I Love You, Daddy/I Love You, Mommy

Board books about family love are nothing new, but popular children's author Dandi Daley Mackall's books I Love You, Daddy and I Love You, Mommy are nonetheless a sweet addition to the family bookshelf.

I Love You, Daddy features a family of soft and cuddly dogs (expertly drawn by Karen Lee Schmidt) and shows a young pup playing baseball, walking through the rain, playing hide and seek, learning to tie his shoes, watching television, and more with Daddy. Each page features a stanza describing a typical young child's day, each ending with "I love you, Daddy." For example:

"You would never, ever peek
In a game of hide-and-seek.
You are strong when I am weak.
I love you, Daddy."

The book ends:

"I'm a lucky dog - it's true!
For when God made dads, he knew
That the dad for me was YOU!
I love you, Daddy."

I Love You, Mommy is similar, although the illustrations depict a bear family and shows a Mommy waking up her child, building blocks, barbecuing, camping, and more. It ends with one mention of God:

"God sure blessed our family,
'Cause when God made moms, you see,
Well, he saved the best for me!
I love you, Mommy!"

What I Like: The illustrations by Schmitt are charming and warm, and the text and illustrations do a nice job showcasing a child's day. I also appreciate that the author shows the children not being happy about discipline, but acknowledging they love their parent even when they get in trouble. The mentions of God at the very end of each book makes these titles stand out a bit more from similar, mainstream books.

What I Dislike: Nothing, really, although these books are similar enough to other titles, it's hard for me to get too excited about them.

Overall Rating: Good.

Age Appeal: According to the publisher, 2 - 4, but I'd say infant to toddler.

Publishing Info: Standard, 2006; ISBN: 978-0784718162; board book, $8.99.

Buy I Love You, Daddy at ChristianBook.com for $6.99

Buy I Love You, Mommy at ChristianBook.com for $6.99

Or Buy I Love You, Daddy at Amazon.com for $14.94.

Or I Love You, Mommy at Amazon.com for $8.99.

Special Info: Single parents may wish to know that in both books, although the illustrations primarily focus on either the mother or father, the last page features the family altogether: mother, father, and children.