What is daddy going to do?

by | Apr 12, 2022 | Book Review, Fiction, Picture Book

What is daddy going to do (cover)

Book Details

What is daddy going to do?
Carly Madden, illus. Juliana Perdomo. London: words & pictures, hb, 978 0 7112 6325 3, 2021, £7.99, 12pp.
Picture book, fiction, baby – 3 years

The question of what Daddy will do next is repeatedly raised, accompanied by cheerful illustrations of diverse fathers about to engage in an activity. 

From the visual clues, the reader must guess what that activity is going to be, before raising the flap so that all is revealed.

A stopwatch predicts a family sports day, a box becomes a pirate ship, a colander is transformed into a spaceman’s helmet, and a saucepan into a musical instrument. Bold, bright colours make for joyful illustrations, as smiling faces, all round, depict the pleasure through imaginative play with Dad.

The simple narrative is easy to grasp, and this is a book that is a delight to read aloud.  The repeated question produces a satisfying rhythm that will appeal to early readers and draw them to join in. Pages have extra words which can be read out as appropriate sound effects, bringing the scenes to life. The final pages offer a bedtime story ending, making it a great goodnight read.

This pleasant book encourages creativity through a celebration of father and child.

Review by Leone Betts