New Picture Books About Dad's Love

Disclosure: I was sent copies of these books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Today I am going to share two new picture books about dads. They would have been perfect for Father's Day but alas I got them after Father's Day. They are however wonderful books and it is great to see some books with dads in them that have some substance. 

Our first book is Papa Brings Me the World by Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw. This book is based on Jenny Sue's own childhood. The father in the book travels the world for his job. He is away often but always brings home different treasures from his trips. Her favorite of the treasures though are the stories. She wants to travel with him and he always tells her some day. 

I love how the book shows so many different cultures and introduces young children to different places around the world. Whether it is coins with holes in them or potato mashers from Cameroon (which were once used to barter) the book is full of little tidbits about different countries and cultures. 

In the story the narrator talks about missing her dad but also loving his amazing gifts. She talks about how her mother and she keep track of his travels with a map on the wall like in the photo above. She also talks about her father's journals. He records the places he goes and things he sees in them. She loves looking at the journal.

At the end of the book Jenny Sue shares a bit of her own story with her dad as well as the map with the many gifts he brought back. This is a wonderful story about culture, travel and love.

Our other book for today will make you go "Awww!" This book brought so many emotions to me. It is Three Squeezes by Jason Pratt and Chris Sheban. This book is about how a dad from the time his son was a baby to the time he is a grown many will give three squeezes to say, "I love you." 

Now my first memory this book brought up was my father always remembering how Hazel squeezed his finger when he visited her in the hospital after her birth. Even with my father's Alzheimer's he remembers that day and the event. Needless to say I loved this about the book.

The story goes on and the boy in the book grows up. It reminds us how Dad is always there to help you feel better even when we didn't succeed at what we tried. My dad was certainly always there for me. My dad is also always the one who wants a hug. We have had trouble during social distancing because he doesn't remember he can't hug us.

What touched me most is that the story goes past the boy growing up and having a family of his own to the dad needing to be cared for and that they will always know three squeezes means "I love you" even when the dad is too old to talk or remember much. Yup, almost made me cry there. I totally thought of my dad as I read this book and loved it so much. It is the perfect book for a dad to read to a child. It helps give the message so many dads struggle to say to their kids. 

I hope you will check out both of these great books about dads this summer! Stay safe!!