School Library Journal Review
PreS-K-This heartwarming book shows various animal dads as they provide comfort, safety, companionship, and steady support to their youngsters. The straightforward text rhymes, although not in a set pattern, and is loosely repetitive, thus sounding soothing and sweet without becoming singsong. While the majority of the verses are stated in general terms ("Some daddies/comb your hair"), the last two pages are more personalized ("And my daddy- is the best,/the very best,/-daddy of all"). Most of the pastel paintings feature animal families; a bird sings his child awake, a luminescent fish builds a house, and a tall flamingo urges his nested offspring to "Keep trying!/Keep trying!" A human child and father appear at the end. The artwork is intimate and the focus is soft, yet all of the scenes are immersed in rich colors. As a bonus, the illustrations establish an expansive sense of place, moving readers from mountains to desert to river valley. The majority of the pages pay tribute to the glorious natural world, giving the book universal appeal.-Martha Topol, Traverse Area District Library, Traverse City, MI (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Celebrating all that fathers do, The Very Best Daddy of All by Marion Dane Bauer, illus. by Leslie Wu, a companion to My Mother Is Mine, lists one noble, caring trait of various animal daddies on each spread. A songbird serenading his offspring in a nest demonstrates "Some daddies sing you awake." Warm pastel illustrations of dramatically lit scenes show animal fathers tending to or protecting their young, the last featuring a human father and son. (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
