My Daddy Can Fly is a charming picture book that is sure to dance its way into your heart.

This heartwarming tale is about a young boy named Ben who dreams of becoming a ballet dancer, just like his daddy! This sweet book is an ode to ballet as well as fatherly love written by American Ballet principal dancer Thomas Forster and dance educator Shari Siadat. It is colorfully illustrated by Jami Gigot.

One day in school Ben’s classmates are discussing what they want to be when they grow up. He joins the conversation “Well, when I grow up, I am going fly just like my daddy.”  Can the kids guess his dad’s profession? What job could Ben’s dad have that requires flying, strength, speed, and more? This sparks a fun guessing game among the class as to what Ben’s dad does for a living.

The kids have some typical ideas about what Ben’s dad is. Guesses include a pilot, a firefighter and even a football player!  After numerous guesses the kids still can’t figure out what his dad’s job is. That’s when Ben shows them. The class cheers “Bravo!” and rallies around Ben and his “on point” dance moves.

Our Review:

My Daddy Can Fly is a beautiful story of a boy’s love and admiration for his father. Every young boy wants to grow up just to be like his dad and Ben is no different. But My Daddy Can Fly is also a story of inclusion.

Ben’s friends are in a diverse New York City classroom. Once Ben dances for his friends they “see” how fast and swiftly Ben moves. With a collective “Bravo” they celebrate Ben’s talent and their eyes are opened. Ballet is something that they may not have thought as cool or even for boys before!  My Daddy Can Fly acknowledges the athleticism as well as discipline it takes to be a ballet dancer.  Ben describes his daddy as “Stronger than anyone I know” and “fierce like a tiger”.  Yet he’s also “gentle like a butterfly”. Ben’s friends realize that pursuing ballet is Ben’s dream and supporting a friend’s passion is pretty cool.

Writing a book that ties these themes together is also cool.  Bravo to Thomas Forster and Shari Siadat for shining the spotlight on so many deep ideals in such a simple, charming way for kids.

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Love ballet?  See our coverage of Disney’s Nutcracker Movie here.