44 cute books about dads

Written by Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex, illustrated by Christian Robinson, Tundra (ALL AGES).

This watercolour-illustrated book celebrates the beautiful relationship shared by fathers and sons. Modern families from diverse backgrounds explore familiar themes like love, trust, connection and compassion in this thoughtful book centred around a bench where fathers may sit to see their sons grow. $24, indigo.ca

Written by Matthew A. Cherry, illustrated by Vashti Harrison, Penguin Young Readers Group (ALL AGES).

Zuri loves her beautiful curly and coily hair, and so does her Daddy. But when it comes time for him to style it for an extra special occasion, he realizes just how much care goes into doing Zuri's hair. A simple hat just won't do the trick, so Zuri's dad does everything he can to make sure both his daughter and her hair are happy! $24, indigo.ca

Written and illustrated by Eric Carle, Penguin Young Readers Group (ALL AGES).

Say "I love you" to Dad, with a little help from the infamous Very Hungry Caterpillar! Featuring Eric Carle's classic colours and shapes, and a few new animals like a colourful parrot and a bright seahorse, this book is the perfect way to show a little bit of extra care and appreciation for Dad. $12, indigo.ca

Written by Isabel Quintero, illustrated by Zeke Peña, Penguin Young Readers Group (ALL AGES).

Daisy loves her dad, and she also loves her vibrant multicultural neighbourhood. What better way to spend the day than to ride around with her papi observing some of her favourite people and places? $24, indigo.ca

Written by Petra James, illustrated by Alissa Dinallo, Penguin Young Readers Group (ALL AGES).

In this interactive picture book, kids get to fill in all of the fun reasons they love dad! From drawing to decorating to colouring, celebrating dad just got a little bit easier. $14, indigo.ca

Written by Dan Bar-el, illustrated by Gina Perry, Tundra Books (AGES 4-8).

What do you do when you’re a dad of mythical creatures that always get themselves into trouble? You help, of course! Dad is here to save the day in this hilarious story of the highs and lows of playtime. $23, indigo.ca

Written by Dan Andreasen, Henry Holt and Co. (AGES 4-7).

Saturday is the best day of the week for this little elephant because it means getting to spend some quality time with Dad! Your little one will love joining in on the laughter and play as the little elephant and his Daddy get everything ready for a delicious cookout. $12, indigo.ca

Written by Chana Stiefel, illustrated by Andy Snair, Feiwel & Friends (AGES 2-5).

Lizzie loves her dad but finds him boring and wants to see what other kinds of dads are out there! She takes a trip to Daddy Depot and discovers all kinds of dads that are unlike hers. Will Lizzie find the perfect dad at Daddy Depot? $25, indigo.ca

Written by Rosalinde Bonnet, Penguin Random House (AGES 3-5).

Aput the fox is in for a big surprise! When he finds a little goose egg, it hatches and mistakens Aput for its daddy! Aput must now help the baby finds its home. In this heartwarming tale, the unlikely pair will discover that the true meaning of family is love. $23, indigo.ca

Written by Stephan Lomp, Chronicle Books (AGES 3-5).

Papasaurus and Babysaurus love to play hide-and-seek! But one day, Babysaurus can’t find Papasaurus and must ask his dino friends for help. $25, indigo.ca

Written by Nadine Brun-Cosme, illustrated by Aurélie Guillerey, Kids Can Press (AGES 2-5).

“What if?” Matthew asks his Daddy when he drops him off at kindergarten in his old, green car. Matthew starts to worry. What is the car doesn’t start? How will his dad come pick him up? But no matter what, Daddy assures Matthew that he will return—by tractor, by boat, or even by dragon! $17, indigo.ca

Written by Brian Lies, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (AGES 4-7).

How does your child bond with Dad? Father alligator shows his gator children that it doesn’t matter how you spend your time—whether it’s building a fort or grocery shopping—as long as you do it together! $26, indigo.ca

Written by Hope Anita Smith, Henry Holt and Co. (AGES 4-8).

My Daddy Rules the World is a collection of poems told through the voice of a child that captures the special relationship between a father and his child. $25, indigo.ca

Written by Gennifer Choldenko, illustrated by Dan Santat, Penguin Random House (AGES 5-8).

Nicholas wants to be brave like his dad but needs a little help from his toy dinosaur to face his fear of the dark, the giant bugs living in the bushes outside his house, and what he might discover under manhole covers. When the dinosaur goes missing, Nicholas must face his fears alone—or so he thought. Dad teaches Nicholas that it’s okay to ask for help to be brave. $24, indigo.ca

Written by Anna Dewdney, Penguin Random House (AGES 3-5).

