10 Book & Activity Pairings for Father’s Day

Uncle Andy’s, by James Warhola
With a father in the junk business, young James always has something in the yard to spark his imagination. But it’s when the family goes to visit Uncle Andy (known to the world as Andy Warhol) in New York City, James discovers how one man’s trash truly can become another man’s treasure. (Ages 4-8) Activity Pairing: Visit an art gallery or sculpture garden. Create a masterpiece using items only found around the house.

Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale, by Mo Willems
Though not the central figure of the Knuffle Bunny books, Trixie’s father plays a key role. In this first book, Trixie is on an errand with dad when her beloved stuffed bunny is lost. Dad ultimately saves the day, as he does again in the second book (because we all know that beloved stuffed animals go missing more than once). Always, there’s an underlying theme of finding adventure in the simple things. (Ages 4-8) Activity Pairing: Explore a new setting in your own town.

Papa’s Mechanical Fish, by Candace Fleming, illustrated by Boris Kulikov
Virena’s father (based on real-life inventor Lodner Phillips) is always tinkering around in his workshop. When, during a family fishing trip on Lake Michigan, Virena asks her father if he ever wonders what it’s like to be a fish, Papa launches into action. More tinkering, clanking, and clanging ensue, and when Papa finally emerges, he’s created what will become one of the world’s earliest submarine designs. (Ages 4-8) Activity Pairing: Design and create something together, whether it’s a birdhouse, a recipe, or something completely original.

Every Friday, by Dan Yaccarino
A boy and his father have a standing date every Friday: a walk through the neighborhood, ending with a pancake dinner at the local diner. The story centers not only around the tenderness between the boy and father, but also the way the pair greet those they meet in the neighborhood, from the street sweeper to the doorman to the waitress. It’s a text with a timeless feel and a nod towards the value of small gestures. (Ages 4-8) Activity Pairing: Enjoy a father and son/daughter meal date.

Interrupting Chicken, by David Ezra Stein
Any parent who has ever tried to get through the final minutes of the day and to the lights-out finish line, will appreciate this story of a father trying to read a bedtime story to his wide-awake daughter. Over and over, Little Chicken interrupts with her own commentary and telling of the story, despite multiple warnings to quiet down. While the text is lighthearted, and quirky, what’s perhaps best about this book is the very real element of Papa’s tested patience and desperate attempts to end the day. (Ages 4-8) Activity Pairing: Parents, read this story at bedtime and feel seen. (Then make plans to pick up the hilarious sequel, Interrupting Chicken and the Elephant of Surprise.)

Bo at Ballard Creek, by Kirkpatrick Hill and LeUyen Pham
In 1929, a young baby was abandoned in an Alaskan mining town. She is found and adopted by Arvid and Jack, two of the town’s blacksmiths, who name her Bo. Arvid and Jack are hardened, tough, colorful in their language, and, the reader soon discovers, the perfect fathers for this baby girl. With the help of the entire village, these two unlikely fathers teach Bo about life in the Alaska territory (Ages 8-12). Activity Pairing: Step out of your comfort zone and let the child become the teacher, whether it’s practicing soccer skills, or fingerpainting.

Hour of the Bees, by Lindsay Eagar
12-year-old Carolina (or Carol, as she prefers to be called) is not thrilled to be spending the summer in the middle-of-nowhere New Mexico, moving a grandfather she barely knows into a home for those with dementia. Grandpa Serge is full of stories, crazy stories that are surely a mark of his deteriorating mind. But the more Carol listens, the more she begins to think that there’s more to Grandpa Serge’s tales than the ramblings of an old man. To accept the stories as truth, however, she has to accept what she’s always known to be true as fiction. (Ages 8-12) Activity Pairing: Flip through old photographs, record the stories of older family members, or simply take turns swapping “I remember…” stories.

Stef Soto, Taco Queen, by Jennifer Torres
It’s the job of every parent of an adolescent child to be a source of constant embarrassment. Or so it seems to Stef, who wishes her father had a normal job, instead of driving a taco truck. If he did, she could have a normal life, and not be known at school as the Taco Queen. But when changes to city laws are proposed, changes that would put the family livelihood at risk, Stef discovers a spark of pride in her family she didn’t know existed. (Ages 8-12) Activity Pairing: Take your son/daughter to work, or to a work-related activity (if possible).

Made by Dad: 67 Blueprints for Making Cool Stuff, by Scott Bedford
Forget high-tech gadgets. Forget expensive materials. Every project in this book is high-interest, low budget. With catchy titles like The Gravity-Defying Black Hole or The Snappy Toast Rack and eye-catching images accompanying step-by-step instructions, this is the perfect book for father-child bonding time. (All ages) Activity Pairing: This one is easy! Grab the book, and get busy!

Darth Vader and Son, and Vader’s Little Princess, by Jeffrey Brown
What if Darth Vader had a different parenting style than the one we know from Hollywood? Trick-or-treating, tea parties, visits to the zoo—deep down, the Sith Lord is just like any other dad, as these two books make apparent. (All ages) Activity Pairing: Star Wars movie-viewing, of course.
Whether it’s quirky, or sappy, or creative, what will you be reading this Father’s Day?