My Daddy Rules the World: Poems About Dads

PreS-Gr 3—Dedicated to "every man 'fathering' a child," this volume spotlights the bond between dads and their kids. Written in a child's voice, the poems depict dads snoring, making breakfast, giving a haircut or guitar lesson, wrestling, playing catch, teaching a child to ride a bike, and reading. "Love Letter" is about writing to a military dad abroad: "My daddy—/he is far away./I wish him home/most every day." The one exception to the child-narrated voice is the call-and-response poem "Daddy!," which prompts listeners with questions: "Who do you like? Who do you love?/Daddy!/Who do you wrestle? Who do you shove?/Daddy! …. Who shows you the world from the top of his head?/Daddy!/Who tells you a story and puts you to bed?/Daddy!" The final selection, also the title poem, describes a near-perfect dad: "He helps me with my homework/and always gets it right./He teaches me 'most of the time,/it's better not to fight.'/…. Whenever I have a problem,/he knows just what to do:/'In order to solve anything,/be honest, kind, and true.' " The torn-paper collage illustrations depict faceless children and their dads sharing special moments together. The youngsters are boys and girls with a variety of skin and hair colors, thus representing every child—if only every child could have a father as loving and attentive as the ones portrayed in this book. The poems are accessible and a true celebration of fatherhood. Pair with Javaka Steptoe's award-winning In Daddy's Arms I Am Tall, another work of poetry and collage on the same subject.