Going Down Home with Daddy
by Kelly Starling Lyons
illustrated by Daniel Minter

★ “A warm, loving, necessary reminder of the power in families coming together.” —Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW

Down home is Granny’s house. Down home is where Lil Alan and his parents and sister will gather with great-grandparents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Down home is where Lil Alan will hear stories of the ancestors and visit the land that has meant so much to all of them. And down home is where all of the children will find their special way to pay tribute to their family history. All the kids have to decide what they’ll share, but what will Lil Alan do?

Kelly Starling Lyons’ eloquent text explores the power of history and family traditions, and stunning illustrations by Coretta Scott King Honor- and Caldecott Honor-winner Daniel Minter reveal the motion and connections in a large, multi-generational family.

Buy Going Down Home with Daddy today through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org, or IndieBound!

The Story Blanket
by Ferida Wolff & Harriet May Savitz
illustrated by Elena Odriozola

 “A sweet tale of a close-knit community.” —School Library Journal

Babba Zarrah lives in a tiny village in the snow-covered mountains. The children love to visit her. They settle down on her big, old story blanket and listen to her imaginative tales. One day Babba Zarrah notices that Nikolai needs new socks, but she has no yarn. After the children leave, she unravels part of her story blanket and knits him some nice warm socks. As villagers start receiving mysterious gifts to keep them warm, the story blanket gets smaller and smaller until the children have nothing to sit on at story time. When the villagers finally discover Babba Zarrah’s secret, they decide to give her a surprise of their own. This touching story of generosity makes for a wonderful read aloud experience.

Buy The Story Blanket today through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org, or IndieBound!

William Still and His Freedom Stories
The Father of the Underground Railroad
by Don Tate

★ “Brings deserved attention to the life of a man who dedicated himself to recording the lives of others.” ―Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW

William Still’s parents escaped slavery but had to leave two of their children behind, a tragedy that haunted the family. Motivated by his own family’s experience, William began collecting the stories of thousands of other freedom seekers. As a result, he was able to reunite other families and build a remarkable source of information, including encounters with Harriet Tubman, Henry “Box” Brown, and William and Ellen Craft.

Award-winning author-illustrator Don Tate brings to life the incredible true story of William Still, a man who dedicated his life to recording the stories of enslaved people fleeing to freedom, in this first-ever picture book biography of the Father of the Underground Railroad.

Buy William Still and His Freedom Stories today through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org, or IndieBound!

Madeline Finn and the Therapy Dog
by Lisa Papp

★ “This intergenerational story of love and acceptance is an important addition to library collections for young elementary-aged readers.” ―School Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW

Madeline Finn and Star are off to Walker Oaks, a retirement community where Star will take his tests to become a Therapy dog. They make their way through a variety of challenges and meet several new friends, but Madeline Finn can’t stop thinking about an elderly man in a wheelchair who never smiles. Is there something she and Star can do to help?

Author-illustrator Lisa Papp’s heartwarming, empathetic story explores the therapy dog training process and provides a realistic and appealing example of a young person making a difference in her community.

Buy Madeline Finn and the Therapy Dog today through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org, or IndieBound!

Little One
by Jo Weaver

Spring is here and new life is stirring. There is so much for Big Bear to teach her new cub as they step out into the forest. Together they eat, swim, fish, and play as one season becomes the next. With Big Bear’s help, Little One grows more and more confident, until winter comes once more and it’s time to head home. With gentle text and stunning black and white illustrations, Jo Weaver reveals the wonder of nature, the first steps of independence, and the strength of parental love.

Buy Little One today from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or IndieBound.

Little Whale
by Jo Weaver

Together, a whale calf and its mother swim under midnight skies and through coral reefs teeming with life as they migrate to the cool, rich waters of the north to feed. Gray Whale gently guides her baby along the way, keeping Little Whale safe from passing ships and dangerous predators. At long last, the echo of a whale song calls to them through icy water and they know…they are home. Jo Weaver’s gentle text and stunning monochromatic illustrations reveal the wonder of nature, the excitement of discovery, and the strength of parental love.

Buy Little Whale today from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or IndieBound.

Little Tigers
by Jo Weaver

As hunters approach their home in the jungle, Mother Tiger and her cubs, Puli and Sera, must venture to find a new home away from danger. Together, they explore different homes in the jungle, but the ones they find aren’t suited for tigers. Some are too wet, some are too dry, and some are just downright unwelcoming. But with their mother’s help, they may be able to find one that’s just right.

