33 Uses for a Dad

by Harriet Ziefert, Amanda Haley (illustrator)

Dad can be there to coach your soccer team, feed your pet, lend you money, or just hold your hand when you need support. His resume is sure to dancing partner, bug catcher, jar opener, and campfire builder. But what is Dad the best at? Being a friend and protector.
In 33 Uses for a Dad we are reminded of all the wonderful, caring things that dads do every day. Harriet Ziefert and Amanda Haley team up to give us a simple, quirky, and direct look at how children view the world, singing the praises of fathers everywhere.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens

40 pages, Hardcover

First published February 29, 2004

About the author

Harriet Ziefert grew up in North Bergen, New Jersey, where she attended the local schools. She graduated from Smith College, then received a Masters degree in Education from New York University.

For many years, Ziefert was an elementary school teacher. She taught most grades from kindergarten to fifth grade. "I liked it," she said, but she stopped teaching when she had her own sons. When her children were older, Ziefert wanted "a bigger arena" for her work. She went to work at a publishing company, Scholastic in New York City, developing materials for teacher's guides for kindergarten language arts and social studies programs.

"About twelve years ago," says Ziefert in a 1995 interview, "I tried to get a job as an editor, but no one would hire me as a trade editor. So I decided to write my own books." Since then, she has written several hundred books, mostly picture books and easy-to-read books. "I write books very quickly," she says, "in about twelve hours. I rewrite them three times over three days, and then they're done." She writes about twenty books a year.

Reviews

[Danielle]

I would possibly use this book for a father's day storytime if I couldn't find anything else. It wasn't bad just wasn't a story.

[Catherine Woodman]

This is a pretty basic book, written entirely in spanish without any bilingual translation--but very simple concepts with pictures, so the average person with a modest Spanish background (like myself) had no trouble reading it--the drawings are simple in a charming way as well, and I think this is a great book for bilingual kids, or kids that you want to expose to Spanish early.

[Louise]

Really a list rather than a book, of some of the many and varied roles that any parent undertakes on a given day. Cute, folksy illustrations. Interestingly the back cover says that Harriet Ziefert has written over 200 books. I'd never heard of her before this one, but will search out more of her work.

[Tricia]

eh. just a list with pictures. hard to read. difficult to get into for all of us.