Raissa Figueroa (text & illustration), What my daddy loves, Little Hare, August 2023, 32 pp., RRP $14.99 (pbk), ISBN 9780008608408
What do daddies love?
There really are no bounds to the thing’s dads do for their children, and the debut picture book by acclaimed artist Raissa Figueroa, jogs the memory ever so gently.
Playing, building, exploring the world, not to mention the softer acts of sitting, studying, and dreaming are heart-warmingly expressed page after page. The simple first-person statements in the text are captured from a child’s perspective and with larger-than-life illustrations, showcase a strong Black culture and the bonds of family.
Themes of love, fatherhood, friendship, and families are insightfully explored against a deep background of colours. Readers can enjoy the story and explore their craft side with lively colours and eye-catching drawings to scale.
Beautifully diverse, and tenderly showing a fundamental depth of bond, What my daddy loves is a heartfelt celebration of fathers and their children.
Raissa Figueroa is a Coretta Scott King award-winning illustrator and graphic designer and her work is celebrated in other picture books such as Oona: The brave little mermaid and Princess Unlimited.
Reviewed by Shelley Stephens
