Because Your Daddy Loves You

Based on the 2005 picture book written by Andrew Clements (who also narrates) and illustrated by R.W. Alley, the iconographic-animated Because Your Daddy Loves You offers a paean to a father's unconditional love that is well-meaning but also rather bland. Roughly chronicling a 24-hour-period in the life of a young girl and her daddy—who spend a day at the beach and stop for ice cream on the way home—the simple story is comprised of a series of actions/reactions all presented using the same formula: “when [something happens, such as misplacing a shoe], your daddy could [scold you, etc.], but he doesn't…instead he [says/does something positive]. On the technical side, some close-ups from the illustrations are a bit blurry, while Clements' narration is marked by a few awkward pauses. After the program, the author talks briefly about the genesis of the book. A 2007 ALA-ALSC Notable Children's Video, Because Your Daddy Loves You deserves kudos for its tribute to paternal love, but the presentation itself—writing, illustrating, narrating, and filming—is disappointingly pedestrian. Optional. Aud: K, P. (R. Pitman)