Buy Little Tigers today from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or IndieBound.

Am I Yours?
by Alex Latimer

A group of friendly dinosaurs helps a lost egg search for its parents after it’s been blown out of its nest. But if the little egg is to be reunited with its family, first they must discover what kind of dinosaur lies inside. What does that egg look like inside its shell? Surely, there must be a way to tell! This heartwarming story featuring Alex Latimer’s signature bold art style will keep dinosaur lovers and fans of Are You My Mother? enthusiastically following along and guessing who is inside the shell.

Buy Am I Yours? today from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or IndieBound.

We would like to say thank you to all of the incredible fathers and father figures out there who have made a difference in so many lives. If you’re looking for some Father’s Day books to celebrate, we’ve got a list of some great titles featuring fathers, dads, and daddies.

Flying by Kevin Luthardt

Papa, why can’t I fly? a boy asks his father. His father’s simple answer leads to another question, and then another, until the father playfully demonstrates to his son all the things the child can do. In the end the boy discovers that with a little imagination and some help from his dad he can fly—even without wings!

Dad, Jackie, and Me by Myron Uhlberg

It is the summer of 1947 and Jackie Robinson has just become the new first baseman for the Brooklyn Dodgers—and the first black player in major league baseball. A young boy shares his love of the game with his deaf father by listening to the games on the radio and then using sign language to tell his father about the games. Finally, his father has a big surprise for him: they are going to Ebbets Field to watch Jackie play!

That’s Not How You Play Soccer, Daddy by Sherry Shahan

After a tough practice, Mikey’s dad and dog Socks take him to lunch at the park, but super-competitive Mikey only wants to practice for the big game. Daddy offers to help, but to Mikey’s dismay Daddy doesn’t put in much of an athletic effort. He keeps bending the rules and telling his impatient son to “just have fun.” After an irresistible ticklefest, however, Mikey finally comes around to Daddy’s way of thinking—and joins him and Socks in the worst, best soccer game ever!

Are the Dinosaurs Dead, Dad? by Julie Middleton

Dad takes Dave to the museum. As they walk through the dinosaur exhibit, Dave tries to get his father’s attention. Why is this one grinning and why is that one interested in Dave’s lunch? But Dad is too busy telling Dave all there is to know about these amazing creatures to notice that they’ve sprung to life! Dave gets the feeling that Dad has one hugely important fact very, very wrong…

Going Down Home with Daddy
by Kelly Starling Lyons

Daddy says there’s nothing like going down home, but Lil Alan worries about attending the anniversary celebration without anything to share with his family. He finally turns to Daddy for help when he can think of nothing to present at celebration time. Lil Alan examines all the things at Granny’s house that hold a special place in his heart and realizes how he sees Daddy and his family in everything. Maybe Alan will find inspiration for his tribute in all his favorite memories…

Adventures with My Daddies
by Gareth Peter

Set off on a series of incredible adventures with an endearing, diverse family as the bedtime stories they read burst into colorful life. Together, the daddies and their little one battle dragons, dodge deadly dinosaurs, zoom to the moon, and explore the world in a hot air balloon, before winding down to sleep in a wonderfully cozy ending.

Pennies in a Jar by Dori Chaconas

A young boy promises to be brave when his father goes off to fight in World War II. But it isn’t always easy, especially now that he and his mother are alone and the air is punctuated by sirens. Then one day a stranger with a small pony named Freedom offers the boy an opportunity to create the perfect birthday present for his father. But that means digging down deep inside to find a new and special kind of courage…

Hey! Daddy! by Mary Batten

In the vast animal kingdom, mommies are often solely responsible for the birth and upbringing of their young. But daddies can, and do, help in a variety of surprising ways. Among the featured fathers are the blue jay, the marmoset and the beaver, who share parenting responsibilities with the mother, as well as several animal daddies (such as the seahorse, the penguin, and Darwin’s frog) that perform more extraordinary roles. Finally, the human father is singled out for devoting the most time of all to raising his young until they can survive on their own.

Dreamy illustrations, delicate colors, and gentle rhymes make this board book ideal for a cuddly bed time with a little reader. Author-illustrator John Butler will delight the very young with this interactive look at different animals and the way the move.

