Book picks similar to
If I Didn't Have You by Alan Katz


picture-books
family
childrens
picture-book

Roly Poly


Mem Fox - 2019
    His bed is only his. The fish he catches are only his. And he doesn’t have to share his toy walrus tooth with anyone. But then along comes baby Monty. Roly Poly did not ask for a little brother and he certainly does not want one now! What is Roly Poly to do when Monty starts making him share his bed and fish and walrus tooth?

My Dad Used to Be So Cool


Keith Negley - 2016
    He looks back wistfully on his crazy times playing in a band, riding a motorcycle, and getting tattoos. Those days may be behind him, but his young son still thinks he's the coolest guy in the world.Keith Negley is an award-winning editorial illustrator with a penchant for emotionally driven illustration. He's been published in a wide range of major newspapers and national magazines, and is a frequent contributor to the New York Times and New Yorker. He lives in the mountains of Bellingham, Washington, surrounded by rain forests and giant spiders. This is his second book for Flying Eye, following Tough Guys Have Feelings Too!

Boo!


Ben Newman - 2017
    . .All the animals are keen to show off their bravery—from the crocodile with his mighty jaws, to the tiger with her scary claws! But who will be the bravest of them all?Ben Newman is an award-winning illustrator who spends the majority of his time collaborating on the Professor Astro Cat children's books with his longtime friend and scientist, Dr. Dominic Walliman, which are published by Flying Eye Books and have been translated into eighteen languages.

My Dad


Anthony Browne - 2000
    Among the traits praised are his enormous talent for singing, his near-professional wrestling skills, his extreme bravery in the face of danger (he's not even afraid of the Big Bad Wolf!), and his ability to -- quite literally, in Anthony Browne's world -- eat like a horse. All of the pictures feature the lovable pater in his signature plaid bathrobe, adding a further comfy layer to a book whose ultimate message is "I love my dad. And you know what? HE LOVES ME! (And he always will.)".

Wild About You!


Judy Sierra - 2012
    So, when a new egg arrives via the endangered species van, the 'roo jumps at the chance to take care of it, even when no one else wants it. Soon, out comes a penguin and all the animals chip in to help because, as the tree kangaroo says, "Penguins eat fishes."  Told in Judy Sierra's classic rollicking rhyme, and paired with Marc Brown's breathtaking folk-art style paintings, Wild About You! is another delightful collaboration from this New York Times bestselling duo that fans of Wild About Books and ZooZical will want to adopt for their own book collections.

Beard Boy


John Flannery - 2016
    All the most boss people in his town have them. The baker, the barbers, the butcher, they're all bewhiskered—even the old lady who waits at the bus stop has one. Most of all though, Ben wants a beard just like his dad. He tries his best to start on some scruff, but nothing works quite right. And when his dad explains he might have to wait 'til he's older for a beard of his own, he decides to take some more permanent action—with a marker that is. In the end, Ben and his dad find the perfect solution in this hilarious and heartwarming picture book celebrating the bond between father and son.

I Like It When . . .


Mary Murphy - 1997
    Perfect for little ones--and for the ones they love!

The Big Bed


Bunmi Laditan - 2018
    A twist on the classic parental struggle of not letting kids sleep in their bed.

My Daddy Rules the World: Poems about Dads


Hope Anita Smith - 2017
    These heartwarming poems, together with bold folk-art-inspired images, capture the strength and beauty of the relationship between father and child.A Christy Ottaviano Book

Ask Me


Bernard Waber - 2015
    With so many things to enjoy, and so many ways to ask—and talk—about them, it's a snapshot of an ordinary day in a world that's anything but. This story is a heartwarming and inviting picture book with a tenderly written story by Bernard Waber and glorious illustrations by Suzy Lee.PreS-Gr 2—A vivacious child and her father share an early autumn stroll. "Ask me what I like," she says. Dad's dutiful answer is printed in purple: "What do you like?" Energetically she answers with a list. Sometimes dad presses for details, "Geese in the sky? Or geese in the water?" She answers, "I like geese in the sky. No, in the water. I like both. Ask me what else I like," she demands, seeing something new she wants to tell him about. So they proceed through their day, celebrating the brief but precious time when children are gaining a sense of self and exploring the power that comes with it. The patience required to converse with a small person who wants to dictate every part of the interaction is sure to be familiar to parents, but the poetic text rises above the mundane and captures the beauty, energy, and innocence of these conversations and holds them up for readers to appreciate without becoming saccharine or trite. Lee's lively, colored-pencil drawings are a perfect match to the text. The line drawings are similar in style to those in Wave (2008) and Shadow (2010, both Chronicle), but Lee expands from the single-color palette she employed in those titles to a full spectrum of bright autumn colors. VERDICT A first choice for libraries, especially those looking to expand their selection of father-as-caregiver stories.—Anna Haase Krueger, Ramsey County Library, MN

Henry Wants More!


Linda Ashman - 2016
    Follow Henry on his exhausting and all-too-familiar day filled with play . . . and a lot of love! Buoyant rhymes and charming illustrations strike a heartwarming note that will ring true with families of energetic little ones.

Dad and the Dinosaur


Gennifer Choldenko - 2017
     Nicholas was afraid of the dark outside his door, the bushes where the giant bugs live, and the underside of manhole covers. His dad was not afraid of anything. Nicholas wants to be as brave as his dad, but he needs help. That's why he needs a dinosaur. After all, dinosaurs like the dark, bugs are nothing to them, and they eat manhole covers for lunch (and everything under them for dinner). With his toy dinosaur, Nicholas can scale tall walls, swim in deep water, even score a goal against the huge goalie everyone calls Gorilla. But when the dinosaur goes missing, everything is scary again. Luckily, his dad knows that even the bravest people can get scared, and it's okay to ask for help facing your fears. It's just guy stuff. A family classic in the making from the dream team of Newbery Honor-winner Gennifer Choldenko and Caldecott Medal-winner Dan Santat. "[Choldenko's] knowing, understated storytelling and Santat's warm, expressive spreads give full credence to the fears that weigh on kids, as well as the presences both real and imagined that can help alleviate them." Publishers Weekly(starred review)"

How to Teach a Slug to Read


Susan Pearson - 2011
    Here are a few of his reading rules: Attach labels to Little Slug’s favorite things; Read out loud to him; Point out words that repeat; Sound out words; Make a vocabulary list; Be patient! And, of course, it helps if Little Slug can see the book, so prop it up and set him on a rock! David Slonim’s hilarious acrylic and charcoal illustrations and Susan Pearson’s witty text show that reading can be fun!

Mighty Dads


Joan Holub - 2014
    The Dump Trucks learn to get dirty. Crane keeps his little one safe from harm. The busy Cement Mixer gives his daughter a hug. The Forklift cheers his son on.A surprising and touching view of a father's love for his children, MIGHTY DADS is the perfect way to say: I'm proud of you!

The Truth About Grandparents


Elina Ellis - 2019
    Grandparents are scared of new things. And grandparents definitely don't dance -- right? A simple, playful storyline that children will love anticipating makes this a perfect read-aloud for modern families to share together. With sly humor and breezy, dynamic artwork in the tradition of Quentin Blake, this book is a fresh celebration of the special relationship between grandparents and grandchildren.