cover image My Father Is Taller Than a Tree

My Father Is Taller Than a Tree

Joseph Bruchac, , illus. by Wendy Anderson Halperin. . Dial, $16.99 (32pp) ISBN 978-0-8037-3173-8

This friendly poem celebrates the role fathers play in their sons' lives and the many kinds of families who live in the U.S. Working in crayon, Halperin draws father-son pairs around the country: an Asian father and son in San Francisco, a blind father with his son at a farmer's market, an African-American duo playing hide-and-seek. Smaller panels reveal more details about their lives, while Bruchac's verse runs along the bottom: “He pats my back when I feel sad./ He understands 'cause he's my dad.” The softly shaded drawings suggest similarly quiet emotions, and small sons will find comfort on every page. Ages 3–5. (Mar.)