Toni D’Alia (text) and Mimi Purnell (illustrator), My Father’s Arms, Little Hare, July 2025, 24 pp., RRP $22.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781761212383
Toni D’Alia and Mimi Purnell have come together to create a special celebration of the love between children and their fathers, the way children feel safe and loved, and how nature comforts one another. This book is illustrated and narrated through the lens of young animals with their fathers. It’s an inviting read for bedtime stories, Father’s Day celebrations, family connection and early childhood activities.
The picture book is well suited for children aged 2–5, encouraging family bonds and the care of animals in the natural world. The themes tie in naturally to the first two outcomes of The Early Years Learning Framework with children’s identity and connection to their world. Adults can talk to children about their own family attachments and traditions, spark creative role play on how we comfort one another, get crafty with animals and their babies, and discuss care in the natural world from the story reading. The family themes tie in with early childhood English curriculum strands where children explore personal connections through stories, and in Visual Arts when they respond to the vivid imagery and then create their own.
My Father’s Arms helps children to build their emotional vocabulary and empathy too.
Reviewed by Chantelle Ciccotosto
