What do you think?
This is My Daddy!
"Who is my Daddy?" asks a prickly baby animal. Is it the porcupine? The dust bunny? Could it be the cactus? No! It's the father hedgehog, of course, cuddling his baby to sleep.
With This is My Daddy!, acclaimed author-illustrator Mies van Hout gives young readers a fun and often funny challenge: correctly choose a baby animal's father from among four candidates, rendered in striking portraits. The vibrant cast includes busy beavers, slippery snails, roaming rhinos, and more.
A clever twist on babies-and-parents books, This is My Daddy! will mesmerize little ones with the details of its vivid artwork. Then, just when the complacent reader has the pattern all figured out, story time wraps up with a side-splitting surprise.
With This is My Daddy!, acclaimed author-illustrator Mies van Hout gives young readers a fun and often funny challenge: correctly choose a baby animal's father from among four candidates, rendered in striking portraits. The vibrant cast includes busy beavers, slippery snails, roaming rhinos, and more.
A clever twist on babies-and-parents books, This is My Daddy! will mesmerize little ones with the details of its vivid artwork. Then, just when the complacent reader has the pattern all figured out, story time wraps up with a side-splitting surprise.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2019
About the author
Mies van Hout
56 books15 followersI grew up in a village in the south of Holland called Hapert. My father allways told us stories. When he was telling we were all sitting around him. I also liked reading, but most of the time I was drawing.
When I was very young I knew that I wanted to become a drawer. And I didn't know what to do otherwise.
http://www.miesvanhout.nl/engelsoverm...
When I was very young I knew that I wanted to become a drawer. And I didn't know what to do otherwise.
http://www.miesvanhout.nl/engelsoverm...
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
March 3, 2021
I was given a copy of this book by the publisher in a giveaway. I am donating it to my school library.
This book is cute. But very unexpected. It feels like it's supposed to be a simple "who is my dad" book of matching animals, but it's not. It's a little wacky and the dad isn't always who you'd expect. In the end, I really liked it, but I was confused at the beginning. Maybe it's not so much about matching animals, but instead about not making assumptions.
This book is cute. But very unexpected. It feels like it's supposed to be a simple "who is my dad" book of matching animals, but it's not. It's a little wacky and the dad isn't always who you'd expect. In the end, I really liked it, but I was confused at the beginning. Maybe it's not so much about matching animals, but instead about not making assumptions.
April 2, 2021
Moet ik misschien nog eens opnieuw meenemen van de bib wanneer onze peuter wat ouder wordt. Nu vond ze deze al leuk zelfs al begreep ze de raadseltjes nog niet helemaal; elke pagina is kleurrijk en uitdagend. En vooral de laatste is een creatieve.
October 14, 2020
See my full review here: https://www.yabookscentral.com/kidsfi...
THIS IS MY DADDY! is an overall cute and simple concept that makes a great gift for fathers of young children. The book presents an animal with the question "Who is my Daddy?" and four choices of animals who look somewhat similar. When you turn the page, you see the father and child duo together plus the phrase, "This is my Daddy!" This simple concept has some guessing game fun integrated.
What I loved: This book manages to be both simple and complex. It has a sort of matching and memory game to it with the four tiles and it is interesting to see how such different animals can have features in common. For example, the hedgehog also shows pictures of a porcupine, prickly sea urchin, and a cactus. The book also includes some complicated pairs, like tadpoles and frogs and caterpillars and butterflies, perhaps pointing out that children do not always look like their parents. The illustrations are not always clear as to the type of animal, but this works for children who like playing matching to guess who the father of each animal is.
This is an easy read with only those two phrases repeated throughout. I really liked the use of thicker paper on this book that makes it in between a board and picture book, so great for young toddlers to work on turning the pages and playing with.
What left me wanting more: As a very small point, some of the illustrations are a bit hard to identify, as it was not totally clear which animal they were meant to be. However, they are very cool to look at and have a fun artistic style, so it was not a big deal.
Final verdict: A fun picture book that explores father-child pairs all around us, THIS IS MY DADDY! is a silly and delightful book to share with a little one. Elements of memory and matching skills will be lightly explored at a level appropriate for the young audience.
