My Dad's the coolest by Rosie Smith and Bruce Whatley

Scholastic, 2012. ISBN 9781 74283 074 2.
(Ages 2+) Recommended. Picture book. Family. Fathers. In a softly illustrated book with gouache filled pencil line drawings of a series of animals around the world, Smith and Whatley extol the virtues of a father and his offspring doing things together. Each double page sees a line of deceptively simple writing on one side complimented by a beautiful illustration on the facing page, adding a slice of humour to the already inviting book.
The young child is presented with a lion for example, with the line, 'Dad is very brave', contrasting with the lion cowering from a mouse, with the baby lion hiding behind him. On another page is an illustration of a mountain goat high on a rock, with the kid on its back, and the sentence reads, 'We climb'. Each page shows a father and his offspring doing things together, having an adventure, being close, finishing with the line 'My Dad's the coolest', the title of the book and reprising the picture of the polar bear and his cub on the front cover.
This is a delightful hard cover book to share with young children. Parents, kindergarten and early primary teachers will have the chance to discuss an array of stories with their charges through this book, ranging from animals and their habitats and habits, to the main thrust of the book, Fathers and their part in the family. Reading the book will encourage a range of discussions and activities.
Fran Knight