Boys
Girls
Gender Neutral

• Joshua's Night Whispers, by Angela Johnson. A young dad comforts his son when the child wakes up in the middle of the night.
• Just Me and My Dad, by Mercer Mayer. The adventures (and mishaps) of Little Critter's camping trip with his father.
• Peter's Chair, by Ezra Jack Keats. When all his things are painted pink in preparation for the birth of his baby sister, Peter struggles to keep his own identity.
• Pretty Brown Face, by Andrea Davis Pinkney. In this board book, a dad helps his baby boy learn what makes his face and features wonderfully unique.
• With a Little Help from Daddy, by Dan Andreasen. Everything seems to turn out just a little bit better for a baby blue elephant when his father is there by his side.
• Bigger Than Daddy, by Harriet Ziefert. A playful and energetic little boy spends a busy day with his dad.

• Abiyoyo, by Pete Seeger. The famed folk singer weaves a lyrical tale based on a South African lullaby in which a young boy and his magician father take on a mythical, people-eating giant that's about to descend upon their village.
• The Bat Boy and His Violin, by Gavin Curtis. Set in 1948, a Negro National League baseball coach finds that his son's musical gifts are as much help to the team as his bat boy skills.
• Carlos and the Cornfield/Carlos y la milpa de maiz, by Jan Romero Stevens. In this bilingual tale, Carlos leans a valuable lesson about listening to his father when helping him out in the fields.
• Daddy Calls Me Man, by Angela Johnson. Four poems as written by a little boy named Noah, about his dad, mom, and two sisters.
• Father and Son Read-Aloud Stories, by Robert Gould. Twelve classic fairy tales (like Jack and the Beanstalk and Chicken Little) are injected with more suspense, adventure, and humor to better appeal to little boys' imaginations. Makes for great together-time reading material for the guys!
• Froggy's Day With Dad, by Jonathan London. A funny tale of a young frog and the Father's Day activities he enjoys with his pop.
• He's Got the Whole World in His Hands, by Kadir Nelson. The beloved spiritual is given new life in this beautifully illustrated book that celebrates the power of families, communities, and nature.
• Hewitt Anderson's Great Big Life, by Jerdine Nolen. In this whimsical tale about self-acceptance, a normal-sized boy is raised by a pair of giant parents.
• If: A Father's Advice to His Son, by Rudyard Kipling. Colorful, modern day images of sports are used to reimagine the words to this powerful and inspiring poem by the famed author of The Jungle Book.
• Joe-Joe's First Flight, by Natasha Tarpley. In this tale set in the 1920s, a young boy imagines taking to the sky at a time when his father and other African Americans aren't allowed to actually do so.
• Jump! From the Life of Michael Jordan, by Floyd Cooper. This stunningly illustrated book celebrates everything that led to the young Michael Jordan's success, most notably the love and support of his father, mother, and family.
• Just the Two of Us, by Will Smith. This book brings the words of Will Smith's hit song to life as it focuses on a young dad helping his little boy grow up into a man.
• Keepers, by Jeri Hanel Watts. When he buys himself a baseball mitt with the money he'd saved for his grandmother's birthday gift, a young boy turns to his father for advice on what to do.
• Kevin and His Dad, by Irene Smalls. From playing baseball and going to see an action movie to even doing some chores, Kevin enjoys every minute of a day spent alone with his father.
• Me and My Dad!, by Alison Ritchie. A bear cub has a wonderful day bonding with his father in the wild.
• My Name is Gabito/Mi llamo Gabito: The Life of Gabriel Garcia Marquez/La vida de Gabriel Garcia Marquez, by Monica Brown. The boyhood imagination of Colombia's famed author is brought to life in this vibrantly illustrated book.
• Out of the Ballpark, by Alex Rodriguez. The New York Yankee superstar weaves an autobiographical tale about a young athlete who learns the importance of practice and persistence.
• Papa, Do You Love Me?, by Barbara M. Joosse. In Africa, a Maasai tribesman teaches his son that a father's love is unconditional.
• Play Ball!, by Jorge Posada and Robert Burleigh. In this story cowritten by the New York Yankees catcher, Posada honors the positive role his father played in his development as a baseball player.
• Salt in His Shoes: Michael Jordan in Pursuit of a Dream, by Deloris Jordan and Roslyn M. Jordan. The basketball legend's sisters lovingly recall the advice Michael got as a young boy from his mom and dad about how to be a winner both on and off the court.
• The Stories Julian Tells, by Ann Cameron. Little Julian is a gifted storyteller, especially when he's telling tall tales to his younger brother Huey. An entertaining book that gently teaches how telling a fib can get you in trouble.
• Tonio's Cat, by Mary Calhoun. When a young Mexican boy who has just moved to the United States befriends the neighborhood cat, who is also an outsider, the pair learn how to find their place in the community.

• The Janitor's Boy, by Andrew Clements. A fifth-grade kid is initially embarrassed by his father's job at his school, but a round of detention makes him see his dad in a whole new light.
• Laughing Out Loud, I Fly: A carcajadas yo vuelo, by Juan Felipe Herrera. A Latino man celebrates his childhood memories of his father and family through fresh and fun rhythmic poetry.
• Satchel Paige: Striking Out Jim Crow, by James Sturm. History and baseball meet in this graphic novel that follows the trailblazing Negro League pitcher through a series of games in the segregated South.