GATOR DAD by Brian Lies. , 2016.  32p.  New York:  Houghton Mifflin Harcourt ISBN 978-0544-534339 hc. $17.99    Gr. PreS - 2   E PIC

How does a gator dad spend the day with his offspring?  He starts with a breakfast like no other, takes the kids to action packed activities, returns home for more games, makes bath time an adventure, and reads plenty of stories to the young gators before tucking them into bed.  It sounds like a day with any kind of dad, especially one who chooses to be the primary caregiver for the family.  Lies wrote this book because he works from home, has a working wife, and takes care of the children on a daily basis.  His message to families everywhere is that dads may have a different parenting style than moms, but the desired result is the same - happy, healthy children.  Gators as main characters make the illustrations much more interesting and the kitchen scenes are just a little gross, which will delight human readers.  GATOR DAD would make a great lead-in to Father's Day or classroom discussions on family structure.
Lynette Suckow, Superiorland Preview Center, Marquette, MI