
Dads can be SO hard to shop for! My dad seems especially hard to find gifts for, and I usually end up buying him a few new books for every Father’s Day, birthday, Christmas, etc. (It helps that my dad loves to read!) If you’re looking for some new books to gift this year, you’re in the right place! We rounded up 25 of our favorite books to gift for Father’s Day, including personalized books, historical novels, books from adult children, and storybooks for kids & babies to enjoy with Dad.
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Btw, this is a long post with a lot of ideas! If you know what you’re looking for, use these quick links to jump ahead. The “scroll to top” links you’ll see throughout will take you back to this list of books to gift for Father’s Day:
Personalized Books // Historical Books // From Adult Children // From Kids // From Baby
Books to Gift for Father’s Day | Personalized Books:
1. Knock Knock What I Love About Dad Fill In The Love Book
I LOVE these Knock Knock books!! I’ve filled one in for my mom & boyfriend in the past and this year I’m doing this one for my own dad for Father’s Day. These are not only sweet / feel-good gifts, but they’re so fun to put together, too. Each page has prompts already written, so all you need to do is fill in each blank line with a word or short sentence about your dad. This What I Love About Dad book is a gift that keeps giving!
2. I Love You Dad – Memory Book
This book is similar to the one mentioned above, but it offers way more flexibility. Instead of short lines to write a couple words or a short phrase, this book includes journal prompts with AMPLE space to write letters to your dad, draw or doodle, or even add in your own photos, ticket stubs, etc. This book is such a great way to show Dad how grateful you are for him!
3. Photo Book from Walgreens Photo
Custom photo books always make a great gift! I love giving custom photo books not just because it means a lot to the person who’s receiving it, but also because it’s a ton of fun to look back on good memories. I love that photo books give you the ability to create a professional-looking scrapbook without having to print individual photos or buy scrapbooking materials.
Btw, get 30% off your photo gift at Walgreens with the code WILDFLOWER (expires 6/27/20)!
4. The Book of Dad
This is another fun personalized gift + it requires so little effort! This handmade, soft-touch book can be personalized at checkout with your dad’s name, what he goes by (ex: “Daddy” or “Papa”), his favorite color, and his date of birth. The creator then fills the book with interesting & funny facts tailored to your Dad’s birth date. Such a fun gift!
5. Personalized Memory Keepsake Book
This keepsake book is especially great for Dads with young kiddos! This book can be personalized at checkout + there’s so much you can add at home like photos, drawings, poems, things you love or appreciate about Dad, ticket stubs, & other memorabilia. Bonus: it comes in a gift box!
Books to Gift for Father’s Day | Historical Books:
6. The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics
My dad LOVES this book! I gifted it to him a couple years ago & he still talks about it every now & then. Even if your dad isn’t a huge history buff, he’ll still enjoy this nonfiction bestseller. This story is about “beating the odds and finding hope in the most desperate of times”—a message everyone could use (especially during this pandemic!).
7. The Forgotten 500: The Untold Story of the Men Who Risked All for the Greatest Rescue Mission of World War II
I bought this one for my dad for Father’s Day last year & again—he loved it! This book tells the story of “the greatest rescue mission of World War II” and it’s received a ton of praise.
8. Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption
You guessed it—my dad loves this book, too! Unbroken is a World War II story that was made into two major films in 2014 and 2018. It’s a #1 New York Times Bestseller + a great gift for Dad!
9. The Indifferent Stars Above: The Harrowing Saga of a Donner Party Bride
Can you guess what I’m about to say? Yes, I bought this one for my dad too!! I gave him this book last year for Father’s Day after a museum exhibit sparked my interest in cannibalism (don’t judge me!). This book narrates the story of a young woman’s journey with the Donner Party and it makes a super interesting (+ fun, in my opinion at least!) gift for history-loving dads.
10. The Spy and the Traitor: The Greatest Espionage Story of the Cold War
Ok, enough about my dad 🙂 This page-turning, true spy story takes place during the Cold War and was just released in 2019. It’s a New York Times Bestseller that would also make a great gift for your history buff father!
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Books to Gift for Father’s Day | From Adult Children:
11. The Very Embarrassing Book of Dad Jokes: Because Your Dad Thinks He’s Hilarious
This book is filled to the brim with the worst (or best?) “dad jokes.” Perfect for the dads who love a good pun!
