Picture Books about Taking a Walk with Dad
I’ve always been a big sucker for picture books about a little girl taking a simple walk with her dad. Part of it is because these books tend to celebrate a bit of mindfulness and simplicity in life - like the power of unplugging and going forest bathing. But a lot of it is also because of the way they highlight that meaningful relationship between father and daughter.
But it certainly begs the question - why is it that we find books about walking with dad so appealing? Why are dad walks a reoccurring theme in picture books? And, perhaps more to the point, why in the world aren’t there any books about walking with Mom? Answering that question would certainly shed some light on our infatuation with all the walks with dad we enjoy so much.
When it comes to mother/daughter walking books, last year’s Howl - where a mother and daughter howl at the moon together and stomp around outside - is the closest thing I can think of. And perhaps also Saturday - with a mother and daughter doing their best to spend a meaningful day together. Perhaps subconsciously that’s a big part of why we liked those books so much. Because they’re beautiful celebrations of the mother/daughter relationship that we don’t get to see celebrated quite as often in picture books as the father/daughter relationship.
But even those books have their differences from the picture books about walking with dad that I’m thinking of. All of these wonderful books about walking with dad have almost exclusively no plot to speak of. There’s something about taking a simple, quiet walk with dad that makes for a good theme in and of itself in picture books - and it’s a bit hard to explain why that is.
Maybe we as a society are still subconsciously infatuated with dads who spend quality time with their kids. There’s undoubtedly a magic in these books that’s hard to truly put your finger on, and maybe that’s a mysterious piece to the puzzle. These books are about childhood, and parenthood, and imagination, and appreciating our relationships as well as the simple things in life. But they also almost always feature a father and a daughter. And that’s certainly interesting to think about.
Are the relationships between mother and child so commonplace and mundane that we don’t even want to take an artistic look at the quiet moments anymore? Should I be insulted that dads walking with their kids has a magical and unexplainable appeal to it? Is this one of those cases of being celebrated for doing a bare minimum dad job?
Whatever the reason for our collective deep infatuation for taking a walk with dad, I’m here for it. I choose to take it as an honor that these moments are so widely cherished. I personally also very much enjoy taking walks around the neighborhood or in the woods with my daughter - and like to reflect on things like how excited she gets to splash in puddles. And I certainly can’t deny how beautiful and magical and meaningful these books are to me.
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1. Owl Moon
Written by Jane Yolen and Illustrated by John Schoenherr
Owl Moon is the epitome of this list. A father and daughter go owling in the snow-covered woods together, and the story is narrated by the young girl. The simplicity of the moment is incredibly relaxing and heartwarming. And it’s adorable how much subtle attention the girl gives to the fact that she’s with her Pa, and how important she finds his words.
The point of view of this book is a highlight for me, because fleshing out how meaningful this walk is for the little girl is so much more powerful that way. It’s always been a big reminder to me that the things we do together with our kids - and the things we teach them and the things we say - all have the potential to have so much more meaning for them than we expect.
2. Night Walk
Written by Sara O’Leary and Illustrated by Ellie Arscott
Like Owl Moon, this is another nighttime walk with a father and daughter. Only this time it’s simply around the block - something I can relate to and always love the opportunity to do with the kids. Night Walk is also told from the perspective of the little girl, which allows her to point out the fact that it’s meaningful to her that it’s just her and her father this time.
I love the exploration of perspective in this book - and how the young girl is looking at her neighborhood from a new point of view that gets her thinking about her place in the world and even building a little empathy. It’s an interesting an undeniable point that something as simple as taking a walk at night - especially after the usual bedtime - is a very big difference from walking during the day. And for me that’s a good reminder of our opportunity as parents to introduce our kids to the wonder of seemingly simple things that we take for granted.
3. Ask Me
Written by Bernard Waber and Illustrated by Suzy Lee
This book will never to fail to get me laughing out loud. The precocious questions and nonstop dialogue of the little girl in this book is absolutely hysterical - and so, so relatable. This book is entirely built around a conversation between a father and daughter as they walk around the park together. And I can’t stress enough how endearing the whole thing is.
Dad is just kind of along for the ride in this book. He’s holding his daughter’s hand and listening to her rattle off all the things she likes, and he asks her all the questions she tells him to ask her. It’s truly very funny, but simultaneously a wonderful demonstration of love and even a bit of patience and a zen-like appreciation for the moment. There’s a very good reason this one made our list of our favorite dads in picture books.
4. Hike
Written and Illustrated by Pete Oswald
Hike is a fantastic, new wordless picture book that follows a father and child on an adventure through the woods. It’s wordless and the description of the book only says "child”, so this could really be a father/son trip or a father/daughter trip. And the point of their adventure isn’t quite made clear until the very end.
Ultimately it’s a beautiful celebration of family and tradition. And throughout the book it’s clear how much this all means to the child. From the look of excitement on their face when they first wake up or when they’re staring out the car window, to the way they enthusiastically use their binoculars, sketchbook, and magnifying glass along the way - this is obviously a special moment in their life. The way that the story highlights the small details of this great adventure without using words is a great reminder of the meaningful memories and images we’re trying to build with the little ones.
5. Tiny, Perfect Things
Written by M. H. Clark and Illustrated by Madeline Kloepper
Instead of dad, this book actually highlights a special walk between grandfather and granddaughter. It’s hard to explain, but, for this reason, it’s clear that the meaningfulness of the occasion is even clearer to both parties this time. While many books about walking with dad have this interesting juxtaposition between straight man dad and exuberant kid - which highlights how meaningful a seemingly simple act can be for a child - granddad actually has an obvious childlike wonder about the whole thing himself.
Along the way, he seems to be pointing out and gleefully collecting the everyday objects along their way - just as much as his granddaughter. At the very least, he clearly sees how much it all means to her in the moment, and that’s certainly something worth striving for. This is a gorgeous book that cuts straight to the point that our world is full of beautiful things to see and share. And stopping to appreciate that, especially with our children so full of wonder, is so important.
Are there any other fans of walking with dad out there? Which book is your favorite? Can you think of any similar tributes to mom? Let us know in the comments!
