Select one of the keywords
Dad and Pop: An Ode to Fathers & Stepfathers    by Kelly Bennett & Paul Meisel Amazon.com order for
Dad and Pop
by Kelly Bennett
Order:  USA  Can
Candlewick, 2010 (2010)
Hardcover
* * *   Reviewed by Bob Walch

In this ode to fathers, the girl who narrates the story cites the differences between her father and stepfather. She calls her father Dad and stepfather Pop.

'To meet them, you'd think Dad and Pop were as different as two fathers could be,' she says. 'Pop is bald. Dad is not. Pop wears boots. Dad wears suits.'

The list of differences expands from physical characteristics, to what Pop and Dad like to do in their free time (Dad's into gadgets and Pop's into plants), to what the girl does when she spends time with one father or the other. While she plays sports like tennis with her Dad, she and Pop play board games like checkers.

Her Dad teaches the child how to paint pictures and her Pop shows her how to paint a wall. Both fathers help her and cheer her on when she plays sports.

'In some ways Dad and Pop are as different as can be,' concludes the narrator. 'But in the most important way they are exactly the same - They both love me!'

There are not a lot of books that address the situation of having two families. This picture book does so in a positive manner that anyone in this situation will appreciate.

Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons.

Find more Kids books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews