"A beautifull illustrated, touching tale of love." – Kirkus Reviews (starred review) ⭐
"A heartfelt and moving ode to the father-son bond. A genuine delight" – Booklife Reviews (Editor's Pick) ⚡️
"A touching title for good dads everywhere."
Betsy Bird (School Library Journal's Fuse #8 Production and Evanston Public Library Collections Development Manager)
Synopsis: Oliver never met his grandpa. He wonders what he would tell Grandpa if the two of them could meet, even once. Oliver decides that he would tell him about an amazing man that Grandpa never met: Oliver's dad, Grandpa's own son. In this touching and heartfelt story, you will be taken on a journey of what it means to be a dad and to be the master of your own destiny.
Oliver, a young boy who’s never met his grandpa, decides to imagine what it would be like to describe his dad to his unknown grandfather. Despite never having met or known his father, Oliver’s dad is clearly an incredible one—caring, affectionate, supportive—as told by Oliver. In gentle and simple prose, Oliver details the way his dad shows his love, including things he says that don’t make sense to him just yet, such as “He says hugs are food for the heart.” Accompanied by Forlati’s lush, beautifully textured illustrations with an understated but warm color palette, My Dad, My Rock is a heartfelt and moving ode to the father-son bond.My Dad, My Rock is a genuine delight but will hit home harder for fathers and sons of all ages. In depicting fathers as affectionate, openly hugging their sons, encouraging them to cry, and teaching their sons how to diffuse anger, Santos (author of the Little Polyglot Adventures series) depicts the small ways in which we can teach our boys and men that it’s safe and healthy to have, feel, and express their emotions.
Santos establishes the stakes of this short and sweet book quickly, moving so fast that Oliver is actually only named on the back cover rather than in the story itself. That small detail doesn’t detract from the power of the narrative, thanks to the story’s resonant heart. (One detail that might detract, though, is the size of the font on the page, which is small, and could be larger to ease the reading experience.) More than just a simple list of things a son does with his father, My Dad, My Rock is a profound meditation on the ways in which fathers have the power to positively shape their sons.
Takeaway: Fathers, sons, and anyone who understands the power of a supportive male figure will be moved by this ode to fatherhood.
Great for fans of: Zack Bush’s Made for Me, Miguel Tanco’s You and Me, Me and You.
Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A-
Illustrations: A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A-
“Such a heartwarming book. Beautifully written and illustrated.”
"A touching title for good dads everywhere."
“A touching multigenerational ode to fathers with illustrations as sweet as the love between this dad and son.”
“A moving story to remind us that love is a form of deep noticing and that loving can very much be made up of new choices we make.”
"A beautifully illustrated, touching tale of love."
“A beautiful and compellingly different approach to celebrating fathers. Many picture books for kids explore love between fathers and sons but few are so specific, engaging, and realistically reflective as My Dad, My Rock. It should be critical, essential reading for any age who would better understand the important role of a father in the family. An exceptional read that is highly recommended.”
“A beautiful, touching story that will melt your heart in the same way that Robert Munsch’s book, Love You Forever, touched generations of young readers (and their loving parents, too). A tender, compassionate look at a father-son relationship.”
“An extremely heartwarming and soul-touching story. It is hard to describe the wonderful feelings you will get reading this book. Everyone should get a copy.”
“A heartwarming ode to fatherhood. Lovely, muted pencil illustrations in soft shades add a dream-like quality to the story. A delightful book for sharing, and perfect for Father’s Day.”
My Dad, My Rock has been selected by influencial children's book blogger Mel Schuit (Let's Talk Picture Books) as one of her picture book crushes of the week, alongside books such as Nina, illustrated by Caldecott winner Christian Robinson.
Today, the Polish translations rights for My Dad, My Rock were sold to a major Polish children's book publisher (hardcover edition)
