Wild About Dads

Comparing frequently attested human filial attributes to those of animal fathers, Murray tackles the age-old question: “what are dads like, anyway?” Alongside Alvarez’s colorful, swooping illustrations of creaturely families, rhyming lines describe the ways that male animals help their young: “Dads can help you reach up high” accompanies a bearded emperor tamarin assisting a little one with hanging fruit; “and help to keep you warm and dry” shows emperor penguins balancing fluffy chicks on their feet. Other animal families featured include African wild dogs, eagles, gorillas, pelicans, and sandhill cranes. The claim that “no two dads are quite the same” may fly in the face of the book’s more generalized accounting (“Dads like fishing in the creek,/ and playing games, like hide-and-seek”), but Murray makes it clear that many fathers, animal and human alike, are capable caretakers. Back matter lists dad facts about each species referenced. Ages 3–6. [em](May) [/em]