Daddy & Dada

by Ryan Brockington, Isaac Webster (Contributor), Lauren May (Contributor)

Families can come in all shapes and sizes, and this heartwarming picture book affirms that no matter what your family looks like, love is the most important part!

Hi, I'm Rumi.
Some of my friends have one mom and one dad.
Some have one mom or one dad.
I have two dads. Daddy and Dada.

Daddy sings songs with me. Dada reads me stories.
Every family is different.
And that's pretty cool.

This sweet, open-hearted book began as a love letter from authors Ryan Brockington and Isaac Webster to their daughter—and became a joyous celebration of love, family, and acceptance for all to read and share.

Genres: Picture Books, LGBT, Family, Childrens, Storytime, Fiction, Gender

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2021

Reviews

[Ariana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rumi talks about her family and her experience of having two dads. She explores the various types of families that exist, emphasizing that families come in all shapes and sizes, and that love is what truly matters. The themes in this book are inclusivity and family. It offers an excellent representation of same-sex parents and reflects how normalized this is in today’s world. Families can consist of two dads, two moms, one mom, and more, showcasing a diverse range of family structures, abilities, ages, and skin tones. I chose this book because it's important to represent all kinds of families in the classroom. A student might have same-sex parents, and it's essential for those students to feel seen and understand that their family is valid. Additionally, this book introduces students to the concept of same-sex parents without delving too deeply into the conversation. I would include this book in my library and read it aloud to my class for enjoyment.

[Aaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rumi explores the various types of families she is exposed to through her class mates and tells about her own family, which includes two dads, a little brother, and even a dog. This is a fun exploration and celebration of families. Rumi is actually the daughter of the two creaters of the book.

This really is a beauitful presentation of Rumi and her family as well the diversity of families. The lanugage is presented at a level for little ones to understand with ease. I love the vibrant primary colors and the simple straightforward lines for the illustrations.

This really is a heart-warming and beautiful read. It is a great book for presenting that all families are both different and the same. They are built on love.

[Brad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Call me bias, but as a new gay dad, I loved this book. Teaches the child about all types of families—not just heteronormative or queer ones.

[R 14 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes!!! We needed this.

[Rainbow Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Ryan Brockington and Isaac Webster started looking for books for their daughter showing families with two dads (like theirs), they discovered the massive hole in the market for LGBTQ+ representation in children’s books. Fortunately for all of us, they decided to address the issue by writing their own book, Daddy & Dada, and I’m thrilled to share it with you all today.

This sweet picture book follows a young girl named Rumi as she introduces us to her family, including her two dads, baby brother, and dog. Rumi narrates in a straightforward, conversational voice (like most four-year-olds would) and highlights a number of diverse family structures, creating both a window and a mirror for young readers. Just in time for Father’s Day and Pride Month, Daddy & Dada is a wonderful celebration of all families, and the many combinations of people that make a family.

The illustrations by Lauren May are absolutely adorable. The bold colors reminded me of Saturday morning cartoons during my childhood. Lauren truly captured the love of a happy family and brought the warmth of a happy home to the pages.

Daddy & Dada officially releases tomorrow, but you can preorder your copy today wherever books are sold, including Bookshop and Amazon. (Please note: Some links provided are affiliate links. Affiliate links allow me to receive a small commission for recommendations at no cost to you. This commission is used to maintain this site and to continue bringing content to you. I always appreciate your support!)

To learn more about Ryan, Issac, and their family, be sure to follow them on Instagram: @rybrockington and @realisaacwebster.

Lauren May is a freelance illustrator based in New England. Please visit her website at monstertea.party to learn more about her and her work.

Ryan and Isaac’s story really spoke to me, because it reminds me of my journey to create Mutually Inclusive to make a space for all families to find themselves in books. So I want to make sure I thank both Little Brown Books For Young Readers for providing me with a review copy of Daddy & Dada, and Ryan and Isaac for creating such an inclusive book for children to see their families in. I’m so happy to “meet” their family and to share Daddy & Dada with families looking for representation in children’s books.

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[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Digital illustrations with clean, crisp lines that were created with Procreate and Adobe Photoshop accompany a simple story identifying the different types of families. Narrated by four-year-old Rumi, the picture book introduces readers to the young girl's two fathers, Daddy and Dada, and the activities they share, as well as two other family members--a brother named Xander and a dog called Betty. She makes a point of explaining how families come in different sizes and in different compositions--one father and one mother, one parent, two fathers, two mothers, even one child and one grandparent or large families with twins and several pets. She even points out that friends can be like family and all of them can enjoy spending time together in different ways. While there are several similar picture books for youngsters that depict the many different types of families, celebrating their bonds, and encouraging acceptance, it's encouraging to find this sort of publication to be increasingly commonplace. The endpapers with various diverse families depicted in framed photos on the wall of a home expand young readers' concept of what constitutes a family.

[Rose Rosetree · Rating 5 out of 5]

How lovely that both the fathers, Ryan Brockington and Isaac Webster, co-wrote this book!

I find it just right for a very young child. Of course, it's so important to deliver the message in this book, about how families come in so many versions. And I do like the ending.

My One Question Goes to the Publisher

Little, Brown and Company is one of America's largest publishers. Why couldn't they afford to hire a professional artist to deliver better illustrations?

