Best Picture Books about Fathers for Father's Day

These Father's Day-themed children's picture books are a great way to celebrate the bond between children and their dads. These recommended selections would be great for a children's story hour, preschool circle time, or for lap-reading with dear old dad himself, especially if it comes with breakfast in bed and a great big hug!

• Mister Seahorse by Eric Carle. This book is featured in my section on Oceans and Ocean Animals, but is a very appropriate selection for Father's Day. One of Eric Carle's more recently-published books, this one features dads in the ocean as they care for their offspring in a variety of fascinating ways. Cutaway spaces in the book pages create an underwater illusion that is both clever and mesmerizing. This one is a must-read for the month of June, and redefines the role of father in the deep blue ocean.
• The Daddy Mountain by Jules Feiffer. This hilarious book will resonate with any father who has been used as his children's personal jungle gym. The young girl in this story gains purchase any way possible to scramble up the top of her Daddy Mountain, where she sits triumphantly on his head and shoulders. Of course Mom is not too pleased.
• The Apple Pie that Papa Baked by Lauren Thompson and Jonathan Bean is a lyrical homage to the folk rhyme, The House that Jack Built, but the beautiful black, brown, and red ink illustrations give this book about a girl, her father, and the pie he baked a jubilant tone you will want to read again and again. This book lends itself very well to read-aloud during story hours. But even if you don't plan to use it for this purpose, I recommend it for the fine-art quality woodcut artwork in this book.
• Just Me and My Dad by Mercer Mayer is just one of many stories in the Little Critter series. These books are about a family of critters (not sure exactly what kind of animals they are) and the humorous mishaps they encounter together as a family. In this story, Little Critter goes on a camping trip alone with dad. Despite all of the mishaps and problems they have, they end up having a wonderful time bonding together. These books enjoy widespread popularity and are loads of fun to read.
• The Ten Best Things About My Dad by Christine Loomis and Jackie Urbanovic shows with simple and straightforward illustrations that dads have many sides to appreciate, including a nurturing side, a playful side, and a listening ear.
• I Love My Daddy by Sebastien Braun is another beautiful gift book for fathers about the simple ways a father nurtures his young children. Simple phrases like "My daddy washes me, My Daddy feeds me. My Daddy cuddles me." each have a related illustration featuring a father bear and his cub.
• Daddy Cuddles by Ann Gutman. This board book appropriate for young toddlers features baby animals cuddling with their fathers. The illustrations are colorful with strong lines, yet tender too.
• What Dads Can't Do by Douglas Wood and Doug Cushman is the companion to the author/illustrator duo's What Mom's Can't Do. These books use gentle humor to poke fun at all the way Dads need help doing things that other people can do just fine without the help of their children. The family of green dinosaurs are a cute addition to this book about fathers who need less help than their children realize!