Nelly Gnu loves to be creative and artistic—especially with Daddy Gnu! Spend the day with daddy and daughter as they draw, build, paint and more in this board book. $14, indigo.ca

Written by Jacky Davis, illustrated by David Soman, Penguin Random House (AGES 0-3).

Lulu and her papa are spending the perfect day together! Join them for a yummy pancake breakfast, an adventurous hike and the building of a birdhouse in this sweet tale. $10, indigo.ca

Written by Matthew Logelin and Sara Jensen and illustrated by Jared Chapman, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (AGES 4-7).

Dads are great when they tell jokes but they’re kind of annoying when they boss you around. Two kids imagine what life would be like if they replaced their dad with an octopus, a skunk or a dog. They eventually realize their dad is perfect just the way he is. $21, indigo.ca

Written by Adam and Charlotte Guillain and illustrated by Ada Grey, Egmont (AGES 3+)

If your dad is alway running late, forgets to pack snacks and is always looking at his phone you need to send them to the School For Dads where the dads are the students and the kids are the teachers. $14, indigo.ca

Written by Alison McGhee and illustrated by Eliza Wheeler, Chronicle Books (AGES 2-5). 

In this celebration of ink and the father-son bond, a little boy discovers his father’s history by listening to the anecdotes that inspired each tattoo on his dad’s body. $25, indigo.ca

Written by John Flannery and illustrated by Steven Weinberg, Penguin Young Readers Group (AGES 3-5).

Ben wants to be just like his dad, and that means having a beard. But when Ben learns he’ll have to wait until he’s older to grow one, he takes action. $22, indigo.ca

Written by Josephine Collins and illustrated by Jill Latter, Thunder Bay Press (AGES 4-8).

Let Dad know how special he is with this book that celebrates the laughter, inspiration, and happiness fathers give their kids. $13, indigo.ca

Written and illustrated by Claire Alexander, Egmont (AGES 3+).

Bertie wants to be just like his dad who gets to drive trucks. But today is a special day. A surprise is waiting for Bertie at school that may mean his day and Daddy’s day won’t be so different. $14, indigo.ca

Written and illustrated by Coralie Saudo, Enchanted Lion Books (AGES 3-7).

The beloved dad from ”My Dad Is Big and Strong, But…” returns in this zany sequel where roles are reversed again. When Dad and his son head to the zoo, Dad starts acting like a kid. While Dad gets distracted by the animals, throws tantrums for ice cream and begs for souvenirs, its up to his son to be the responsible one. $27, indigo.ca

Written by David LaRochelle and illustrated by Joey Chou, Chronicle Books (AGES 2-4).

Get ready for some monster-sized fun! This colourful book features dad and kid yetis, werewolves and skeletons who play together. With roars, claws and lots of love, this book is a celebration of the special bond between kids and dads. $25, indigo.ca

Written by Rebecca Van Slyke and illustrated by Priscilla Burris, Random House Children’s Books (AGES 3-7).

A little boy imagines what a school for dads would be like. Would they learn how to give piggyback rides and make giant sandwiches? The whole family will love this silly role-reversal story where the dads act like kids. $22, indigo.ca

Written by Jonathan Litton, illustrated by Fhiona Galloway, Tiger Tales (AGES 2-3).

Little ones and their daddies will love this celebration of all things dad complete with rhyming text and colourful illustrations. $8, indigo.ca 

Written and illustrated by Marianne Richmond, Sourcebooks (AGES 2-4).

Dads are perfect when it comes to playing with you, swimming with you and napping with you. This collection of all the activities dads do with kids is illustrated with cuddly animals. $12, indigo.ca

Written by Meredith Costain and illustrated by Polona Lovsin, Henry Holt and Co. (AGES 4-8).

Celebrate why dads are so great in this charming little book filled with cuddles, kisses and tickles. The adorable pup and daddy dog images add to the loving father-son bond captured in this book. $24, indigo.ca

Written by Liz Rosenberg and illustrated by Mathew Myers, Roaring Brook Press (AGES 4-6).

Tobias’s dad is like every other dad. He tells dad jokes, he does magic tricks and works in an office. There’s just one tiny difference: he’s also a tyrannosaurus. The whole family will love this hilarious tale about a kid tring to get his dad’s attention. $20, indigo.ca

Written by David O’Connell and illustrated by Francesca Gambatesa, HarperCollins (AGES 3+).

