Published by Hodder Children’s Books, part of Hodder and Stoughton, 2016.

I’m bracing myself for the inevitable: my son’s first word is most likely to be Dada and not Mama. Sniff. Cue pangs of mild envy. I needn’t worry though. He doesn’t love Daddy more than me; it’s just easier to say Dada, that’s all.

But, hang on. Is this the real reason? According to Jimmy Fallon, every father is actually waging a secret campaign to ensure that their baby’s first word will be Dada. In this gorgeous picture book, set on a farm, we meet various animal fathers encouraging their young to speak their first word: Dada. Amusingly, all efforts are met with failure.

This book is fun to read aloud because of all the animal noises. It has a gentle humour and a reassuring predictability. It’s also a lovely way to reinforce animal names. I love the bold simplicity of the illustrations and the looks of frustration on the fathers’ faces. A great book for daddies and mommies to share with their children.

Rating: 💙💙💙💙💙

Suitable from birth.

Thank you to Hodder Children’s Books for sending me this book to review and to Toppsta for organising the giveaway.