Please note that I received a review copy from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
THIS IS MY DADDY! is an overall cute and simple concept that makes a great gift for fathers of young children. The book presents an animal with the question "Who is my Daddy?" and four choices of animals who look somewhat similar. When you turn the page, you see the father and child duo together plus the phrase, "This is my Daddy!" This simple concept has some guessing game fun integrated.
What I loved: This book manages to be both simple and complex. It has a sort of matching and memory game to it with the four tiles and it is interesting to see how such different animals can have features in common. For example, the hedgehog also shows pictures of a porcupine, prickly sea urchin, and a cactus. The book also includes some complicated pairs, like tadpoles and frogs and caterpillars and butterflies, perhaps pointing out that children do not always look like their parents. The illustrations are not always clear as to the type of animal, but this works for children who like playing matching to guess who the father of each animal is.
This is an easy read with only those two phrases repeated throughout. I really liked the use of thicker paper on this book that makes it in between a board and picture book, so great for young toddlers to work on turning the pages and playing with.
What left me wanting more: As a very small point, some of the illustrations are a bit hard to identify, as it was not totally clear which animal they were meant to be. However, they are very cool to look at and have a fun artistic style, so it was not a big deal.
Final verdict: A fun picture book that explores father-child pairs all around us, THIS IS MY DADDY! is a silly and delightful book to share with a little one. Elements of memory and matching skills will be lightly explored at a level appropriate for the young audience.
Please note that I received a review copy from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
August 7, 2020
Each page of this book shows a young animal who asks the reader, "Who is my Daddy?" There are four choices of adult animals, and the reader has to guess which one is the grown-up version of the little animal. A little tadpole joyfully declares, "This is my Daddy!", when reunited with his froggy father. A baby rhino frolics with his large rhino Dad, and a baby beaver chomps on some branches with his beaver Dad.
This is such a fun way to get children thinking critically and noticing the details. It also stretches their memory capabilities, and helps them to predict what will come next based on the previous pattern. Plus it's just fun!
I didn't really care for the art style. I do like the bright colors and cute characters, but I wish the designs were more clear. Sometimes I couldn't even tell what animal it was. Is it a chipmunk or a prairie dog? It it a bee or a beetle? Is it a snake or a worm? Is that a porcupine or a hedgehog or a wombat? I have no idea. In a book where the reader has to guess which animal is which, I would think that clarity in the artwork would be a major priority.
The book itself has great construction. The cover is sturdy and the pages are thick. Not as thick as a board book, but designed to withstand little hands.
Overall, it's a very cute book with a fun setup. I enjoyed it!
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.
This is such a fun way to get children thinking critically and noticing the details. It also stretches their memory capabilities, and helps them to predict what will come next based on the previous pattern. Plus it's just fun!
I didn't really care for the art style. I do like the bright colors and cute characters, but I wish the designs were more clear. Sometimes I couldn't even tell what animal it was. Is it a chipmunk or a prairie dog? It it a bee or a beetle? Is it a snake or a worm? Is that a porcupine or a hedgehog or a wombat? I have no idea. In a book where the reader has to guess which animal is which, I would think that clarity in the artwork would be a major priority.
The book itself has great construction. The cover is sturdy and the pages are thick. Not as thick as a board book, but designed to withstand little hands.
Overall, it's a very cute book with a fun setup. I enjoyed it!
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.
June 16, 2021
In this riddle book a series of animals asks "Who is my daddy?" The reader is presented with 4 pictures from which to choose. Turn the page and see the answer and the text: "This is my daddy!"
Fun guessing for preschoolers; tie-in with Father's Day, celebrations of family, and even science--the tadpole and the caterpillar show that their daddies look completely different from the youngsters.
Fun guessing for preschoolers; tie-in with Father's Day, celebrations of family, and even science--the tadpole and the caterpillar show that their daddies look completely different from the youngsters.
