My Out and About Book by Barbara Vagnozzi (Campbell Books)
Great for older babies or toddlers. A little boy spends the day with his dad, who cooks breakfast, takes him to the park, to a garage, a DIY shop and then home to bed.

Some Dogs Do by Jez Alborough (Walker Books)
When Sid is bullied at school because no one believes that he can fly, it’s dad who comforts the troubled puppy. A surprising and warm representation of father/son bonding.

My Daddy is a Giant by Carl Norac and Ingrid Godon (Macmillan Children’s Books)
When dad sneezes, it’s like a hurricane. He is so huge, you need a ladder to cuddle him. Dad as superman.

We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury (Walker Books)
The only story we own in which a father is seen and involved for the entire book. Mind you, it leaves me slightly unsettled as I can never work out if he is a single dad with three kids, or the mum is weirdly pre-pubescent.

Clever Daddy by Maddie Stewart (Walker Books)
What do clever dads do? They twirl and chase you, tickle you and carry you around, they build towers and read stories and make you laugh. Very positive, but you might say that it goes too far with the pro-dad agenda.

The Emperor’s Egg by Martin Jenkins and Jane Chapman (Walker Books)
This award-winning book tells the story of the male emperor penguin — who spends two months standing on ice, incubating an egg on his feet. Now that’s what I call a positive male role model.

Times recommends

• Live chat: Thrifty ways to update your winter wardrobe
• Is anybody out there really listening?
• Nutrition Q&A: Will eating late make me fat?