Daddies Do It Different

K-Gr 2—In Sitomer's exploration of the differences between the ways in which mothers and fathers relate to their children and care for their needs, mothers are conscientious caregivers who dress their offspring in perfectly matching outfits, cook nutritious food, shop with a careful eye on family finances, and provide calming bedtime rituals. Fathers, on the other hand, build forts with breakfast waffles, put bananas in their ears in the supermarket, can't find the car keys, and engage in bedtime shenanigans guaranteed to make kids "crazy-hyper-nuts." Carter's large watercolor cartoon paintings reinforce the humorous text and vividly illustrate the differences between the two parents. Mom's breakfast table is neatly set with important food groups in evidence; Dad's has cereal spilling onto the floor, flowing milk and syrup, open drawers, and a cup perched precariously on the table edge. Mom provides bath-tub toys and careful teeth brushing; Dad covers the bathroom floor and himself in bubbles and water. While Sitomer is surely writing tongue-in-cheek, his stereotypical picture of mothers who are incapable of a bit of playful fun and fathers who are merely irresponsible clowns does a disservice to both parents. Stay with Laura Numeroff's What Mommies Do Best/What Daddies Do Best (S & S, 1998), which provides a more balanced view of parents and their little ones.—Marianne Saccardi, formerly at Norwalk Community College, CT