Pretty chintzy, using those placeholder pictures created by Lauren Mag, illustrations "with Procreate and Adobe Photoshop Elements." I don't mean to hurt her feelings, but some of the most talented artists around are illustrating today's picture books.

Personally, I think that same sex couples deserve illustrations that are just as beautiful and soulfully rendered as illustrations in other picture books that I've read. As daughter Rumi might ask, "Don't you?"

[Trey · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Daddy & Dada” by Ryan Brockington and Isaac Webster, illustrated by Lauren May. Is a story about Rumi and her unique family. The story begins with Rumi and her two fathers Daddy and Dada and how other families are unique just as theirs. The story presented all different kinds of families, some ranging from one father and one mother, one parent, and two moms. Some families had different amounts of family members including their pets such as cats and dogs and their own hobbies from dancing to playing sports. This story was created to act as a mirror for those who have similar experiences of having a unique family. This is important for students who have similar families to see themselves and their experience in literature.

[Emma Banks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! It is so cute and has so much color.
In this book we learn about Rumi who has two dads and a baby brother. We also learn about her friends who has one mom and one dad, two moms, and even a family of nine.

I think this is a great book to use in the classroom to introduce LBGTQIA+. It is very fun but still has an important message, but because it talks about how every family is different it will hopefully connect to all the students not just students in the LBTGQIA+ community. I would use this as a group read in the classroom to introduce students to the idea of everyones family looking different, maybe before an event where families are invited to the school.

[MeganM · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ryan Brockington and Isaac Webster. Daddy and Dada (2021). Accessed from Palatine Public Library and read aloud on Youtube.

"Daddy and Dada" is a heartwarming and beautifully illustrated children's book by Ryan Brockington and Isaac Webster. This endearing story provides a delightful glimpse into the life of a young child growing up with two loving fathers. Through engaging joyful illustrations, the book warmly captures the special moments and daily adventures shared by the child and his dads. "Daddy and Dada" not only serves as an affirming and inclusive representation of same-sex parenthood, but it also underscores the universal themes of love, family, and the shared bond between parents and their children. This book is a wonderful addition to children's literature, imparting essential values of acceptance, diversity, and the message that love comes in many beautiful forms. It's a heartwarming and important read for kids and families of all backgrounds.

I would recommend this book to elementary-aged students (k-3rd). A lesson idea could be for them to create a special moments book of their own family. This would help increase awareness of family diversity and then students can do a gallery walk.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

A darling picture book about how families come in all shapes and sizes. Features many family configurations, including gay parents, grandparents as parents, single parents, and more. Characters in the book have various skin tones, some wear religious garb, are of varied ages, and some are differently-abled. Would recommend to any parent hoping to teach their child about all ways to define "family."

[Brianna Dobson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Keywords: Family, fiction, LGBTQ+

Summary: In this story, the little girl has two dads. She explains how her friends all have a different family dynamic. Every family is different, but in the end, it is still family.

Prompt: The approach I would use in my classroom is teaching my students that all families are different. Not every kid knows that, and this book is a great way to show them that one kid's family might not be the same as theirs.

[Kelsey Bielec]

This is a nice and simple book that shows a diverse family. This book seems a bit outdated in this age as many other books have come out since, but this book is a starting point for showing young kids a family that looks different from what they may be used to as well as showing students a family that may look like their own.

[Faith Jennings · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book not only talks about the normalization of different types of families, but it also includes the "typical" family you'd usually see, on lots of pages! I liked this book for the many different scenerioes and types of families you see everyday. It gives kids that perspective that not every family is the same, and it might not look exactly like yours.

[Alyssa Gudenburr · Rating 4 out of 5]

An EXCELLENT book about all the different types of families. I really like how they showed families in shapes. For example a family of three were in a triangle. This would be a good first week of school book to talk about how families are different.

[Viviane Elbee]

In this “meet my family” book a little girl introduces us to her family, of two dads, a little brother and a dog. She points out that there are many different types of families. There’s a little bit of math too.

It was written by two dads who wanted a book that would reflect a family like theirs.

[Ellice · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very simple picture book with a simple (but important) message--that families come in all shapes and sizes. Some contain grandparents, some have two dads, some have only one parent, some have pets. A good book to start introducing kids to the diversity of relationships in the world.

[Teacher 14 · Rating 5 out of 5]

We needed this!

[Reagan Kapasi · Rating 3 out of 5]

inclusive story told by 4 year old girl about different kinds of families, different size families, and different activities

[Kaila · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Pinky · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little girl has two daddies.

[Susan Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very useful resource for representation. It does this well.

[Syntha Green · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here's hoping their family writes more books about diverse families

[Tracy Fry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perfect for pre-school storytime. Lots of diverse characters.

[kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

love that this covered all sorts of families in a simple light way

[Sandra Matthews · Rating 4 out of 5]

A loving book celebrating all kinds of families in a simple and accepting way.

[Maggi Rohde · Rating 3 out of 5]

A simple story with diverse family representation.

[Jeimy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Every child deserves to see their family unit represented in print. The authors of this book attempt to remedy that for their children.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

4-year-old Rumi has a conversation with readers about her family. Bright illustrations, simple text. Can be used for a first conversation about families.

[Kim Esmael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute book for small children. Everyone's family is different, and wonderful!