You & Your Dad

``What kind of dad spends time with you? / Where does he work? What does he do?'' In simple, somewhat contrived rhymed couplets, Alpert asks readers what their fathers do to fill their workdays, offering them a slate of possibilities to choose from--``Does he drive a tractor, talk on the phone? / Does he work with others or all alone?'' Alpert then shifts her focus to what fathers do with their children after returning home. Colorful but rudimentary illustrations show a variety of dads and kids involved in such pastimes as reading together, playing in the snow, washing a car, hiking up a mountain and enjoying a picnic. The various figures, however, are poorly proportioned, with ill-defined digits and frequently lopsided expressions. (Unfortunately, scenic backgrounds and overall perspectives fare no better.) Finally, Alpert comes to a reassuring, but obvious, conclusion: ``Wherever you go and whatever you do, / your dad is special and so are you!'' Ages 4-7. (Aug.)