Papa, Daddy, & Riley
Written by Seamus Kirst
Illustrated by Devon Holzwarth
Riley is Papa’s princess and Daddy’s dragon. She loves her two fathers! When Riley’s classmate asks her which dad is her real one, Riley is confused. She doesn’t want to have to pick one or the other.
Families are made of love in this heartwarming story that shows there are lots of ways to be part of one.
● One of Bank Street’s 2021 Best Children’s Books of the Year
● ALA's 2021 Rainbow Book List Selection
● NCSS-CBC 2021 Notable Social Studies Trade Book
● Interviewed on The Children’s Book Podcast
● Brandywine Museum Picture Book Exhibit:
ROOTED: FAMILY AND NATURE IN CONTEMPORARY CHILDREN’S BOOK ILLUSTRATION
★ “A must-have for children’s picture-book collections, this is a delightful celebration of what makes a family…. Holzwarth beautifully renders the characters in a variety of hues, making the diversity showcased throughout one of the book’s defining features and adding to the emotional punch of the story. All of the families look different, but the love they share makes them the same. Absolutely recommended for all children’s collections and sure to be a storytime winner.”
—Booklist Starred Review
In the end, Riley’s dad helps her understand that families are all different in so many ways not just if they have two dads. No family is more valid than the other because what makes a family is love, not some arbitrary definition.
—No Time for Flash Cards
Crayon and wash textures feature in Holzwarth’s warm illustrations, in which moody shadows and backgrounds convey underlying emotions… the message—that what makes a family is love—is sound.
—Publishers Weekly
Inside the book
