By Tom Burns

There are a lot of dads in children’s books and far too many of them feel like characters in a children’s book rather than actual living, breathing dads. Because not all dads are evil kings and not all dads are heroic role models. Most dads fall somewhere in-between. And, because of that, when you encounter a dad who actually feels REAL in a kids’ book, it can be a memorable experience.

With that in mind, here are seven dads from great children’s books who actually feel like real, living, lovable, flaws-and-all fathers. If Dad gets to pick the bedtime reading sometime soon, maybe steer your kids towards one of these titles.

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Ask Me

by Bernard Waber, illustrated by Suzy Lee

This absolutely lovely 2015 picture book contains one of the most simple and honest depictions of a father-child bond I’ve ever seen in a kids’ book. On a brisk fall day, a dad and a daughter hold hands as they walk through the autumn leaves. The daughter asks questions and the dad answers. That’s it. But their obvious affection for each other and their realistic dialogue will strike a chord with any father who finds themselves missing the quiet little moments that seem to go away when your kid gets older.

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Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

by Judith Viorst, illustrated by Ray Cruz

Alexander’s dad doesn’t make many appearances during his terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day, but the scene where Alexander goes to pick his dad up from work is always one of my favorites. Basically, a simple pick-up turns into a disaster as Alexander – making excuses all the way – quickly destroys his father’s office, while not realizing that anything was actually his fault. His dad’s “I give up” expression says it all, particularly to parents who can’t understand how impossible it is for a kid to keep his hands to himself.

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Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale

by Mo Willems

“Dad screwed up.” That’s the underlying theme in Knuffle Bunny. Dad didn’t realize that he left Trixie’s prized Knuffle Bunny at the laundromat and his expression when he realizes his mistake is pure “Dad screwed up.” We’ve all been there. (A child losing a prized toy is so traumatic.) And Dad’s panicked trek back to the laundromat will feel SO familiar to any parent who’s gone through that trauma themselves. (Spoiler alert: Everything works out in the end.)

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The Berenstain Bears and the Messy Room

by Stan and Jan Berenstain

Stan and Jan Berenstain were always a little hard on Papa Bear. He’s usually portrayed as the doofus dad, the irresponsible parent, Mama Bear’s third child. But, in The Berenstain Bears and the Messy Room, naggy ol’ Mama Bear finally blows her top and (for once!) Papa gets to ride in and save the day. After Mama loses her cool about the kids’ messy room, Papa gets to step in provide some much needed perspective and suggest some practical ways to organize the mess. It’s a small victory, but I’ll take it, just to see the one moment when a put-upon Papa finally gets to come into his own.

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Interrupting Chicken

by David Ezra Stein

Have you ever tried to read a book to a kid who just WILL NOT stop talking? Any dads who’ve barely been able to get a word in edge-wise during bedtime reading will definitely sympathize with Papa Rooster’s plight in this hysterically funny picture book. Bedtime reading can be equal parts exciting and frustrating, because, while it’s wonderful to see your kid get SO worked up about a story, if they can’t stop interrupting, the reading experience can become a complete pain. This one is perfect for any dad who’s watched their 30-minute bedtime ritual inexplicably stretch out for HOURS.

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Darth Vader and Son and Vader’s Little Princess

by Jeffrey Brown

It’s sometimes hard to imagine the Dark Lord of the Sith as a dad, but Jeffrey Brown’s ingenious picture books recast one of cinema’s greatest villains as the universe’s ultimate exasperated dad. Inspired by the same insightful lunacy found in Brown’s other books (like Kids are Weird), the Darth Vader books show a father struggling to relate to his children, which is hard when you’re a lightsaber-wielding space tyrant. When he tells Leia, in her famous slave outfit, that “You’re not going out dressed like that,” you’ll find yourself shaking your head and sympathizing with the man who blew up Alderaan.

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Pete’s a Pizza

by William Steig

Steig is best known as the creator of Shrek and Sylvester and the Magic Pebble, but Pete’s a Pizza has always been one of my favorite of his works. The premise is simple. Young Pete’s bored on a rainy day, so his dad invents a game on the spot. He decides to turn his son into a pizza. He kneads Pete like dough, he covers him in pepperoni (they’re really checkers) – it’s a goofy game, but it feels so true-to-life. Dads spend so much time being silly, getting dirty, and doing whatever it takes to entertain their kids. Steig nails that experience in Pete’s a Pizza, a testament to every good dad’s constant attempts to coax a smile out of their children.

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Did we miss your favorite dad moment in a children’s book? Are you a fan of the great dad in Roald Dahl’s Danny, The Champion of the World? Or perhaps you prefer the antics of the lousy dad in Dahl’s Matilda? Let us know in the comments below.

Tom Burns is a husband, a dad, and a veteran of the educational publishing industry, living just outside of Detroit Rock City. After years of obsessing about what his daughter was reading, he founded BuildingaLibrary.com, a website devoted to helping parents find the right books for their kids. His writing has been featured on Brightly, 8BitDad, YourTango, Time Magazine, Reading Rainbow, The Huffington Post, Babble, Mom.me, xoJane, and various other sites. He’s also been featured in the Random House book A Letter to My Mom and made appearances on The Meredith Vieira Show and HuffPost Live. Follow Tom on Facebook.