July 24, 2020
This board book is a 3.5 for me and another gotta-have title from the creative Mies van Hout. The concept here is simple but effective. A baby animal on each left-hand page faces four possible choices for whom its father might be on the right-hand page. The next page reunites the father and offspring with the repeated phrase of delight, "This is my daddy!" What I especially liked about this book was how the choices of fathers shared characteristics with the baby animal, but the youngsters weren't exact replicas of their progenitors. For instance, the little hedgehog must choose from among four spiky entities. This book really hones little ones' visual acuity and observation skills, and the last family connection may leave them puzzled unless they are very, very careful to pay attention to every detail in those images. Once they turn the page, though, they are sure to be amused and understand the author/illustrator's clever trick. The illustrations themselves are fun to view, created with acrylics, oil pastels, and gouache. The book was originally published in the Netherlands, but children from all sorts of countries will have no problem enjoying the book and proclaiming, "This is my daddy!"
June 2, 2020
This review originally appeared on Mr. Alex's Bookshelf: https://mralexbookshelf.com/2020/06/0...
Seen a butterfly with a mustache? Know what a baby porcupine looks like? Mies Van Hout leads you on a dynamic visual journey in her latest contribution to the world of Board Books: "This is My Daddy!"
Board Books can be well, dull. Not for the kids. Children love them, if they are done correctly. But, for adults, the lessons contained in a Board Book are among the most basic of lessons and, as a child often likes to repeat them over and over, they can start to grow tiresome on the reader. "This is My Daddy!," however, provides entertainment both for the child and the adult.
In a series of vignettes, Van Hout lays out a simple question: Who is my Daddy? The reader is presented with a baby/toddler and four options of who the corresponding father figure is.
On the next page, the reveal: the Daddy! Van Hout layers clues into her carefully crafted illustrations so that even if you are unfamiliar with the particular species, you can make an educated guess.
In trademark Van Hout style, the visuals are big, bold and bright. The artwork on the “reveal” pages encompasses an entire two-page spread dominating the visual field and highlighting the father/child relationship. This, is particularly important as there are so few Children’s Books on the market that reinforce the father/child bond. This, is a welcomed addition.
One final note, This book is “sturdy,” a very necessary quality in a board book: the papers are thick and the book's covers are padded making them easy to grab/manipulate. Sturdy books are a good thing; as both it will be reached for again and again.
My thanks to Pajama Press for providing a review copy of this book. The views expressed herein are my own.
Seen a butterfly with a mustache? Know what a baby porcupine looks like? Mies Van Hout leads you on a dynamic visual journey in her latest contribution to the world of Board Books: "This is My Daddy!"
Board Books can be well, dull. Not for the kids. Children love them, if they are done correctly. But, for adults, the lessons contained in a Board Book are among the most basic of lessons and, as a child often likes to repeat them over and over, they can start to grow tiresome on the reader. "This is My Daddy!," however, provides entertainment both for the child and the adult.
In a series of vignettes, Van Hout lays out a simple question: Who is my Daddy? The reader is presented with a baby/toddler and four options of who the corresponding father figure is.
On the next page, the reveal: the Daddy! Van Hout layers clues into her carefully crafted illustrations so that even if you are unfamiliar with the particular species, you can make an educated guess.
In trademark Van Hout style, the visuals are big, bold and bright. The artwork on the “reveal” pages encompasses an entire two-page spread dominating the visual field and highlighting the father/child relationship. This, is particularly important as there are so few Children’s Books on the market that reinforce the father/child bond. This, is a welcomed addition.
One final note, This book is “sturdy,” a very necessary quality in a board book: the papers are thick and the book's covers are padded making them easy to grab/manipulate. Sturdy books are a good thing; as both it will be reached for again and again.
My thanks to Pajama Press for providing a review copy of this book. The views expressed herein are my own.
August 21, 2020
Printed on sturdy cardstock paper that has a slick shine to it, this is one fun guessing game to read/share with young ones...
