Daddies Do It Different

by Alan Sitomer, Abby Carter

Daddy sure doesn't do things the way Mommy does Just in time for Father's Day, this hilarious picture book takes a high-spirited look at the way dads put their own spin on different parts of a child's life--from going to a birthday party to bathtime. Alan Sitomer's debut picture book is inspired by his own experiences as a father and winningly complemented with delightful art by Abby Carter.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Family, Fiction, Parenting, Humor, Storytime

40 pages, Hardcover

First published April 17, 2012

About the author

Alan Lawrence Sitomer is a California Teacher of the Year award winner and the founder of The Writer’s Success Academy. In addition to having been an inner-city high school English teacher and former professor in the Graduate School Of Education at Loyola Marymount University, Mr. Sitomer is a nationally renowned keynote speaker who specializes in engaging underperforming students. To date, Mr. Sitomer has authored 16 books with works ranging from hard-hitting YA novels like CAGED WARRIOR, HOMEBOYZ, THE HOOPSTER and HIP-HOP HIGH SCHOOL to humorous and warm children’s picture books such as DADDIES DO IT DIFFERENT and DADDY’S ZIGZAGGING BEDTIME STORY. Alan lives in Los Angeles where he just finished writing the movie script adaptation for his novel CAGED WARRIOR.

Reviews

[Rebecca Sofferman · Rating 2 out of 5]

This picture book highlights all the ways that daddies are different from mommies. Written from a little girl’s perspective, she describes a series of everyday activities that parents do with kids, such as making breakfast, grocery shopping, giving a bath, etc. In each scenario, the mom has a comforting, calm, and proper way of doing things, and the dad does the same task in a silly, messy, funny way. The watercolor and pen and ink illustrations in this book are funny and colorful. Little details like the expressions of the cat and dog in many of the pictures add to the entertainment value.

While I definitely appreciate a book that celebrates the wonderful contributions that fathers make in the lives of their children, it bothers me that the activities portrayed by the mom and dad in the book were so stereotypical. The mom is always portrayed as calm and sensible, while the dad is only fun and goofy. I think these distinctions are a bit too black and white. I would have preferred if the message of the book was that both mommies and daddies have different ways of doing things and all ways are okay. Instead the message is that moms are perfect and dads are goofy, which may be confusing for some kids whose lives are not that way.

[Sarah Threlkeld · Rating 2 out of 5]

Reinforces tons of gender norms about parenting and presents mom as the serious, organized one, while dad is the fun, silly parent. Nothing innovative or unexpected here.

[Jonathan Adam · Rating 3 out of 5]

I kinda resent this book. While the illustrations are beautiful, and the family was clearly given creative thought, considering the authors themselves; the book is kinda boring. My tot loves it because of a select few depictions. The book is written in a verse structure, but nothing rhymes, the language is plodding and boring, and the situations are mundane, if comically depicted.

[Ethan & Isaac · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book quickly redeemed itself from its beginning message that dads are worse at being parents. I'm glad it switched to dads do things in good, albeit different, ways.

[Natalie Sotelo-Solorio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book! It’s cute, fun and silly. This would be a good book to give appreciation for parents.

[Sadie · Rating 4 out of 5]

as a teenager I found this in a bookstore and had a storytime with my friends. it was hilarious.

[Mundie Moms & Mundie Kids · Rating 4 out of 5]

Daddies do it Different is a fun, delightful story about the things Moms and Dads do different. Told through the eyes of a young girl, this story got plenty of laughs from my kids and I as we read about some of the things this little girl's parent's do. From the way breakfast is prepared, to bath time, play time and bed time, I liked how Alan was able to show the differences in the way parents do things, and how this story illustrated those differences. I loved that this story embraced the differences in how parents do things, and how much fun that can be for their kids. Not everything in this story rang true in our home, but it's over all message did. To be honest, this story definitely reminded me of the things my parents did differently and some of the differences my kids experience now. I love that like the little girl in this story, my kids get to enjoy the differences of how my husband and I do things.

I will say there are times when I am the one who does things in a more fun way than my husband, or there's times he does things in a sillier way than me. That's okay, I love that we can balance out the way we parent and raise our children. I got why he showed the mom in the manner he did, because I sometimes find myself in that position, and I have to remind myself to step back and just play and have fun. I also appreciated the comical side to parenting that Alan included in his story. Being a parent is serious, and it's a huge responsibility, but with it also comes those fun moments when you can act silly and enjoy making memories with your kids. I felt some of Alan's message from his book was just that. The end of the story ends on a note that rings true about one of the things that Moms and Dads do the same.

