Father's Day Gifts From Kids: A Book Starring Them Both

The best Father's Day gift from kids is one that has the kid in it. A young child can't shop on their own or write much of a card, but they can hand Dad something that says what they'd say if they could. I Love You Dad does that. It's a rhyming thank-you written in your child's voice, with your child and Dad illustrated together on the cover and all 20 inside pages, and it ends signed with your child's name. You add a photo of each of them and see a free preview before you buy. In the US, Father's Day 2027 is Sunday, June 20.

This is our guide to our own books. Below you'll find what's inside I Love You Dad, ideas for a first Father's Day, a book for Grandpa, and how to keep it a surprise.

Quick picks: Father's Day gifts that star your child

The standard US one-time hardcover price is $44.99, plus shipping and tax. Dad or Grandpa is a companion character that costs $4.99 USD extra for US orders. Shoppers in other countries see their own prices at checkout. Both books are in our Better Together collection, alongside I Love You Mom, I Love You Grandma and Two of a Kind.

When is Father's Day 2027?

In the United States, Father's Day 2027 falls on Sunday, June 20. Federal law names the third Sunday in June as Father's Day (36 U.S.C. § 109), so the date shifts a little each year. Other countries celebrate on other dates, so check the local calendar if you're sending a book abroad.

What's inside I Love You Dad

I Love You Dad is a thank-you note in rhyme, one couplet to a page, about the everyday things a dad does. It starts with his laugh, "the best kind of sound for me to hear," and moves through planting the garden, a tall block tower ("You show me how to never quit"), a rainy afternoon at the window and a race where he cheers from the side of the track. "When I am scared or feeling small, You make me feel ten stories tall." Near the end your child says it plainly: "This day I celebrate you, Dad, The greatest gift I've ever had." Then the book is signed with your child's name.

Upload a photo of your child and one of Dad, and the two of them appear together throughout, from the cover to the last page.

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  Ten stories tall "When I am scared or feeling small, You make me feel ten stories tall."

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  At my own pace "You never rush, or make me race, You cheer me on at my own pace."

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  Always there "When life gets hard and days feel long, You're always there to keep me strong."

Sentimental Father's Day gifts from a daughter or son

Dads are often the hardest people to shop for, and the easiest to please with something a child made or chose. What makes I Love You Dad sentimental is that the words are your child's: the thanks for patience, for silly jokes, for being "steady as the ground below." The sample pages show a daughter, but your copy shows your child, son or daughter, from their photo.

It's also a book that gets read again. A little one will ask for it at bedtime, and once your child can read, it's the book they'll want to read to him.

What is a good first Father's Day gift?

For a baby's first Father's Day, the gift usually comes from a partner on the baby's behalf: a footprint keepsake, a framed photo from the first months or a letter about the year. Our books are written for ages 2 to 10, so I Love You Dad fits best a little later, from about two, when a child can point to themselves and to Dad on the page. It makes a lovely gift for a second or third Father's Day.

A Father's Day gift for Grandpa: I Love You Grandpa

I Love You Grandpa is the same kind of thank-you, written for a grandfather. Your child thanks him for teaching them to cast a line "with patience that I hope is mine," for letting them wear his great big hat, for skipping stones, and for building and tinkering side by side. There's a bedtime tale he never finishes ("You read a bedtime tale to me, then doze off right at chapter three") and a line that sounds like a real grandpa: "You smell like coffee, soap, and pine." Your child and Grandpa appear together on the cover and every inside page, and his name can be Grandpa, Papa, Abuelo or whatever your family says. Our Help article on adding a parent or grandparent explains the photo and name steps.

Stepdads, two dads and every name in between

The name in the book starts as Dad, and you can change it to Daddy, Papa, Pop, his first name or whatever your child calls him. Dads, stepdads and grandpas all work. Each book shows one grown-up with your child, so a family with two dads can make a copy for each of them, with his own photo and name. A photo you add for one book doesn't carry over to another, so add the right one each time.

How to keep it a surprise

The other grown-up in your child's life can order it: a partner, a grandparent or a family friend, using a photo of the child and a photo of Dad you already have. Check the free preview to make sure both look right, then let your child hand it over on the day.

Buying for a family that isn't yours? Ask a parent or guardian for permission to use the photos. Our Help article on buying a book as a gift walks through it, and our gift wrap guide explains when wrapping is offered at checkout.

When to order a Father's Day book

Every Magic Story book is printed to order, so order a few weeks before Father's Day. In the US, printing takes 3 to 5 business days, and Standard delivery arrives 5 to 10 business days after you order. Checkout shows the estimate for your address before you pay. Read more about how long delivery takes.

If Father's Day arrives before the book does, show Dad the free preview on the day and give him the book when it comes.

How a personalized Father's Day book works

1. Add the photos and names. One clear photo of your child and one of Dad or Grandpa, plus the name your child uses for him.
2. See a free preview. It shows the two of them in a scene from the book, not every page, and needs no account or credit card. Read more about the free preview.
3. Get the hardcover. It's printed to order after you buy, then shipped to the address you choose.

Find your Father's Day book

• For Dad or a stepdad: I Love You Dad.
• For Grandpa: I Love You Grandpa.
• Browse all the books for two in the Better Together collection.