Lyrics: David wrote this song for Father’s Day one year.  A few months later, we discovered a book by the same title, which features most of the same animals, as well as many others.  The "Animal Dads" book is by Sneed B. Collard III, with illustrations by Steve Jenkins (Houghton Mifflin Co.).

(Chorus:)
Animal dads, animal dads
As much of a parent as a baby ever had
They know what to do through the good and the bad -
Those good old animal dads!  

The cotton-top tamarin lives high in the trees
The dad takes his parenting seriously
He gets lots of help from the sisters and brothers
He carries the babies more than the mother
(He’s not just monkeying around!)

(Chorus)

The Emperor Penguin’s in a fatherly mood
Mom leaves him in charge while she searches for food
For 9 long weeks, dad barely even eats
To keep his youngster warm, he holds the egg on his feet
(Now there’s a dad who’s on his toes!)

(Chorus)

There’s no room for womb-envy with those daddy seahorses
They really take charge of the childbirth courses
The seahorse mom puts her eggs in dad’s pouch
At birth, those labor pains really make him say "ouch!"
(Woah, Nelly! [underwater neigh])

(Chorus - Instrumental)

(Bridge:)
Now, some say moms should raise the children;
That it’s just nature’s way
But when I look around the natural world
I see dads raising kids every day!

(Chorus)
The Darwin’s frog mom lays her eggs on the land
When the tadpoles start to stir, dad takes command
He picks them up in his mouth and carries them about
3 weeks later, he spits his frog children out
(Now that’s what I call having a frog in your throat!)

(Chorus)
So let’s hear a cheer for those animal dads!