Father's Day is just around the corner, and here are some great books to help celebrate good old Dad.

100 Days and 99 Nights, by Alan Madison, and illustrated by Julia Denos, is a chapter book geared for ages 7 to 10. This nicely written book displays the deep love and respect that family members feel towards one another.

The story is told through 10-year-old Esmerelda's eyes, which results in a brilliant angle that the author has used to showcase the strong connection this family feels for each other. And you become deeply attached to this protagonist when she displays humor and compassion as you learn more about her as the story progresses.

But the most touching and integral part of the story is when her army dad is called up to serve a tour of duty that lasts for 100 days, hence the title of the book. How this military service affects and disrupts her family, her feeling of sadness at missing him and how she gets her school and community to help support the troops is inspiring.

The only other chapter book in this review is My Dad's a Birdman, by David Almond, and illustrated by Polly Dunbar. Young Lizzie lives with her dad and is having a terrible time getting dad up in the morning, making sure he's dressed and that he eats his breakfast. He's newly widowed and seems to have lost touch with reality. But, he's finally excited about something — a competition to be the first to fly across the river. So he becomes obsessed with discovering a way to achieve it. This endearing and humorous read-aloud will find you cheering Dad onto victory!

The Dads' Book for the Dad Who's Best at Everything, by Michael Heatley, is a smart little hand book for dads with helpful hints of everything from changing a diaper to building simple projects with children to producing a successful garden.

The rest of the books are picture books that are good for all ages: Papa and Me, by Arthur Dorros, and illustrated by Rudy Gutierrez, is a wonderful celebration of a youngster and his dad. From the time the boy wakes up to when he and his dad arrive at his grandparents' house, the time spent together is a time of happiness and joy. It's also a nice combination of two dialects as the son speaks English and his father speaks Spanish.

A Day with Dad, by Bo R. Holmberg, and illustrated by Eva Eriksson, deals with divorce. This is a difficult situation for children and this book addresses the valuable time spent with a dad who lives in another town. The underlying message of time well spent can be had even when the time is short.

Little Boy, by Alison McGhee, and illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds, is a celebration of a young son's life as a father looks on. It's all of the simple things in life, the kinds of things that don't cost money, that make life meaningful. Take time to enjoy this book because “so much depends of days made of now.”

Daddy Hug, by Tim Warnes, andillustrated by Jane Chapman, commemorates daddies everywhere. They come in many sizes and shapes; they come in many different types of daddies that have fluffy fur or no fur at all. Some are “slimy” and some are “long,” but they all “hug.”

The Daddy Book, by Todd Parr, has the author's signature style packaged book with vibrant colors that will catch and hold a youngster's attention. There are many different types of daddies — some who go to work and some who work at home, some have hair and some don't, some like to bake cookies and some like to stop for donuts. But whatever your dad is, he loves you and “wants you to be who you are!”

My Daddy Snores, by Nancy H. Rothstein, and illustrated by Stephen Gilpin, displays the unrest of family members when Dad snores. The problem is resolved when he visits the doctor — only now when he goes to bed, he talks in his sleep. Furthermore, you'll find more information about what to do for snoring in the after word located in the back of the book.

Daddy Goes to Work, by Javari Aim, and illustrated by Aaron Boyd, takes a young girl through the life of her dad as she goes with him to work. The day is spent entirely working, walking and eating with Dad. What a great experience for a youngster to have!