A little monster can’t wait to be strong and scary like his daddy. Being a grown-up seems like so much fun but this monster discovers being little has its perks as well. $11, indigo.ca

Written by Jimmy Fallon, illustrated by Miguel Ordóñez, Feiwel and Friends (AGES 0-2).

No one ever forgets your baby’s first word, and for Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon, he wanted his daughter’s to be ”Dada.” Really. Badly. This book is for all the fathers out there trying to get their little one to finally scream out ”DADA!” $9, indigo.ca 

Written by Éric Veillé, illustrated by Pauline Martin, Kids Can Press (AGES 4-7).

This colourful tale takes readers on a journey with a young boy who is searching for his misplaced father after suddenly losing him during a round of hide and seek. Along the way he discovers the Bureau of Misplaced Dads, where he meets all sorts of Dads who have been lost by their kids. Although his dad is not amongst them, he remembers a very important clue about where he saw his father last! $19, indigo.ca

Written and illustrated by Daniel Howarth, HarperCollins (AGES 2-5).

In this collection of stories written by tiny writers, you’ll read all about the reasons daddy is loved. These kiddos find all sorts of cute ways to complete the sentence, “I love my daddy because…” $13, indigo.ca

Written by Dawn Casey, illustrated by Charles Fuge, Nosy Crow (AGES 2-5).

Big Daddy Rabbit takes Little One on an adventure where they meet an owl, mouse and bear. But it isn’t long before Little One becomes exhausted and decides its time to go home for some cuddles and sleep. $12, indigo.ca

Written by Coralie Saudo, illustrated by Kris Di Giacomo, Enchanted Lion Books (AGES 4-8).

The roles are reversed in this wacky tale. When Dad wants to play and read the night away (he’ll do anything but go to sleep), his son must step up and pretend to be a father! Join a young boy go through the trials and tribulations of having to deal with his lovable father at bedtime. $25, indigo.ca

Written and illustrated by Liz Climo, Little, Brown and Company (AGES 1-5).

Rory the dinosaur loves going on adventures with his dad, but today he’s decided to embark on one solo. The thing is, he’s not as alone as he thinks. Rory’s dad is secretly following him and lending a helping hand. $20, indigo.ca

Written by Barbara Shook Hazen, Mini Stein, Janet Frank and illustrated by Eloise Wilkin, Tibor Gergely, Ilse-Margret Vogel, Penguin Random House (AGES 4-6).

This 3-in-1 package of pulled-from-the-archives bedtime stories explodes with retro cuteness. Implementing traditional values alongside classical art, Daddies, We Help Daddy and Animal Daddies and My Daddy. $8, indigo.ca 

Written and illustrated by Nancy Tafuri, Little, Brown and Company (AGES 3-6).

In this pretty book, wee readers will meet all sorts of woodland animal daddies who love to share special hugs with their little ones. $19, amazon.ca

Written by Pip Jones, illustrated by Laura Hughes, Faber & Faber (AGES 3-5).

This little girl decides to make her dad a sandwich and wants to include all of his favourite things! She gathers up everything he loves, including herself. $15, indigo.ca

Written and illustrated by Gianna Marino, Penguin Books for Young Readers (AGES 3-5).

When Little Blue, a baby humpback whale, and Papa migrate to their summer feeding ground, the journey takes them to dark and mysterious places. Little Blue gets lost and takes a few moments to listen really hard until he hears his father’s song. $24, indigo.ca

Written and illustrated by Todd Parr, Little, Brown and Company (AGES 3-6).

All daddies are different. Some walk you to the bus stop, some wear a suit to work, and some don’t have hair! But what they all have in common is that they love to give lots of hugs and kisses. $12, indigo.ca

Written by Mark Sperring, illustrated by Britta Teckentrup, Orchard Books (AGES 0-5).

A sentimental read for parents, this tale follows as two mice navigate the seasons. The parental bond shared between these teeny critters is a very special one. $11, indigo.ca

Written and illustrated by Scott M. Cohn, Little, Brown and Company (AGES 3-6).

A little girl keeps hearing animal sounds in her house and goes on a mission to find what (or who) is making all the ruckus. Throughout her mission her dad appears where she least expects him! Could he be behind the mysterious animal sounds? $17, indigo.ca

Written by Anne Gutman and Georg Hallensleben, illustrated by Georg Hallensleben, Chronicle Books (AGES 1-5).

Packed with super cute illustrations of daddy animals and their young ones, this book gives young readers a sneak a peek into the animal kingdom to witness some loveable moments. $9, indigo.ca