[Paul Hankins · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to be fair here. I like the book. It's funny. It's got Alan's touches all over it. And you kind of have to know Alan to see where this picture book is coming from as a package.

I can't bump it up another star while thinking about Kristie working a Baylor program at the hospital (36 hour weekends on the night shift) when Maddie was super small and Noah had only just turned two. I couldn't do it different. I had to do it right.

And I can't bump it up another star without reflecting on what it meant to take care of Noah and Maddie when they were three and one respectively during the time that Kristie was travelling back and forth to Nashville, sometimes having to stay for a few days or more in order to finish her NP program. Could she have felt comfortable in doing this if I were always acting in the manner depicted within this delightful but dismissive title?

But I can bump it up a star when I think of the time I have spent talking to Alan and how I have a sense of how he sees himself in the role of "Daddy." So I will. . .

Again. I want to celebrate DADDIES DO IT DIFFERENT for its intent. It's comic and I see myself doing a lot of the things depicted within the book. And I can see Alan doing them too.

But I think what I really want is the recognition that Daddies pull from their own talents to do it to the best of their ability as a viable partner within the parenting approach.

I think this is fair, don't you?

The book does depict a playful Daddy, and these are some of the moments that I cherish with Noah and Maddie. And the book does end with the one thing that Mommies and Daddies do the same--but you'll have to read the book. C'mon, so spoilers here.

[Gmr · Rating 4 out of 5]

From the moment you lay eyes on the cover, you can sense the fun that’s in store. Here is a tale that doesn’t dispel a Mother’s or Father’s parenting style as wrong or obsolete but rather embraces the differences in both. While each has their own way of doing things from getting ready in the morning to birthday party etiquette, they share a common bond….love. All the actions taken no matter how fun or funny are out of the goodness of their hearts and though the approaches may be polar opposites, creating enormously hilarious results (syrup on the dog anyone…or how about a bath where the room gets more water on it than you?), at the end of the day…that love is all that matters.

A smile inducing look at the big guy we call Dad. He may not be superman, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, but when all is said and done, for most….he is a top notch, certified lovable guy. Recommended read for youngsters and beyond. The story will touch the hearts of all ages as will the art….just try not to shoot milk out your nose when you see some of the Dad’s antics in this book; too funny. (Watch for the dog’s expressions too for an extra chuckle!)


*review copy received in exchange for my honest review

[Alexa · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a perfect example of the ways that generalizations get writers into trouble. The book has a cute premise--to celebrate the ways that daddies are different from mommies, and the contributions that daddies make to families.

However, problems arise with the pluralization of "daddies." The little girl in the book is actually talking about the specific ways that HER daddy is different from HER mommy, and if the line had been "My Daddy does it different," then the fact that the differences between the mom and dad are so stereotypical wouldn't have mattered. After all, there ARE a lot of families where the father and mother play out these roles--mother is always sensible and knowledgable about taking care of the kid, father is always fun and silly and kind of bumbling.

But there are also a lot of families where these roles are reversed, a lot of families without a mommy and a daddy, etc etc etc.

The book would have made just as good a point, and made it better, if the author had chosen not to generalize about all daddies. Simply change "Daddies do it different" to "My Daddy does it different," and this becomes a really cute, positive book instead of one based on stereotypes.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Drawing on his own experiences as a father, the author relates the different approaches to parenting shared by a father and a mother. While breakfast with Mom seems polite and serious, breakfasts with Daddy are riotous with syrup dripping onto the family dog and waffles used to build forts. As other reviewers have mentioned, Mom seems to be the serious one here, and Daddy gets to have all the fun and make all the mess. After seeing the water-soaked bathroom depicted when Daddy is in charge of bathing, I couldn't help but wonder who would be cleaning the place up. Perhaps the two parents have different personalities, but it would be nice to have some pages in which Daddy is the serious one and Mommy the playful parent. Still, the chief message that parents may have their own ways of doing things, but they still love their child just the same comes through loud and clear in the text and in the softly-colored illustrations. I like the family dog that seems to get in on all the action.

[Amanda Suiter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sitomer, A., & Carter, A. (2012). Daddies do it different. New York: Disney/Hyperion Books.

