From the time I was a baby to even after I could actually perform the skill myself, my parents read aloud to me (and my brother and sister) every night. This routine helped make me become not just a better reader as I went through school but an avid reader later in life. It also gave me great memories of a large quantity of children’s books my mom and dad introduced me to over my childhood. My siblings and I still fondly discuss our favorites.

Just like my parents did with me, Sidney and I have already started reading to our daughter. We have a modest selection of books we have purchased or been given and yesterday Sloan received her first book via Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. However, there is something missing from our story repertoire.

This week, “The Little Engine That Could” arrived in mail for Sloan via the Dolly Parton Imagination Library.

I currently don’t have any books meant specifically for dads to read to their daughters. All of them seem to center on a mother figure or feature a son. I usually try my best to adjust. For example, if I read Sloan “Love You Forever” I will swap the female pronouns used for the mother out with male pronouns to represent me and I will trade the male pronouns used for the son with female pronouns to signify Sloan. I am not the best at doing this and beyond just the hassle of substituting words I would like to read a book that specifically addresses the father-daughter dynamic.

Now I know I could easily Google “father-daughter children’s books” and get a huge list of a million titles. However, I would rather get the best of the best from my readers who either are actual parents themselves and can relate or from daughters who had these type of books read to them growing up. I want personal, experience-based advice as opposed to search engine convenience.

Your suggestions will mean a lot. I have already told my family that if they dare get me a Father’s Day gift, I would like it to be a dad-daughter book I can read to Sloan. If you give me a recommendation, there is a chance I might be the owner of it next month.

But enough about Father’s Day!! We have the real holiday coming up this Sunday and I can’t wait to celebrate a certain person’s (wink wink) first Mother’s Day.

In the meantime though, I would still appreciate suggestions. Help us build our “Sloan Library” with some great stories her daddy can read to her. Don’t Blink.