The Snow Lion

After moving to a new home, Caro wishes she had a friend, but she’s too shy to meet the neighborhood kids. With a little imagination, however, Caro finds the Snow Lion. This powerful but gentle story about making new friends is gorgeously illustrated to celebrate the magic and imagination that fills every page and will appeal to any shy or lonely young reader.

Join Little One and Big Bear as they discover the world together, through every season. With gentle text and gorgeous illustrations that highlight the wonder of nature, the story ends with the start of winter, as mother and cub get ready to hibernate in their cozy den. This quietly stunning book will make little readers want to cuddle up with the big ones in their lives, and vice versa.

Voyage through the warm, southern seas with a new whale calf and its mother. Together, Little Whale and Gray Whale swim under midnight skies and through coral reefs teeming with life as they migrate to the cool, rich waters of the north to feed. With gentle text and stunning monochromatic illustrations, Jo Weaver reveals the wonder of nature, the excitement of discovery, and the strength of parental love.

The young boy in this picture book finds whimsical inspiration in the blizzard around him as a strong wind suddenly lifts him into the air as he soars over familiar sites. This fantastical (while also historical) trip through a snow-covered wonderland will help readers gain a new perspective of their own wintery surroundings.

Get lost in this exhilarating and imaginative escapade as Lily escapes from captivity and sets off on a journey to find her home, Lilliput. Inspired by Gulliver’s Travels, this chapter book transports readers to eighteenth-century London and traveling over rooftops, down chimneys, and into chocolate shops.

Read an excerpt.

In the playful homage to Charles Dickens, unlikely allies learn the lessons of a great friendship. The tongue-in-cheek romp through Victorian England will make readers forget all about the chilling weather outside. Add in the fast-moving plot, enjoyable characters, and emotive illustrations, and The Cheshire Cheese Cat will be sure to warm up any reader seeking some adventure.

Read an excerpt.

Looking for a complete change of scenery? How about the tropical island of Hawaii! Paul Silva lives in a paradise where he can see the ocean from his front porch. His father makes a living by raising and caring for roosters on their little farm, but soon Paul finds that the family business is tied to the underworld of cockfighting. As he struggles to understand his family’s livelihood, he learns that being a man has nothing to do with the wielding the power to hurt people and animals. The distinctive setting, unique topic, engaging story, and complex family relationships will capture any reader’s attention.

Read an excerpt.

There’s nothing like digging into a good mystery during dreary weather. In this suspenseful chapter book, thirteen-year-old Samantha has too many unanswered questions about her past, like her father has never tried to contact her all these years and how he could have allowed her twin sister to drown in Clearwater Quarry when they were only toddlers. As she sets out to find her father and discover what really happened the day her sister was presumed drowned, she uncovers painful secrets that threaten to destroy her family all over again. Do You Know the Monkey Man? will draw readers into one family’s crisis unwittingly brought on by an adolescent girl’s search for the truth. Don’t forget about the equally thought-provoking companion to the book, Yes, I Know the Monkey Man.

Read an excerpt.

A sharp, hilarious, and perfectly observed story of high school geeks falling in true love will definitely help cure the winter blues. Sam Kinnison is a geek, and he’s totally fine with that, and until Princess Leia turns up in his bedroom, worry about girls he won’t. Then Camilla Carter arrives on the scene. Sam is determined to ignore her, except that Camilla has a plan of her own—and he seems to be a part of it! Sam believes that everything he needs to know he can learn from the movies. But perhaps he’s been watching the wrong ones. Read this charming modern YA story to get ready for Melissa Keil’s follow-up, The Secret Science of Magic.

While you may not have whales in your pond or tigers in the forest behind your house, you do have lots of Autumn nature to discover!

So, print out this Fall Scavenger Hunt list (or make your own!), grab your scarf, and head into the great outdoors!

• Include a link back to this blog post.
• Tag Peachtree Publishers so we can find your post!
• Use the hashtag #PeachtreeLove

Please Note:  You must follow these steps exactly in order to qualify.

Readers and friends please welcome to the blog, Sheri Sinykin, author of Zayde Comes to Live!

Kristina Swarner, illustrator of Zayde Comes to Live, was kind enough to answer a few of our questions about her illustrations! Welcome, Kristina!

Sheri is also featured over at Read, Write, Repeat
and Kristina Swarner is featured at Writing and Illustrating!