Papa Doesn’t Do Anything!

PreS-Gr 2–Speaking for layabout fathers everywhere a papa pooch responds to his little pup’s titular observation with a tally of all the things he does or has done besides sitting around watching TV all year long. Like what? Well, besides doing crossword puzzles and being handy around the house (“I’m stronger than you,/ so I can open most jars”), he claims to having played in a band, met a famous person once, and had multiple “careers.” Other papas are artists, or soldiers, or “even work/ at the general store.” He, on the other hand, is dedicated to always being there to, well, watch his child growing up, and to lend help, though only when specifically asked. Fallon actually ratifies the young dog’s premise at the end, linking it to a promise as vague as it is fervent: “From the looks of it PAPA doesn’t do much—and it’s true./ But PAPA would do anything, ANYTHING for you.” Again, like what? Neither earlier expostulations nor Ordóñez’s generic closing view of doggy parent and child standing in an open field clarify what “ANYTHING” might actually be. Moreover, readers are likely to find the staring, googly eyes of the flop-eared figures in these illustrations more creepy than cozy.