12. Dad’s Maybe Book
This book is a beautifully written reflection of parenthood. Tim O’Brien spent 15 years writing this collection of stories both about and for his two sons, and they encompass the challenges, humor, and rewards of raising kids. Any Dad would love this nostalgic memoirish-type book.
13. To Me, He Was Just Dad: Stories of Growing Up with Famous Fathers
This book is made of 40 different first-person narratives from people with famous dads. The dads highlighted in this book include “John Wayne and John Lennon, Nolan Ryan and Bruce Lee, Cesar Chavez, Christopher Reeve, and Miles Davis.” It’s an interesting take on fatherhood that would make a fun read for Father’s Day.
14. Sh*t My Dad Says
Warning: this book is NSFW! If your dad is offended by foul language, I don’t suggest ordering this one (see #15 instead). Regardless, this book is a hilarious collection of things Justin Halpern’s dad has said (he’s the guy with the original & NSFW Twitter account behind this idea). If your dad doesn’t mind the French, this book would make a super fun gift!
15. Dad is Fat
This *clean* comedy book was written by the hilarious standup comedian Jim Gaffigan. In this narrative, he “expresses all the joys and horrors of life with five young children” in a hysterical way that any dad can relate to.
Books to Gift for Father’s Day | From Kids:
16. The Berenstain Bears: We Love Our Dad!
I loved The Berenstain Bears as a kid—this one is a Father’s Day classic!
17. My Daddy Rules the World: Poems about Dads
This picture book is filled with poems about dads, written by a two-time award-winning poet.
18. Little Wolf’s First Howling
This one is an adorable & heartwarming father-son story!
19. Dad and the Dinosaur
This father-son story touches on the ideas of bravery & facing fears.
20. If My Love Were a Fire Truck: A Daddy’s Love Song
This action-packed “bedtime” book is perfect for Dad to read with the kiddo(s).
Books to Gift for Father’s Day | From Baby:
21. I Love You, Dad (Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood) – Board Book
What baby or tot doesn’t love Daniel Tiger?!
22. Made for Me
This national bestseller focuses on tender moments in fatherhood. Make sure to include some tissues with this one!
23. Because I’m Your Dad
This playful father/baby book would make such a sweet bedtime story!
24. I Love Dad
This adorable little book celebrates Dad & all he does.
25. Your Baby’s First Word Will Be DADA – Board Book
This is my fav baby book! Jimmy Fallon wrote this simple + super cute board book in hopes that his daughter’s first word would be “Dada” (spoiler alert—it ended up being “Mama”).
Got any more ideas for books to give for Father’s Day? Tell us in the comments!
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Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means we make a small commission when a purchase is made after clicking through a link. This comes at no additional cost to you. We value your trust & only recommend brands/products we truly love. Thanks for your support!


These are some great suggestions. I’ll definitely look into a few of them.
Glad you found this helpful!
Thank you for so many recommendations! The book ”The Book of Dad” is standing out to me the most, sounds like a lovely idea, I might look into it more.
No problem, glad you found it helpful!
These are all great ideas to give to my father!! Will be considering these, thank you so much for sharing!
Absolutely! Thanks for stopping by 🙂
After Mom’s Day, there’s Dad’s Day coming up! The children’s books are so cute! But I think that the Personalized Memory Keepsake Book and the Photo Book from Walgreens Photo are the best ones.
Totally agree! I love personalized gifts, especially photo gifts 🙂
These are great ideas. I think I like about 6 out of 25 and would love to give it to my partner for Father’s Day.
So glad you found some ideas you can use!
Love this list of books for fathers day! Saving it! I always struggle with what to get my partner for fathers day but I see so many options he would love on the list! Thanks for sharing!
So glad I could help!! Gift ideas can be so hard to come up with sometimes. Thanks for the save! ❤️
Such a great list, definitely going with the “Dad is Fat” one!
Lol I love that one! Jim Gaffigan is so funny!!
BINGO! I found my dad his book: The Very Embarrassing Book of Dad Jokes: Because Your Dad Thinks He’s Hilarious. He will love this because h always thinks he is funny.
Love it!! I’m sure your dad will get a kick out of the dad jokes in there!
I love books and these suggestions are great for a tribute to Father’s Day. Everyone can find an idea in this list that you have prepared. Thanks!
Nina
Thanks Nina! We’re so glad you like our suggestions 🙂