Daddy Long Legs

Love this story of a daddy dropping his son off at kindergarten and answering all the "what ifs" his son asks with fun, magical answers.

This is a fantastic book, especially for Dads. Our 4 year olds love it and want to hear it again and again.

Matthew must go to kindergarten but when daddy’s old green car sputters and struggles he worries that daddy won’t make it back to him by the end of the day. Thus starts a what if game that ultimately reassures Matthew he can safely go to kindergarten.I have the opportunity to read this book with the target audience, my nephew. We both quite loved the fantastical drawings in this book. I loved the bright poppy colors that will appeal to the youngest of children. My nephew loved that the black birds appeared in each spread and that all sorts of fantastical methods were used to get to Matthew. His favorite by far was the dragon which is what he chose to draw (he chooses an illustration from each book we read and draws his own interpretation). “I will call the big green dragon who blows into the heater all winter. And in two flaps of his wings and three big leaps, I will be next to you!”I obviously didn’t read the complete blurb stating that this is about separation anxiety and so I found it really fun to get to the reason why daddy was being so outrageous. It was so fun and infectious that my nephew and I totally enjoyed ourselves even without the undertone point of the story in the forefront of our brains. I really liked the end illustrations especially where it portrayed home as a safe place where Matthew will return to after a day at kindergarten.Having worked with children the age of preschoolers this would be great for teachers having to deal with separation anxiety and once that is past would be great to revisit anytime as a way to develop creativity and imagination in the child. Very versatile and worth the investment in home or school!

Daddy and Mathew play a slightly silly imagination game listing all of the funny ways Daddy will come to collect Mathew from school. What if the car doesn't start, then what if this and what if that, each "what if" sillier than the last. It's a nice idea and the underlying message is calm, dependable and reassuring.The book worked mostly for me because of the illustrations. The "what ifs" involve birds and dragons and rabbits and a tractor and so on, and a parent and a child could easily come up with a zillion "what ifs" of their own. But here we have fine drawings that sell the idea, illustrate the silliness of the suggestions, and warmly confirm Daddy's reliability. Mathew's trust and Daddy's grownup care and connection shine from every page, and that makes all of the difference. A nice, comfortable find.(Please note that I received a free advance will-self-destruct-in-x-days Adobe Digital copy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)

5★A delightfully reassuring story about a little boy who worries that Daddy’s old green car might conk out again as it did this morning, and Daddy won’t make it back to school to pick him up!Whatever will Daddy do? Will Matthew be stranded alone?We’ve already noticed the neighbour’s red tractor, and sure enough, Daddy says he’s he can borrow that. Next thing you know, we see Daddy bouncing along happily down the road.“’And if the big red tractor is busy on the farm?’ says Matthew.‘Then, says Daddy, 'I will whistle to Martin, the lazy teddy bear who sleeps under your covers. He will gather me in his big paws and carry me to you.’”And we see an enormous, smiling polar bear galloping along wearing a bright yellow blanket with Daddy precariously perched on top.And so it goes, from birds to bunnies to a handsome green dragon until finally, Daddy reckons “I will run as fast as my two long legs will carry me. And in no time I’ll be by your side.”And in no time at all, we do see Daddy carrying Matthew into their home, where afternoon tea is waiting with all the helpers from Daddy’s story.[My Goodreads review includes a picture of the last two pages: Daddy and Matthew’s kitchen and all the animals.]Cute pictures and a story that children will love to hear over and over and memorise and reassure themselves that no matter what, they won’t be left stranded or forgotten or misplaced!Lovely idea, colourfully executed!My excerpts are from the NetGalley preview copy, so it’s possible some wording may have changed in the final version, but they can’t spoil this one – it’s cute!

Daddy’s old green car sometimes has trouble starting. It just barely manages to get Matthew to kindergarten. Before Daddy leaves, Matthew makes sure that Daddy has a backup plan if the car won’t start.A sweet story about a father’s care for his child. Matthew the little worry wart gets fantastic answers to his “what if” worries about his dad’s possible transportation methods in lieu of a car. From bears to boats to dragon back, but the one that satisfies Matthew the most is the promise that if all else fails Daddy’s long legs will get him there as fast as possible. The illustration style makes the story extra whimsical. I’ll be honest, at first I thought this was a picture book rewrite of Jean Webster’s Daddy-Long-Legs and I wasn’t interested at all thanks to the movie adaptation. But this is a completely different story, so don’t let the title fool you. Recommended for father-child reads, fantasy fans, little worry warts, kids with great imaginations, and fans of whimsical illustrations.I received an ARC of this title from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Simple but effective story. Illustrations are beautiful

Lovely story with great pictures

Such a lovely book! Beautiful illustrations and a lovely, comforting and reassuring tale, my son loves it!

Son loves this one.

Lovely book for dads