Another DAD Book, With Links To More!

 With Fathers Day looming, I tend toward nostalgia with a spritz of melancholy and a truckload of gratitude. Same thing happens around Mothers Day. Like a magnet, these days draw me to the phone, to the card section, and to writing. The blessing in all of my missing parents long since gone from the globe is that I was raised by two loving parents whose memories flood me with joy. That's not to say they were perfect or that our very borderline middle class lives were easy, but we were safe, protected, respected, and always sure that something fun was possible. 

Whispering Coyote Press

In this short post, I'm featuring a book from 2009, a small press, and apparently no longer in print. No worries, you can always get it at your library, or purchase it from a secondary source. And if you, like me, had a father who knew how to make magic out of nothing, you will want to do that. 

DANCING WITH DADDY is written by Willy Welch and illustrated by Liza Woodruff. the nostalgia of this book is undeniable, from the title page featuring an old fashioned console radio to the clothing and standard-white-people cast. In fact, though, the story quickly moves form the specifics to the emotional impact of those memorable moments when a little girl (or boy) puts their feet on their daddy's shoes and they dance the night away.

The magical extension within this story/song is that their music moves into the wild, leading to a contagion of toe-tapping mimicry among animals of land, sea, and air. All the way to the carry-off-to-bed and tucking in, this is a book of love.

Carolrhoda, 2020

For a look at another more recent book that showcases dads around the world, of every age and race and ethnicity and social situation, check out this review on my website blog, HERE. DADS offers photographic examples of other familiar (universal) ways in which fathers-dads-daddies-papas "show up", making memories and making a difference. 

While you're at it, check out this prior post featuring TWO books with the same title, I AM A BIRD. And two more from a couple of years ago, each of which celebrates the little ways in which dads (and dad-surrogates) deserve their special day, but also bring boundless love and strength in every day of young (and older) lives. 

I hope you'll take a look at any or all of the above. If your dad is still around to do it, give him/them a hug- in real life or virtually. Just do it.