A Fish Like Me by Jamie Sumner, illustrated by Devin Holzwarth (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 40 pages, ages 4-8). A boy celebrates the joys of swimming, comparing his movements through the water to a starfish, a catfish, a seahorse, and a snail. He then shows readers how he moves on land, rolling in his wheelchair like “a rocket ready to launch into space.” He introduces his swim therapy coach who helps him when he gets lost underwater and reminds him how to use his arms and legs in the water. “Wherever I might be,” he concludes, “There is something magical about a fish like me.”

This celebration of swimming is an empowering look at a boy with a disability who fully embraces life and movement of every kind. Even though he’s in a pool, the illustrations show an abundance of marine life, reflecting his vivid imagination as he powers through the water. I wish there had been a little back matter to offer additional information about swimming and disabilities, but this is a great book to show kids the joy of being in the water.

Bear for a Day by Corey R. Tabor (Greenwillow Books, 40 pages, ages 4-8). “If I were a bear for a day, my name would be Bear.” So begins this tale, shown from Bear’s perspective, as he gets ready for his day, realizes his best friend Mouse is missing, and heads into town on his motorcycle to begin his search. Text highlighted in different colors interrupts the story to ask questions and make comments about the story. When a commenter suggests a hot-air balloon, one suddenly appears in the sky, and Mouse is shown to be hanging off of one of the ropes. After a rescue by Bear, the source of the story is revealed: a boy is reading it in front of the class, and the other kids are the ones who have been adding to the story. The teacher suggests that the report needs more information, so the boy launches into the rest of the story, which sees Bear and Mouse going home, eating dinner, and getting ready for bed. That concludes the narrative, and the boy takes a bow.

I’m always thrilled to see a new book by Corey Tabor, and I love how this one celebrates the power of imagination. The illustrations never show the bear except when he’s looking in a mirror or having his picture taken, truly making it from his point of view. I love how the teacher refers to the boy telling the story as both “Corey” and “Mr. Tabor.” It would be fun to assign different kids the roles of Corey’s classmates in the book and have them read the highlighted lines in their colors.

Sixteen Games of Hide and Seek by Stephen Barr, illustrated by Steve Teare (Neal Porter Books, 48 pages, ages 4-8). Ro and his dad are playing hide and seek, and it’s NERVE-WRACKING, SORT OF SCARY, but SO MUCH FUN. As the game goes on, rules evolve: Dad should find him, but not too quickly. It’s important to decide ahead of time who is the hider and who is the seeker. The best hiding places can become too scary when a thunderstorm hits. But Dad comes to the rescue, and Ro calms down enough to continue the game when the best seeker of the family comes home: Mom. Includes thumbnail illustrations at the beginning and the end that show the eight first rounds of the game at the beginning and the last eight at the end.

Parents will enjoy this book as much as kids, as they recognize some familiar behaviors, like a kid who hides in plain sight and a dad who gets distracted from the hunt. The scene during the thunderstorm is touching and shows the strong connection between Ro and his dad. Here’s hoping we get to see what happens once Mom enters the game.

Dad by Christian Robinson (Balzer + Bray, 48 pages, ages 3-7). Each spread shows an animal and its offspring with a sentence about the dad pictured. At first, the sentences are what you’d expect: “Dad is strong” with a gorilla, “Dad is sweet” with a fox, and “Dad is here now” with a frog. But then, “Dad had to go away” shows an owl flying away from its two babies in a nest. A couple pages later, a shark dad “needs lots of space.” And then, “Dad lets you down and makes mistakes.” But the next few dads pick you up, listen, and make you feel safe. Then come the human dads who both wipe away tears and shed a few of their own. And finally, “Dad dreams of watching you grow and grow and grow.” Includes small pictures of all the animals with a dad fact about each.

Dedicated “To caregivers who give what they never got,” this book may defy your expectations by admitting that dads can be less than perfect; that may be the best kind of Father’s Day gift to give for everyone involved. Young kids will enjoy seeing all the animals, while older readers may find things a bit more thought-provoking.

While We’re Here by Anne Wynter, illustrated by Micha Archer (Clarion Books, 40 pages, ages 4-8). A girl and her mother are in a hurry to get somewhere, a place where they have to dress up and bring a present. They rush out of the house, to the train station, down the trail, across the bridge…only to find the remains of the birthday party that was actually yesterday. Disappointed, they’re ready to head back home when they spontaneously decide to roll down the hill. Then they explore under a bridge, watch the ducks, and walk the trail until it runs out. “We’ll wander off, just you and me. We have nowhere to be.”

Although there are only a few words on each page, they powerfully convey a sense of urgency in the first half of the book, followed by a slower pace and a more relaxed, enjoyable afternoon after the disappointment of realizing they missed their party. Caldecott Medalist Micha Archer has created beautiful collage illustrations that perfectly capture both moods.