Van Hout follows a pattern of showing a page with a young creature (ex. tadpole, snail, rhino, caterpiller, beaver, tiger, hedgehog, boy) and the text "Who is my Daddy?" with four possible choices on the next page. When the page is turned, the answer is revealed. The last one has a surprise twist. Illustrations were created using arylic ink, oil pastels, and gouache on colored paper. They are stylized and not natural in color, however each creature is infused with pride and happiness, making it a joy-filled experience to pour over.
Originally published in the Netherlands in 2019, this is the first English North American edition.
Perfect for youngest animal lovers, birth-Toddlers.
Van Hout follows a pattern of showing a page with a young creature (ex. tadpole, snail, rhino, caterpiller, beaver, tiger, hedgehog, boy) and the text "Who is my Daddy?" with four possible choices on the next page. When the page is turned, the answer is revealed. The last one has a surprise twist. Illustrations were created using arylic ink, oil pastels, and gouache on colored paper. They are stylized and not natural in color, however each creature is infused with pride and happiness, making it a joy-filled experience to pour over.
Originally published in the Netherlands in 2019, this is the first English North American edition.
Perfect for youngest animal lovers, birth-Toddlers.
July 29, 2022
This Is My Daddy is a board book that delighted me. The premise is super simple yet clever. On the left side of each spread, readers meet an animal--or is creature the right word???--asking one question: WHO IS MY DADDY? (Repetition can be such a good thing in picture books!) On the right side of each spread, readers see FOUR options. Readers are being asked to match the baby and daddy.
The premise is fun and clever. Because sometimes babies and daddies do NOT look like one another. For example, like the tadpole and frog OR the caterpillar and butterfly. (Sometimes it is more obvious) It ends with a fun twist--a human child--asking the question. But the four options...well...you'll see when you pick this one up for yourself.
I'm not sure this is truly thirty-two pages. I read a board book of this one. I think there might be a picture book edition as well.
The premise is fun and clever. Because sometimes babies and daddies do NOT look like one another. For example, like the tadpole and frog OR the caterpillar and butterfly. (Sometimes it is more obvious) It ends with a fun twist--a human child--asking the question. But the four options...well...you'll see when you pick this one up for yourself.
I'm not sure this is truly thirty-two pages. I read a board book of this one. I think there might be a picture book edition as well.
September 5, 2020
A series of baby animals asks the reader to guess which of four choices is its daddy.
"Who is my Daddy? ... This is my Daddy!"
This interactive board book presents different baby animals and the invites the reader to guess which of four adult animals is its father. The correct answer is given on the following page, which shows father and child together.
The question and answer format is engaging, and the repeated phrases help young readers anticipate what will happen next and participate in the story.
The illustrations are bright and lively. I personally liked how the daddy butterfly had a mustache. A cactus being one of the options for the hedgehog's father is also a nice touch.
This book celebrates the father-child relationship. It also introduces two animals (a frog and a butterfly) that undergo metamorphosis during their life cycle.
"Who is my Daddy? ... This is my Daddy!"
This interactive board book presents different baby animals and the invites the reader to guess which of four adult animals is its father. The correct answer is given on the following page, which shows father and child together.
The question and answer format is engaging, and the repeated phrases help young readers anticipate what will happen next and participate in the story.
The illustrations are bright and lively. I personally liked how the daddy butterfly had a mustache. A cactus being one of the options for the hedgehog's father is also a nice touch.
This book celebrates the father-child relationship. It also introduces two animals (a frog and a butterfly) that undergo metamorphosis during their life cycle.
October 10, 2022
This is a charming, well illustrated and engaging picture book. A variety of young (polliwog, caterpillar, tiger cub, porcupine, etc.) as the reader who is my Daddy? There are 4 colorful images of adults that the reader can choose from and then, turn the page, a joyous two page spread of child and Dad together. This is a truly special board book to share with the youngest readers in our lives.
March 16, 2021
Critical thinking skills for the very youngest readers. (Although some of the puzzles had ME stumped, so I'd be curious to try it with a real child.) Also one should guess based on the title, but if you have a family without a daddy in it, this may be one to skip.
August 10, 2020
Awesome, awesome engaging illustrations and simple text. LOVE IT.
Read
August 27, 2020Nikolai's favorite library book, age 4.
