Should there be a dad?

[Kibet Hillary]

I like the idea of having dad around helping with the chores.

But the more I think about it, the more I am having a hard time trying to think of books for this age group that show a whole family who isn't made up animals. Lyle Crocodile, the Berenstain Bears, Peter Rabbit (wait, did Peter Rabbit have a father?), Curious George (he had the man in the yellow hat.

Maybe it is well past time that Dad is represented.

You’re absolutely right. Kanga in Winnie The Pooh was a single parent too.
Mind you, stats say that in the UK, one quarter of families are now single parent, so it may hurt those children who feel they should be aspiring to something that’s beyond their control. Also single dad families are very poorly represented, though there is Spike and his son in the old Tom and Jerry cartoons.

Very observant, I never thought of Kanga as a single parent, but a lot of children's literature seems focused on the children, and leave the parents to the side. Just like Christopher Robin, I assume he had parents, I don't remember him being an orphan, but they are not discussed.

My son loved Winnie the Pooh! We had books, tapes (now would be CDs) and videos.

This is absolutely true that most books in the kids' category will focus on the children and not the parents.

[Bianka Walter]

I love the idea of dad helping wash the dishes.
But that would be in the fairy tale section
I'm not sure how necessary it is, but I think in the future instalments of the series it might be nice to add a male figure to the mix.

[kfwilson6]

I love the idea of dad helping wash the dishes.
But that would be in the fairy tale section

Haha, so true.
Maybe we will see Toni helping with yard work, changing lightbulbs, or playing basketball in future books.

[Nditah]

Even though adding Dad to the picture would be a great idea, the story is still good as it is and I can assure you most children can relate to that. Here is a normal conversation around most homes today: "Mom, why isn't Dad home?", "Sweety, Dad would be home soon. He is at work to meet family needs". So I guess the story is inline.

[Carly-maricque]

I do not think it is necessary for there to be a dad in the book. I think this because it shows family diversity. The single family "portrayed" can be relatable because more than half of children now days do not have a "traditional" mom and dad family. I say "portrayed" because the reader actually doesn't know if that is his mom.

[Jide12]

I agree it would be good to add Dad into one of them, but maybe this book is showing diversity with only one parent

[ereason]

I did notice that Dad wasn't pictured, but thought that either he could be out at work, or it could be Toni's week with Mum, or that he could simply not be a part of Toni's life - he could be dead, or a deadbeat! I liked that single parent family children aren't excluded from identifying with the main character, and while generally I believe that fathers should have absolutely equal rights with mothers when it comes to custody (barring unfitness in either case), the fact is that more children now live with a mother than a father.

[kfwilson6]

This could be summer vacation and Toni is home from school, Mom is a stay-at-home parent and Dad is working. He may even be a 9-5 kind of guy. Maybe in future books Toni has a baby sibling!

[kdstrack]

I definitely would like to see some "dad" involvement in Toni's life. The female figure (assumed to be mom) is reinforcing the idea of Toni as a superhero when he helps with the sweeping and dusting. I would be thrilled to see dad reinforcing the idea that he can help dad's superhero too.

[KitabuKizuri]

Technically, it doesn't mention mom either. We see two women. Either could be an aunt, sister, or babysitter. The dancer and dishwasher look like different people to me. Also, there's a tall man in the pool that could be dad.

I think the author was wise to leave out the 'mom and dad' role because not all children have both parents or any of the parents in the case of an orphan.

[prinjeh18]

Technically, it doesn't mention mom either. We see two women. Either could be an aunt, sister, or babysitter. The dancer and dishwasher look like different people to me. Also, there's a tall man in the pool that could be dad.

I noticed it, too. I guess the author is trying to make the series full of surprises and fun. Maybe, Toni's dad will be included in the next series.

[Storm+]

Personally, the inclusion or exclusion of a father isn't that important of a plot point for me. Because the book is so short, there simply may not have been a need to include him, and he might appear in a later book. However, the absence of the father could be something positive for children who don't come from a nuclear family; maybe the father and mother are divorced, or Toni's mother is a single mother and his father just isn't around. Maybe his mom is married to a woman, or he's even been adopted by a single parent. To children from families that aren't "traditional" nuclear families, this book could be sending the message that you don't have to come from a perfect or even traditional background to be a superhero.

[PABS]

It didn’t occur to me that a dad was missing but now you mention it...
I think the author was promising more books. Maybe a dad will appear in a later one. I like the idea of a nuclear family.

I like the idea too, but unfortunately it's not the reality for many children. I used to teach in an elementary school and was asked to make the poster at the entrance to the school for Family Day. I depicted a nuclear family and was asked to change the image so the children in single parent homes would not feel different or marginalized.

Perhaps the author has the same concern. But even if that is the case, I would like to see a father figure at some point, even if he is not presented with the group.

[prinjeh18]

Ohhh, having a dad in the story is awesome, but so sorry for those children who were abandoned by their father.

[Christina Rose]

Honestly, I didn't even notice this until I read your question, lol. I don't think it takes away from this book that Toni's father isn't depicted, but adding him to the story wouldn't hurt anything either.

On a side-note -- most superheros have lost one or both parents. Harry Potter, Bruce Wayne, Barry Allen's mom died and his father is in jail, Victor Stone's mom died in the same accident that he was injured in, etc. I'm not saying this is the author's intention, because I don't think it is, I'm just throwing that out there.