Dads often get the short end of the stick when it comes to the way they’re depicted in kid’s picture books. They either come across withdrawn (hidden behind a newspaper), too busy to be bothered, or simply absent altogether. Where are all the normal dads, or those of the more domestic variety, or even the ones that know how to give a decent hug? Here are twenty we came up with:
Granted, some of these are animal dads, and then there are a couple folksy, old world versions; still, I suppose I'll take my positive male parenting portrayals anywhere I can get them.
What others can you think of in which fathers play a favorable role?
Babies/Toddlers
Ten, Nine, Eight by Molly Bang
The Daddy Book by Todd Parr
Papa Please Get the Moon for Me by Eric Carle
Mister Seahorse by Eric Carle
My Dad by Anthony Browne
Pete's a Pizza by William Steig
Guess How Much I Love You by Sam Mcbratney
We're Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen
My Daddy is a Giant by Carl Norac
The Father Who Had 10 Children by Bénédicte Guettier
Young Kids
When You Were Small by Sara O'Leary
Knuffle Bunny & Knuffle Bunny Too by Mo Willems
Ox Cart Man by Donald Hall
The Animal Hedge by Paul Fleischman
My Father Knows the Names of Things by Jane Yolen
Night Driving by John Coy
The Emperor's Egg by Martin Jenkins
Every Friday by Dan Yaccarino
The Apple Pie That Papa Baked by Lauren Thompson
Using Luxury Rooms to Keep Teens Home
Juan's Garage Turned Modern Guest House
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
Sheex Bedding
Yuck: A Fourth Grader Reveals What School Lunches Really Look Like
How to Make Fresh Pasta Dough in the Food Processor
That's Papa's Way, illustrated by Lauren Castillo, is beautiful.
In Daddy's Arms I Am Tall: African Americans Celebrating Fathers by Javaka Steptoe is a beautiful book about boys and their relationships with their fathers.
Or any of the Calvin and Hobbes treasuries. The dad from that is HILARIOUS.
I've noticed that all of the Kevin Henkes books with mice as the lead characters all have fathers in them.
Clair and the Unicorn is a favorite at our house.
Great lists! As a children's librarian, I am so happy you cover books for readers.
You Can Do Anything Daddy is our son's favorite story. He requests the "daddy book" every night.
Pete's a Pizza and going on a bear hunt are our absolute faves!!!
In Daddy's Arms I Am Tall! Yes!
Because your Daddy Loves You by Andrew Clements; My Daddy and Me by Amy Sklansky and Daddy Hugs by Karen Katz are some of our favorites and not to make this list too long, I"ll just leave a link to my favorite daddy books. :)
http://www.sillyeaglebooks.com/2010/06/more-fathers-day-books-for-kids.html
Danny the Champion of the World, by Roald Dahl. Arguably the most wonderful Daddy in the history of children's literature.
I LOVE "Ten, Nine, Eight"--perfect for gently sending a tiny one off to sleep. "Going on a Bear Hunt" is so great, too.
Another favorite for babies is "More, More, More, Said the Baby", by Vera Williams. There are three adult-child combinations: a father and son, a grandmother and granddaughter, and a mother and daughter. It's such a sweet book for little ones!