A young girl with tight curly Qs, describes the daily routine she has with both her mommy and daddy. Her mommy is calm and cozy and gentle to the touch, while her dad is upbeat, crazy, and always making her giggle! From getting out of bed, and going to the store, she tells the ways her mommy and daddy are different and are the same. What is all comes down to is mommies and daddies both love the same, just in different ways.

I would have my students use the Bloom's Taxonomy level 6, Creating. I would have them invent a new scenario where the mom and dad in this story, or maybe their parents in real life might do things differently. I would have them write it down in a fun and upbeat way with keeping the same context that this book does. For example, starting the mommy page with "When mommy" and the daddy page would be "But daddies due it different."

[Danielle Howson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Daddies Do It Different is a story that will always have a place in my heart. The story does an excellent job showing the hectic life of a dad and while everything may be done a bit differently than how a mom would do it; dads are still amazing. The book is able to highlight just a few of the many things that make dads such a large portion of a young kid’s life and lets a little girl tell her perspective of who her dad is. The book goes through activities that any young child can relate to, for example breakfast time, bath time, and getting dressed; but through the little girl’s eyes the reader is reminded that with a mom most of the time you have a soothing and structured time completing an activity, but with a dad the activity is well, a bit more chaotic. Through a hysterical and honest story, you cannot help but want to go hug your father and tell him how grateful you are.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book. The little girl narrated the story and first shared how her mother did certain things and then told how her daddy did those same things differently. The dynamics were especially appealing given the silliness of the father. And the best part of this book was that the little girl recognized the one thing her parents do in the same way: both tuck her in, give her a kiss and tell her how much she is loved as part of the bedtime routine. This story is a great one that celebrates the inner workings of one type of a successful family. :-)

[Kelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

I give this book 5 stars right off the back, this is a must read for all ages, because most kids can relate to this story and say yes my dad does this, or did this, I know I can. This story depicts a young girl who compares how her mom did things to how her dad them and it was the total opposite but it was great, but at the end of the story it showed how both her parents both kissed and tucked her in at night.

[Alyson (Kid Lit Frenzy)]

I need to think about this one. The story tells how mothers and fathers do tasks around the home including caring for a child. However, the mother is always seen as the serious, responsible one. Why should the moms always be the "responsible ones"?

I am concerned some with the message this is communicating.

[Lakeira King]

This was a really sweet book. And it is true, Daddies do it differently then Mommies. One part of the book talked about how daddies do hair differently and it made me think about the time when I was about 8 years old, my dad did my hair and I absolutely loved it! I thought it was the best thing ever!

[Nova · Rating 1 out of 5]

I recently brought my preschool class to a story-time at a bookstore where they were reading this book for their Father's Day selection. It was meant to be a sweet story about a father and child but I found myself cringing at the stark gender-typing. Mommies are stereotyped as always prim, proper and perfect, while fathers are portrayed as sloppy, lazy and irreverent.

[Dewey · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't know what I expected, but I guess I probably should have expected this...Mommy is the organized, serious, perfect parent while daddy is crazy and disorganized and messy and FUN! Gender stereotypes, teach them from a young age, otherwise how will little girls and little boys know how they're supposed to act?

Won't be using this for a storytime.

[Dana · Rating 4 out of 5]

We read this to my nieces on Thanksgiving after they retrieved it from the Free Little Library in my neighborhood. It's such a cute book and true on many levels about the differences between dads and moms.

[Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

A young girl shares the extreme differences between how her mommy does everyday tasks as opposed to how her daddy performs the same tasks. A lively and fun, filled read exploring parenting from a child's viewpoint.

[Linda Atkinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

That they do! Tons of fun.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute little ode to daddies everywhere. Would make a nice gift for a new dad, especially of a daughter.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful and fun and yes, daddies do parenting differently than mommies and how great to see this in a picture book. It celebrates the unique gifts/experiences that each parent gives a child.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute but stereotypical. Popular belief that mom's way is the straight way and dad's is curvy is a little over done. Still, if your family IS stereotypical, you'll love this book.

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

My husbands favorite story so far he has read to our daughter... (:

[Douglas · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed much of the silliness in this book, but there were several pages where I was irked by the stereotypical behavior of the dad, and that was enough to make me avoid rereading it to my kids.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super cute fun book to read about how Mommies and Daddies do things differently. Drawings are darling too.

[Tracy Schillemore · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute story about the difference betweem mommy's way and daddy's way. It turns out I may be a daddy.

[Charlee Hoffman · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is an incredibly sexist picture book.