Review Detail

Helping Daddy

Kids Fiction 196

Such a BIG help!

May 08, 2026 (Updated: July 12, 2026)

Overall rating

4.5

Plot

4.0

Characters

4.0

Writing Style

5.0

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

5.0

Daddy is doing a lot of housework, and getting help from Baby, but every time Baby helps, whether it is folding laundry, cooking, or planting, he also ends up CLEANING after Baby gets involved. The day is full of all kinds of activities that invariably end in baby making a mess, but Daddy is very patient. At the end of the day, there's bath time that causes some giggles, a bedtime book, and a sleepy Daddy putting baby to bed.

Good Points

This was a charming book with just the right number of words for a wiggly toddler to sit through, and a weary Daddy to read. I loved the formulaic structure and repetition of phrases, since this makes it easy for the tiniest readers to follow along and predict what comes next. The simple line "Daddy is cleaning" that is repeated will make adults laugh, since we all know how much "help" children can be some time.

The illustrations are simple and colorful, and have enough detail to interest children. I enjoyed following the cat through the pages as he helped clean up socks and spaghetti, and supervised bath time and story time. The eyes of the characters are very expressive, and I was impressed by how tired the father looked, given the simple strokes of color. There is a QR code to scan to hear the story read, which could be helpful, but I didn't listen to it.

I was a big fan of books like Mini Stein and Eloise Wilkins' 1962 We Help Daddy or Scarry's 1955 The Bunny Book, as were my children, but this is a fantastic, updated look at the role that fathers play in their children's lives. It would be a great choice along with Henderson and Lewis' Daddy Speaks Love, Cherry and Harrison's Hair Love, Agee's My Dad is a Tree, and Lundeen's Dear Dad. I'll give this title to my son-in-law for Father's Day!