SUPERDADS! (Book 2, Animal Heroes Series)
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Raising babies in the wild is a mighty big job, but these super animal dads are up to the task! Packed with cool facts in a fun comics format.
It’s wild out there for baby animals, but nature’s superdads can handle it all. A great horned owl dad brings home tasty prey to his nest, while a sandgrouse dad carries precious water on his feathers across the desert for his thirsty chicks. Wolf dads love a game of tug-of-war with their rambunctious pups, glass frog dads protect their eggs from predators with powerful kicks, and kiwi dads sit on their eggs for eighty days, keeping them safe and warm. And did you know that giant water bug dads can tote a whopping 150 eggs on their backs while doing push-ups?
The team behind Supermoms! delivers another humorous and fascinating look into wild parenting, highlighting how superdads from seahorses to gorillas feed, protect, nurture, and even incubate their babies. The comics-panel format, with its lively art and cheeky comments from offspring, makes for an engaging read. Back matter includes bonus super facts about each animal and recommendations for more children’s books, websites, and episodes to explore.
Reviews and Interviews
Presented in a comic-panel format with humorous speech bubble comments by the animals, this is a highly engaging nonfiction read for all ages. . . readers will enjoy learning about a wide variety of animals and how animal dads care for their young.
—School Library Journal
This entertaining companion to Lang and Harper’s Supermoms! (2023) uses the same graphic format to introduce 18 animal fathers . . . The excellent backmatter is full of recommended books, websites, and other resources . . . A winning combination of humor and intriguing animal facts.
—Kirkus Reviews
Blissfully Bookish on the Importance of Brainstorming plus Q&A
Archimede’s Notebook Review and Q&A
The Backstory: SUPERDADS! Interview with Andrew Hacket
The Picture Book Buzz Interview by Maria Marshall
Resources and Activities for SUPERDADS!
SUPER Worksheets and Activities
Superdads! Matching Challenge (Match the superdad with the superfact)
Superdads! Animal Classification Matching Challenge (Match the superdad with his animal class)
Art Matching Challenge (Match the item scanned by Jamie to the art she created in the book)
Superdads! Memory Game: page 1 and page 2 (Print two copies on card stock, cut into cards, turn them face down, and try to find the matching pairs)
Watch Your Favorite Superdads in Action!
(Click on the superdad to watch)
DARWIN’S FROG
SEAHORSE
MALLEE FOWL
BAYA WEAVER
GLASS FROG
BURYING BEETLE
GORILLA
SANDGROUSE
GREAT HORNED OWL
AFRICAN BULLFROG
GOLDEN LION TAMARIN
THREE-SPINED STICKLEBACK
It’s Movie Night!
Grab some popcorn and cheer on a superdad
in one of these fascinating films.
The Amazing Malleefowl’ featuring Dr Joe Benshemesh. Posted on YouTube by National Malleefowl Recovery Team (17 mins).
Watch on: YouTube or Vimeo
Summary: Learn from an expert all about the interesting life of this mound-building bird and the unusual method it uses to incubate its eggs.
Animal Homes: Location, Location, Location. Season 33, episodes 11–13, of Nature. Produced by Ann Johnson Prum. PBS, 2015 (52 mins).
Watch on: Amazon Prime or Daily Motion
Summary: In the animal kingdom, building a good home in the right location with the correct building materials is critical to raising a family.
Animal Homes: The Nest. Season 33, episodes 11–13, of Nature. Produced by Ann Johnson Prum. PBS, 2015 (52 mins).
Watch on: Amazong Prime or Daily Motion
Summary: Bird nests come in all shapes and sizes. Each one is a remarkable work of art, built with just a beak, for the all-important task of protecting eggs and raising young.
Animals Like Us: Animal Play. Season 1, episode 8. Saint Thomas Production, 2006 (50 mins).
Watch on: YouTube and Amazon
Summary: As humans, we learn a lot about life from playing games. Animals play too! Watch this documentary to discover the many different reasons why animals play.
Animals at Play. Seasons 1–2. Directed by Dan Perowne. Smithsonian, 2019.
Watch on: Amazon Prime and YouTube (Season 1, Episode1)
Summary: This series uncovers the secrets behind animal play!
Fabulous Frogs. Season 32, episode 19, of Nature. Produced and directed by Sally Thomson. PBS, 2014 (53 mins).
Watch on: YouTube
Summary: Explore the weird and wonderful world of frogs. Learn about their anatomy, behavior, and survival strategies.
Owls: Masters of the Night. Directed by Doclights. Doclights, 2020 (50 mins).
Watch on: Amazon Prime, Curiosity Stream, and Daily Motion
Summary: Learn about the secretive and remarkable lives of owls.
More Books About Our Superdads!
Head to your local library and check out these fantastic picture books to learn more about our superdads. (Click on the book cover for more info)
