You Made Me a Dad

March 11, 2019
A father with heavy-framed glasses and a receding hairline declares, “I loved you before I saw you. When you were just a heartbeat” (he’s pictured with his ear on his partner’s pregnant belly). Once the baby arrives, he quickly learns about his new roles: “I realized right away that I had a new job. I would teach you to be kind. To listen to good music. To be yourself. To make you giggle A LOT.” His child, who resembles her dark-skinned, wavy-haired mother, teaches him, too: “Because of you, I know what monsters sound like and how to dance silly... and that my heart is bigger than anything on Earth. (And in outer space, too).” Malbrough’s watercolor and digital illustrations bring warmth, energy, and dimension to this celebration of fatherhood. Also available: You Made Me a Mother. Ages 4–8.

April 1, 2019
There is much to both teach and to learn in becoming a dad. This story begins with a couple's pregnancy. It is narrated by Dad, as a story or letter told to his child. It is clear from the outset that the white male partner is thrilled to become a parent. He looks longingly at other fathers interacting with their children in tiny detail illustrations in the end pages. He bends down on his knees to connect directly with his brown-skinned partner's ever growing belly. He is gentle and caring with Mommy, rubbing her feet and consoling her fears. He describes his child's arrival in simple words that will resonate with all parents: "you were perfect." From here the tone shifts from anticipation to exaltation, as Dad recounts the important things he is learning from his biracial child, like "how to dance silly" and "hide in the sneakiest spots." Interestingly, after the child arrives, Mom is not seen or mentioned again; she is even absent from the child's family drawings. Because this is unaddressed in the text, it feels unnerving--did something happen to her? Regardless, the star of this show is the very special bond between Dad and child. A joyful and tender love letter to fatherhood. (Picture book. 2-6)

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