This Is My Daddy!

“Who is my Daddy?” asks a prickly baby animal. Is it the porcupine? The dust bunny? Could it be the cactus? No! It’s the father hedgehog, of course, cuddling his baby to sleep. With This is My Daddy!, acclaimed illustrator Mies van Hout gives young readers and their parents a fun and often funny challenge: correctly choose a baby animal’s father from among four candidates, rendered in striking portraits. The vibrant cast includes busy beavers, prickly porcupines, frolicking frogs, and more. A clever twist on babies-and-parents books, This is My Daddy! will mesmerize little ones with the details of its vivid artwork. Then, just when the complacent reader has the pattern all figured out, story time wraps up with a side-splitting surprise.

Praise for This is My Daddy! School Library Journal blogger Elizabeth Bird's "2020 Board Books" selection Five Books “Best Kids’ Books of 2022” selection “Conventions of gender, species, and race have all been rendered moot, making this a universal book for lapsitting...With the call-and-response format of “Who is my daddy?” and “This is my daddy!” this generous game will inspire noisy story hours as well as reassuring bedtime rituals.”—School Library Journal “[Mies van Hout’s] style is unparalleled and, to be frank, downright gorgeous….for gifts there are few to match it. Beautiful.”—Elizabeth Bird, A Fuse #8 Production “A fun interactive story...The bright, colorful characters and playful storyline celebrate the bond of father and child. It is sure to engage young children, and support their abilities to notice details, think critically, and predict what will come.”—Youth Services Book Review “Entertainment both for the child and the adult....In trademark Van Hout style, the visuals are big, bold and bright. The artwork on the ‘reveal’ pages encompasses an entire two-page spread dominating the visual field and highlighting the father/child relationship. This is particularly important as there are so few Children’s Books on the market that reinforce the father/child bond. This is a welcomed addition.”—Mr. Alex’s Bookshelf “This participation book, with its colorful illustrations, belongs in libraries serving the target age group, and it would be a good home purchase as well. Recommended.”—CM Magazine “Illustrated in Mies van Hout’s cheerful and distinctive style, in addition to being fun and interactive this book can help toddlers develop their observation skills.”—Five Books “Perfect as a bright and appealing gift for a new baby, or to be included in a book basket meant to start a brand-new home library. Mies Van Hout is a talented writer and illustrator whose bold colors are distinct and appreciated by young readers.”—Sal's Fiction Addiction “This is My Daddy will keep young children entertained and features fairly durable pages, a padded cover and rounded corners.”—Metroland “This delightful toddler book explores colour, shapes, and other early learning concepts....There is humour and fun throughout.”—Canadian Bookworm

Mies van Hout is the author and illustrator of the picture books Happy, Friends, and Surprise, among others, which have been hugely popular in Europe and North America. She studied graphic design at the Arts Academy in Groningen, the Netherlands, and has worked as a freelance illustrator and graphic designer since 1989. Her distinctive paintings are cheerful and bold, and her work has been published in more than twenty countries. Mies van Hout is the author and illustrator of the picture books Happy, Friends, and Surprise, among others, which have been hugely popular in Europe and North America. She studied graphic design at the Arts Academy in Groningen, the Netherlands, and has worked as a freelance illustrator and graphic designer since 1989. Her distinctive paintings are cheerful and bold, and her work has been published in more than twenty countries.