February 11, 2021
It's a guessing game book that might be difficult for little ones.
Baby insects, amphibians and animals are shown with four choices to guess from.
Baby insects, amphibians and animals are shown with four choices to guess from.
September 26, 2023
Erg leuk boekje
April 21, 2024
Themes: animals, dads, interactive books
Ages: Babies-Kindergarten
Pub year: 2019
Ages: Babies-Kindergarten
Pub year: 2019
June 12, 2024
So beautiful! So cute! So challenging! And SO FUN! The Storytime kids loved guessing daddies with me. These colors are amazing!
February 7, 2025
Cute, but definitely difficult to spot the similar beings in what feels like stylistic ways rather than straightforward ones, even when there's some obvious tongue-in-cheekiness going on.
Read
May 28, 2025Turn/Level: B/2
Fun quiz finding dad for various animals.
Fun quiz finding dad for various animals.
September 15, 2025
A nice soft cover, cute illustrations, but H got every single daddy wrong lol. To be fair, kind of confusing, especially if you're going off of general shape or color palette.
June 17, 2021
Quiz structure makes this really fun to read.
June 16, 2019
Een boek waar je blij van wordt. De kleur spat er af.
Een boek dat een peuter keer op keer oppakt en je vraagt om samen te bekijken.
Wat is er leuker dan samen boekjes lezen?
Een Mies van Hout staat garant voor succes. Ook deze voor 2+ waar op vrolijke stevige kartonbladen een vaderdier en een bijpassend jong zijn afgebeeld. Een kikker, een neushoorn, een beer en o zo liefzoet, de egel.
Op een drietal spreads wordt gevraagd ‘Wie is mijn papa?’. Het antwoord staat op het volgende blad. Dit kan verrassend lastig zijn door minieme verschillen.
De afbeeldingen zijn echte ‘Mies van Houten’! Je wordt vanzelf blij van de duidelijke herkenbare vormen die niet te gedetailleerd zijn voor de leeftijd maar wel vaak een grapje bevatten.
En over grapjes gesproken: ook in dit boek een hilarisch einde. Herkenbaar voor veel vaders dit grote speelobject.
Een mooi en leuk aan te raden cadeauboek met kleurrijke illustraties. De vlinder en de slak zullen prachtig pronken op de kinderboekenplank! Of die stoere tijger van de omslag op posterformaat aan de kinderkamerwand!
Samen boekjes lezen op papadag! Samen lezen is voor iedere dag!
Een boek dat een peuter keer op keer oppakt en je vraagt om samen te bekijken.
Wat is er leuker dan samen boekjes lezen?
Een Mies van Hout staat garant voor succes. Ook deze voor 2+ waar op vrolijke stevige kartonbladen een vaderdier en een bijpassend jong zijn afgebeeld. Een kikker, een neushoorn, een beer en o zo liefzoet, de egel.
Op een drietal spreads wordt gevraagd ‘Wie is mijn papa?’. Het antwoord staat op het volgende blad. Dit kan verrassend lastig zijn door minieme verschillen.
De afbeeldingen zijn echte ‘Mies van Houten’! Je wordt vanzelf blij van de duidelijke herkenbare vormen die niet te gedetailleerd zijn voor de leeftijd maar wel vaak een grapje bevatten.
En over grapjes gesproken: ook in dit boek een hilarisch einde. Herkenbaar voor veel vaders dit grote speelobject.
Een mooi en leuk aan te raden cadeauboek met kleurrijke illustraties. De vlinder en de slak zullen prachtig pronken op de kinderboekenplank! Of die stoere tijger van de omslag op posterformaat aan de kinderkamerwand!
Samen boekjes lezen op papadag! Samen lezen is voor iedere dag!
January 20, 2024
Jan 20 2024 & Aug 24 2024
Liked it more the second time around. Requested it a few times, especially on nights dad was gone. Liked "guessing" and pointing to the different daddy options.
Liked it more the second time around. Requested it a few times, especially on nights dad was gone. Liked "guessing" and pointing to the different daddy options.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews