DADDY HONK HONK!

A fox unexpectedly becomes an adoptive parent in this charming book about what babies need.

On a final warm day on the Arctic tundra, the animals are enjoying the weather, sunbathing, planning a hike, etc. Aput, a fox, is watching the geese fly away. But what’s this? They’ve forgotten something: an egg that hatches in his hands. “Daddy Honk Honk!” Aput tries to convince the little tyke that he is not Daddy, but to no avail. The two set off to try to find the gosling a family, but gradually the search becomes both a series of lessons in what a baby needs as well as the bonding of a new family. The lemmings provide a hat to keep the goose warm. A hare gives some food to help it grow. A grouchy, yoga-practicing polar bear suggests a nap for the rambunctious goose. And by the time Aput panics about the gosling’s safety while swimming, it’s clear that he is indeed Daddy. That night, Aput’s friends arrive with a final necessary ingredient, and the community bonds over its newest addition. Appealingly simple cartoon India ink, watercolor, and Photoship illustrations give readers a basic idea of the flora and fauna of the Arctic, but the focus is on the developing relationship between father and child; the fox’s expression when the egg hatches is absolutely priceless and worth the cover price alone.

A sweet adoption tale.