Papá and Me

by Arthur Dorros
illustrated by Rudy Gutierrez
*Notable Children's Book 2009
*Pura Belpre Honors Book 2008

Summary
This short picture book describes a boy’s day with his father, focusing on their relationship. The book uses short Spanish phrases in a way to relate to the readers of the book and connect to another culture. The boy sings with his father, walks across the street (holding his hand of course), spends time at the park, and finally ends up with his grandparents on the other side, showing the importance of family and love. The illustrations in the book are gorgeous, as seen below, and they truly succeed in making this book successful and well loved.

Discussion
I was very pleased with this book, both for its multiculturalism and the focus on the relationship of a boy and his father, instead of a boy and his mother. Many books focus on the mother/child relationship instead of the father/child. This book encourages the child to reach for their dreams, and be independent while using their parents’ guidance and help to grow (by way of scaffolding). The Spanish throughout the book could allow a parent to read this book to their child, even if they do not speak English, by allowing their child to read the English parts and they could read the Spanish parts. This book is a perfect at home book, as it is a story about a father and son.

Dorros, A. (2008). Papa and Me. New York: HarperCollins.