Are you expecting a new baby?
First of all, Congratulations! Second, how is your partner holding up? Dads are commonly an overlooked side of pregnancy.
Since they aren’t the ones carrying the baby, most people assume they’re okay or that their role “isn’t that big of a deal.” Wrong!
Fathers play an important role in their children’s lives. Therefore, it’s important they receive education during pregnancy, too.
A baby book for dads is a great gift for new fathers because it lets them know what’s happening all around them, that they matter, and how they can thrive in their role as a support system during pregnancy and as a new father.
If you’d like to get your partner or loved one a baby book for new dads, here are our picks on this subject:
The Best Baby Books for Dads – Our Picks
- We’re Pregnant! The First Time Dad’s Pregnancy Handbook – Adrian Kulp pulls from two areas he knows, fatherhood and the entertainment industry, to walk new dads through pregnancy and the early stages of parenthood. He provides useful information with a side of humor.
- The Expectant Father – Armin Broth provides a range of pregnancy information in a manual style book that can be read by the month to let new fathers know what to expect, when, and useful tips for how they can help in each stage of pregnancy.
- Darth Vader and Son – Like all Jeffrey Brown books, this book is based around Star Wars and is meant to provide comic relief for the Star Wars fan who is also a new father.
- Be Prepared: A Practical Handbook for New Dads – Gary Greenberg brings you the father’s survival guide to carry you through pregnancy and the first year of fatherhood in a MacGyver fashion.
- Dude! You’re Gonna Be A Dad – John Pfeiffer provides a short read for fathers who need a manual to instruct them on what to expect and how to help during pregnancy and their child’s earliest days of life.
- Baby Owner’s Manual – This father/son duo, Louis Borgenicht M.D. and Joe Borgenicht, remove all fluff and provide the bare basics of what dads need to know and how they can prepare for their baby’s arrival.
Note: Our individual reviews are below, but you can also click any of the links above to check current prices on Amazon and other retailers
Table of Contents
Is a Baby Book for a Dad a Good Gift?
Baby books for expectant dads are a good gift. Fathers are just as clueless to parenthood as mothers!
Unfortunately, there are many books for women, but the men have been overlooked. . .until now.
There’s a growing collection of books for dad-to-be that will tell men what to expect while their partners are pregnant.
Most of the books are written with a funny tone to make it an enjoyable reading experience. If you have a new dad in your life, give them a funny “dad book.” They’ll probably get a few laughs and some information out of it.
Dad Baby Book Reviews
We’re Pregnant! The First Time Dad’s Pregnancy Handbook
Are you becoming a father for the first time? Would you like a manual to walk you through each step of the process?
Adrian Kulp has you covered. He has a long history of writing about fatherhood and working in the entertainment industry. Kulp pulled from both areas of his life to present an entertaining book about fatherhood.
He actually worked for Adam Sandler’s Happy Madison Productions, produced a series about fathers on A&E called Modern Dads, and currently runs a blog called Dad or Alive: Confessions of an Unexpected Stay-at-Home Dad.
This book contains the basics of pregnancy and how to help your partner form a birthing plan.
There are also tips for how to be helpful and supportive to your partner during pregnancy. It also suggests questions you should ask the doctor.
However, it takes you further than pregnancy. The book walks you into parenthood with a sense of humor.
It can help you recognize certain milestones, help you to set family goals, and even offers fun ideas for announcing the pregnancy.
Plus, it’s lined out a month-by-month guide. The only slight downside to this book is that some of the information is repetitive and can be found through other, more convenient, sources.
If you need a funny book to help you walk this new journey in your life, this might be a great choice for you.
What we liked:
- Funny; draws the attention of the reader via the author’s sense of humor.
- Organized by the month, so you’ll know what to expect along the way.
- Goes past the pregnancy and offers tips for the earliest days of parenthood.
What we didn’t:
- Not much!
The Expectant Father
If you’re looking to skip the fluff and get right down to everything you need to know about becoming a father, this book might be able to help you.
Armin A. Broth wrote this book in a straight-forward manner. It’s actually part of a series on fatherhood he’s written. He’s not only a best-selling author but also a nationally syndicated radio host.
Now that you know you’re in good hands, let’s talk about this book. It’s designed as a manual. When you open it, you’ll realize the chapters are divided out by the month of pregnancy.
These chapters are filled with information about what your partner is experiencing, the baby is experiencing, and things you might experience during this time of the pregnancy.
Don’t feel overwhelmed by this. It should come as a relief that the print is larger, so it should make the book easier to read. There are also illustrations to help you along the way, if you’re someone who doesn’t enjoy reading.
What sets this book apart is that it goes beyond basic pregnancy knowledge. It touches on everything from adoption, infertility, becoming a father of multiples, financial considerations, and it even breaks down the doctor’s appointments to let you know what to expect with each appointment.
The downsides to this book are few. The first is the tone seems to turn some readers off. This will boil down to personal preference.
Also, this book offers recipe ideas to help with nutritional needs during pregnancy. This sounds exciting, but some readers have felt the recipes weren’t helpful.
If you’d like a book that covers many things about becoming a father, this could be a good choice for you.
What we liked:
- Easy to read, big print, and illustrations
- Chapters are divided into months of pregnancy.
- Covers many topics about pregnancy but also includes information for those who are becoming fathers through different circumstances such as adoption, having multiples, or someone who has walked through the infertility process.
