Daddy's Footsteps

Four baby dinosaurs join their dads on an adventurous ramble through their wild and dangerous world. As they stroll along, our narrator's daddy supports and guides his son with words of wisdom. Following his father's footsteps, our young dino feels safe and secure: his dad is so big and strong. The dads watch their children play, frolic, and splash in lush pools. They also stand carefully back, allowing them to find the most amazing views…on their own. When the little ones believe that they are lost and can't quite find their way back to their dads, they remember the guiding words, learn some serious lessons about life, and find their own way back.

Usually, Michelle Robinson's books make me (and the children) laugh out loud: she has a really quirky, and wholly appreciated, sense of humour. Daddy's Footsteps is different: it is a beautiful exploration of the bond between children and their fathers, told in a perfectly lilting rhyme.  Patrick Donnelly's illustrations are colourful and vibrant and are the most wonderfully fitting images to compliment this gorgeous book.

I must admit to feeling a little lump in my throat and my eyes did leak somewhat when I shared this with my grandchildren: cousins Archie, three years, who is a real book lover, and Dorothy, two years, who just happens to be a proper dinosaur fiend! It prompted a lovely conversation about how funny, big, strong, and capable their daddies are and how safe they both feel when they are with them. I really wished I'd recorded it!

Picture book / Reviewed by Tracy Parvin

Suggested Reading Age 3+