Children’s picture book about different kinds of dads and dogs
I picked this book up some time ago when I saw it in a bookshop and absolutely could not walk past it. It felt so relevant to our family that someone else gave it to us as well. An almost daily sight in our house is my husband (who runs ultramarathons) taking our toddler and two dogs out for a run, so what better day to review this book than Father’s Day?
“Dads and Dogs” by Mick Elliot is a children’s picture book about dads spending time with their children and dogs. Each page shows a different type of dad with a different type of dog engaging in an activity with their children.
This is a great little book that shows a truly diverse range of dads caring for their children and dogs. Just about anyone who identifies as a dad of young children will see themselves reflected somewhere in these pages. I really love that the dads all look different and all come from different backgrounds and styles. I also really love that the domestic scenes embrace the level of chaos one can expect from having a house full of dogs and children, and that all of the dads are actively involved in caring responsibilities ranging from playing with their kids to doing domestic chores. I also really love how many different kinds of dogs are depicted, especially the rescue dog (a cause very close to my heart).
I didn’t really have any critiques at all about this book except to note (as a huge dog nerd) that I was a little disappointed Elliot depicted the Doberman (referred to in the book as a fairy dog) with cropped ears. Ear cropping is illegal in Australia and this procedure to cut the tips of a healthy dog’s ears for purely aesthetic reasons is widely accepted to be cruel and unnecessary. While I understand that the Dobermann has become well-recognised with cropped ears, especially through American television (it is not illegal in the USA), I was a little unhappy with this stylistic choice when it wouldn’t have made any difference to the narrative whatsoever.
A wonderful book for all the dads out there wrangling both dogs and children.
