The best children’s books about fathers and journals for daughters

I love good rhyming books and this one works! Plus there is a heart-warming refrain that especially gets me at the end of the story. “Of all the children that ever could be, you are the one made just for me.” It’s about a father who adores his new baby from its soft, tiny hands to all the cute things the child does. The illustrations depict a very large, round father who reminds me of a gentle Paul Bunyan. I could see it as a baby shower gift for dads. 

This ode to dad is told from a child to its father using animals to illustrate the great things about fathers such as a papa polar bear being cool. It’s a smaller gift size and even though it contains spare text, it says way more than a greeting card could ever say! Eric Carle’s colorful paper cut-outs have a natural appeal to kids. This would be a great book to pair with a handmade paper cut-out Father’s Day card made by your child. 

This is a sweet generational story about a boy who wants to be just like his cowboy dad. He accompanies his father at the cattle ranch and helps him all day with the horses and cows, and mending fences, until they both return home, “feeling tired and good.” But the best part of the boy’s day is when his dad tucks him in with the assurance that he’ll be a great cowhand, just like his father’s dad. It could be a good conversational starter about modeling for your kids, and asking your children How are you just like your dad?

I wish I had a book like this when I was a moody teenager! My dad and I could have been closer and shared more things. A journal like this helps show pre-teens that their father was pretty cool when he was younger, and that parents and kids probably have more in common than they think! This book for 8-12-year-old daughters has questions that both dad and daughter answer plus prompters such as What is your greatest talent? It’ll make a great keepsake for daughters to revisit when they are an adult.

This story is about a girl whose hair has “a mind of its own. It kinks, coils, and curls every which way.” So when she gets ready for a big day, she wants the perfect hairstyle. This is where her father comes in and helps create a beautiful look. This appeals to those who have unruly hair and the nice twist is that Daddy gets to show his creative side. The daughter is proud of her hair, and her father.