What we didn’t:
- The tone doesn’t set well with all readers.
- Recipes are included but some readers felt they weren’t helpful.
Darth Vader and Son
If you’re familiar with the author of this book, Jeffrey Brown, you shouldn’t be surprised by this book’s title. Brown has authored an entire book series for middle school children called Jedi Academy. This book is also part of a series known as the Darth Vader and Son series.
If you know an expectant father that loves Star Wars, this book would make a fun gift. It loosely discusses parenting issues if life were in a far off galaxy.
This book for fathers to be covers topics such as: lightsaber batting practice, taking your child to work on the Death Star, and how to use the Force to get into the cookie jar.
Obviously, this book is more for comic relief and is even written like a comic book. However, there isn’t an actual story-line, and it isn’t very informational for the new father who wants to know what to expect.
If you’re looking for a funny gift for a new father this one might work for you. If you have a new father in your life who is desperately seeking information, this book may not be the best fit.
What we liked:
- Great book for the Star Wars fan or someone seeking comic relief during this transition in life.
- Shares the funny side to parenting. . .even during the tough moments.
- Easy to read; written like a comic book.
What we didn’t:
- No real story line.
- Isn’t an informational book.
Be Prepared: A Practical Handbook for New Dads
Are you a wilderness, do-it-yourself type of guy? This book might be a good fit for you! It’s aimed at a father’s survival through the first year of fatherhood.
Gary Greenberg, one of the authors, is known for writing informational books that are also funny. One of his books is called The Pop-Up Book of Phobias. That might provide a hint of what you’re in for with this book.
The other author, Jeannie Hayden, has only written this book which will provide you with useful information through stories and humor. A couple examples of this anecdotal humor are: how to change a diaper at a crowded sporting venue, and how to create a mock drawer of gadgets to keep baby out of your actual tools.
One that’s especially humorous is how a father can create a DIY diaper from a towel, sock, and duct tape.
On a more serious note, the book is filled with illustrations and has larger print which makes it easier to read.
One of the downsides to this book is that some of the information is outdated. Be sure to do your own research to ensure what you’re reading is still accurate.
Also, there have been reports that some have found the book offensive due to a few of the dad jokes. Keep all of this in mind, when deciding if this would be the best “dad book” for your collection.
What we liked:
- Shares child rearing or parenting advice while aiming to make the reader laugh
- Good illustrations
- Large enough print to make the book easier to read.
What we didn’t:
- Caution some might find this book’s humor offensive.
Dude You’re Gonna Be A Dad
This book is another manual for expectant fathers. It’s one in a series that John Pfeiffer wrote. The series also includes Dude! You’re a Dad and Dude! You’re Getting Married.
In this book, it teaches men what to expect when their partners are expecting and what they can do to be helpful along the way.
This book for an expectant dad includes helpful information on budgeting, helping with decorating the nursery, help with creating a birthing plan, and much more!
One large upside to the book is that it’s a short read. Many men don’t enjoy reading but at only 224 pages, this one would be a good fit for those who don’t consider themselves “readers.”
Also, it’s helpful that this book is divided out by trimester. It allows men to know what their partners are going through each stage of pregnancy and how they might be able to help during those times.
The only downside to this book may be considered a large positive by some. It’s the humor. The book is meant to be a funny read for men to encourage and inform them while keeping things light.
However, some people have reported that the jokes have gone a little too far for their liking. This will boil down to personal preference but deserves mentioning, considering this could make the book a no-go for some people.
What we liked:
- Useful information for what men should expect during their partner’s pregnancy and what they can do to help along the way.
- Shorter read which may attract those who don’t typically read for enjoyment.
- Divided out by trimester
What we didn’t:
- The book is meant to be a humorous read. However, some have found the jokes offensive. This is something which should be taken into consideration on a case-by-case basis.
Baby Owner’s Manual
If you’re expecting a baby, want to know what you need to know, but are tired of combing through all the excess information, this could be a great choice for you.
This book for new dads is written as a funny user manual for parents. It was authored by a father/son team. The son is an experienced author, and the father is a pediatrician.
Their book is actually one in an eleven part series. Some of the other books in the series include: Dog Owner’s Manual, Cat Owner’s Manual, Home Owner’s Manual, Bride’s Instruction Manual, Groom’s Instruction Manual, Pregnancy Instruction Manual, and more.
This book uses fun terminology, such as operators instead of parents, to get the reader’s attention and drive the theme home.
There are no anecdotes. This book is written to only provide the essentials. They even provide essential lists of what you’ll actually need for baby and exclude all convenience items.
If you like pictures, you’re in luck because this book has ample illustrations. It’s also a short read with only 7 chapters and 256 pages.
One recommendation is to buy the electronic version of this book. It’s filled with hyperlinks, and the table of contents is hyperlinked.
This is a great benefit if you ever need to revisit a topic quickly or would like further information. It’s only a click away.
The downside to this book is that it needs to be updated. Unfortunately, some of the information shared within it is no longer deemed safe. Be sure to do research to make sure you understand how the recommendations and standards have changed since this book’s publication date.
What we liked:
- Written as a user manual with fun terminology.
- No anecdotes; you get the essentials with no added fluff.
- Short read; only 7 chapters and 256 pages
What we didn’t:
- Could do with an update as some of the information is no longer valid.
