures. Dad takes naps”), though, the more she compares them, the less different they seem (“Dad teaches me to cook. So does Pop.... Dad loves music. So does Pop”). Also clear: that they both love her. The understated narration and subtly humorous mixed media cartoons make a potentially complicated—but familiar—situation feel easy and natural. Ages 4–7. (Apr.)