Why James Patterson Wants Dads to Read to Their Kids (Exclusive) ArticlePure

“Why an hour? Well, if it was more than an hour, they might not do it,” author James Patterson tells PEOPLE of the rationale behind his new book.

Patterson’s latest, The #1 Dad Book: Be the Best Dad You Can Be in 1 Hour (out May 12 from Little, Brown and Company) isn’t just a guide for how dads can up their game. It’s also an inspirational — and quick — read full of steps for doing just that.

“I talked to lots of experts, and lots of dads, and lots of experts who are also dads,” Patterson writes in the book’s official synopsis. “I read everything I could. Then I wrote and rewrote this book, filled with steps you can take to become a better dad.”

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The author and father of Jack, 27, points out that the book isn’t just for new dads, either. It’s for parents of teens, adult children and even grandparents looking to pick up a few tips for their grandkids.

One of those tips is reading to your kids. Below, Patterson offers his rationale, and a few book ideas to get you started.

Read to your kids. You. Read. 

It doesn’t take much time to make a big difference. Reading to your kids helps boost their brainpower. It gives them new words and new ways of putting them together. 

Think about this: Kids whose parents read to them daily are exposed to almost 300,000 more words before kindergarten than kids whose parents don’t read to them. That’s more words than the first three Harry Potter books combined. 

A pretty good head start going into school, right? 

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Reading to your kids exposes them to big emotions in stories and shows them that those feelings are normal. (It’s also a great time for you to ask questions like, “Have you ever felt like that?” or “What do you think would make Pooh feel better?”) 

Read to your kids until they’re 4 or 5. Then flip things around. Let them read to you. And don’t just pick books that you think are good. Find books that they think are good. Let them see books in your house. 

Here are some pretty cool books to read to your kids when they’re little. 

Be Glad Your Dad…(Is Not an Octopus!) by Matthew Logelin and Sara Jensen, illustrated by Jared Chapman 

It’s always a bonus when kids get to learn something new and interesting while reading. This book gives kids lots of reasons to be glad their dad is who he is, and ends on fun facts about the animal dads featured in the story.

I Am Every Good Thing by Derrick Barnes, illustrated by Gordon C. James

This empowering ode to all the energy, goodness and wonder in kids is an ode to Black boyhood, and provides great affirmations to remind kids of their limitless potential. 

The Book with No Pictures by B. J. Novak 

A great read aloud for dads who love to be silly and make their kids laugh … and who don’t mind saying “boo-boo butt” out loud. 

Because I’m Your Dad by Ahmet Zappa, illustrated by Dan Santat 

Nothing compares to the unconditional love a parent has for their child, and Ahmet Zappa (Frank Zappa’s son) captures that perfectly here. The book is also silly and fun, making it a great read-aloud.

Houdini and Me by Dan Gutman

If you’re looking for a novel to read together with an older kid, you can’t go wrong picking a book by Dan Gutman. This one stars an 11-year-old who is contacted by someone claiming to be Harry Houdini. There is great Houdini trivia, and plenty of action and twists to keep kids and adults turning the pages.

Excerpted from The #1 Dad Book by Lilliam Rivera, copyright © 2025. Used by permission of Little, Brown and Company. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

The #1 Dad Book by James Patterson hits shelves on May 13 and is available for preorder now, wherever books are sold.