17 Books for Kids to Read with Dad on Father’s Day!
Holidays with little ones are different! Before kids holidays were relaxing! Now holidays are a lot more work! Things are slower as you can’t do much especially if you still have nappers. Yet, holidays with little kids are filled with so much joy! They are infinitely better with kids than without.
Although people usually think of cookouts and golf on Father’s Day, the truth is if you have babies or toddlers or even preschoolers, you are probably going to spend some of that time at home. So whether you are looking for a Father’s Day gift or just something a little special to read before bed or naptime, check out some of our favorite books for kids to read with their dads.
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Tad and Dad by David Ezra Stein
Are you looking for a father/son bedtime story? If so, then Tad and Dad by David Ezra Stein is the book for you. As Tad is growing up he wants to learn everything from his dad. However, Dad is always tired as he’s been co-sleeping with Tad. Finally, Tad sleeps on his own, but now the Dad finds out that he can’t sleep without Tad!
Diggers Love their Daddies by Brianna Caplan Sayres
If you have a truck loving kid, you are probably aware of the Where Do Diggers Sleep at Night? Series. My son loves these books, and Diggers Love their Daddies by Brianna Caplan Sayres is the book that he picked out to give his dad last Father’s Day. The book with its fun, cartoony trucks explores different ways that kids can show their dad’s that they love them.
The Bunny Book by Richard Scarry
The Bunny Book by Richard Scarry is one of the sweetest bedtime books for dads and their kids. What does Baby Bunny want to be when he grows up? Does he want to be a fireman? A doctor? A lifeguard? Or a Train Engineer? No, he doesn’t want to be any of these things. He knows what he wants to be: A Daddy Bunny! Although, we did have to clarify to our son that yes you could be a daddy and hold a job too! 😂
Just Me and My Dad (Little Critter) by Mercer Mayer
If your husband is the outdoorsy type and loves camping with the family (or at least with the kids), Just Me and My Dad (Little Critter) by Mercer Mayer should be your go-to Father’s Day book. Little Critter goes camping with his dad. As things go awry (mostly because of Little Critter), the dad patiently fixes things and comforts his son.
Ladder and Friends Learn to Pray by Anna Cannelongo
If you have a husband who is passionate about helping the children grow in their faith, read Ladder and Friends Learn to Pray. Ladder is going to bed after a hard day’s work. As his firefighter (the parental figure) tucks him in, he teaches Ladder how to pray emphasizing positive character traits such as bravery and sacrifice. The pattern repeats with three more vehicle friends (Amby, Semi, and Jet). Each vehicle has its own prayer and set of positive character traits. Additionally, there are call-out boxes to help parents have spiritual discussions with their child. We use this book every night as part of our bedtime prayer routine.
Note: This book is not published yet. It should be available Summer 2026! Join the Pre-order mailing list if you want to add a nightly prayer to your bedtime routine—especially if you have a truck-loving son. Note: There is no financial obligation at this time.
Return by Aaron Becker
Aaron Becker’s Journey trilogy is one of my favorite picture book series. It’s a wordless picture book and the illustrations are stunning. Return is the third in this series. The girl (unnamed) wants her dad to play with her, but her artist dad is busy working. So the girl goes off to her imaginary world that she drew herself but gets caught by the evil crayon snatchers who want to make the world black and white. When the dad is finally ready to play he realizes his daughter is gone, so he goes after her in her imaginary world.
The Book with No Pictures by B.J. Novak
If your husband loves The Office, this book would make a great Father’s Day gift! Plus, it’s super silly and your kids will love it. My son was hesitant at first to read a book without pictures, but then he laughed so much it became the regular bedtime pick for awhile.
Interrupting Chicken and the Elephant of Surprise by David Ezra Stein
If you have a talkative or inquisitive child, you know how hard it is to read a book without being interrupted. Interrupting Chicken and the Elephant of Surprise by David Ezra Stein is a story about a dad trying to help his child, Little Red Chicken, with her homework. However, Little Red confuses the literary concept of an element of surprise with an elephant of surprise. But in a classic Little Red fashion, there are lots of elephant surprises along the way!
Dad and the Dinosaur by Gennifer Choldenko
Dad and the Dinosaur by Gennifer Choldenko is a sweet book about a boy who wants to be brave like his dad; however, he needs his toy dinosaur to help him. Once he loses his dinosaur he is afraid he will lose his bravery forever. That’s when his dad comes to the rescue.
When a Dad Says “I Love You” by Douglas Wood
When a Dad Says “I Love You” by Douglas Wood is a quintessential father/child book. Little Bear goes through all the different things that his dad does that tells him that he loves him.
Cars and Trucks and Things That Go by Richard Scarry
This isn’t necessarily a father/son book, but it is a book that all guys seem to love including my husband and son. If people see it lying around when they come to visit us, the men typically mention how that this is one of their favorite books of all time as a kid. My mother-in-law who was a first grade teacher can attest that it was one of the most popular books among the boys in her classroom. After all what boy doesn’t want to imagine all these wacky cars? It’s the perfect book that a father can use to make memories and encourage literacy in his son.
My Dad Thinks He’s Funny by Katrina Germein
If your husband has a corny sense of Dad humor, My Dad Thinks He’s Funny by Katrina Germein is perfect for your family. Follow the young boy as his day intermingled with “dad jokes. Whether your laugh or roll your eyes, if you have a dad in your family that likes to crack jokes you can appreciate the sentiment.
Baby Loves Coding by Ruth Spiro
My husband is in IT, so he loves reading Baby Loves Coding by Ruth Spiro to my son. As my son learns words like “algorithm” and “programmer” it makes my husband happy as he can talk to my son about his job.
Who Pooped on Me? By David Cunliffe
If your husband loves potty humor, try getting him Who Pooped on Me? By David Cunliffe. An iguana is minding his own business when suddenly he gets pooped on. He spends the rest of the book trying to figure out who did it. The best part of the book is the laugh-out-loud surprise ending.
Dad and His Crew Power Through by Sherri Duskey Rinker
This book is not yet published, but we love all of Sherri Duskey Rinker’s construction books. I’m sure this will make our favorite list soon. (I will update the post once we secure our copy.) I believe it will be available in April 2026.
How Machines Work: Zoo Break! by David Macaulay
If your husband and child are mechanically inclined, How Machines Work: Zoo Break! by David Macaulay is for you! Sengi and the sloth are trying to escape from their zoo enclosure using simple machines. However, they keep running into difficulties and the sloth keeps falling asleep. It’s a super cute book that would also be great for a science unit on simple machines. There are a lot of interactive elements in the book to help kids understand the concepts of simple machines.
I Love You More Than Cereal by Justin and Alexis Black
My husband loves his morning cereal, so I Love You More Than Cereal by Justin and Alexis Black is the perfect book for him to read to my son. What’s even better is that the dad in the book refines love from a feeling to an action response. Love is about treating others how we want to be treated. But then the authors go on to integrate all the different concepts of love from 1 Corinthians 13. This is a great book for Father’s day if you want to reinforce the true definition of love.
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.”
~1 Corinthians 13: 4-8a, NIV
Conclusion
I hope you found some good books for your child to read with Dad on Father’s Day! If you are looking for more lists of favorite books, check out my posts:
- The Top 15 Truck Books for Toddlers;
- Our 18 Favorite Bedtime Books for Kids;
- Our 16 Favorite Picture Books about Giants,
- Our 11 Favorite Fire Truck Books for Young Firefighters; and
- 11 Engaging Books about Black Holes.
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