Hold

by Randy Ribay, Zeke Peña (Illustrator)

A funny, heartwarming picture book about a frazzled father and his child's boundless curiosity that reminds us what's important to hold onto in life.

It's time to leave the house, but...where are the keys?? As Daddy rummages through the mess, he hands a water bottle to his toddler and says, "Hold, please." This accidental request turns into an adventure when the child decides holding is fun and wants to hold EVERYTHING!

Before long, the toddler has their arms full with their favorite stuffie, toy plane, even the family pet, and has set their sights on more ambitious items—the rain, a tree, and more—until it becomes too much to hold. Luckily, Daddy's always there to hold them.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Family, Humor, Juvenile

40 pages, Hardcover

Published April 21, 2026

About the author

Randy Ribay is an award-winning author of young adult fiction. His most recent novel, Patron Saints of Nothing, earned five starred reviews, was selected as a Freeman Book Award winner, and was a finalist for the National Book Award, LA Times Book Prize, Walden Book Award, Edgar Award, International Thriller Writers Award, and the CILIP Carnegie Medal. His other works include Project Kawayan, After the Shot Drops, and An Infinite Number of Parallel Universes. His next novels, The Chronicles of the Avatar: The Reckoning of Roku (Abrams) and Everything We Never Had, (Kokila/Penguin) will be out in 2024.

Born in the Philippines and raised in the Midwest, Randy earned his BA in English Literature from the University of Colorado at Boulder and his Ed.M. in Language and Literacy from Harvard Graduate School of Education. He currently lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife, son, and cat-like dog.

Reviews

[Ann Haefele · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun and expressive artwork shows just how much patience is required while parenting a toddler.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

A small child wants to “hold” it all, from a favorite stuffed toy to an airplane in the sky, and a father responds with patience and gentleness throughout. Drawn in colored pencil and mixed media, the artwork is the clear standout here, warm and textured in a way that perfectly captures the tenderness of early childhood.

This book feels like a small vignette from a young child’s life, exploring both the wonder of wanting everything and the quiet exhaustion parents sometimes feel trying to help make that possible. In the end, the story circles back to the simple idea of what we truly need to hold onto.

There is a sweetness and emotional sincerity to the book that will resonate with families, particularly in one-on-one sharing situations. While I am not sure it is especially remarkable from a read-aloud standpoint or likely to grab a large group audience, it is visually lovely and emotionally grounded, with artwork that elevates the gentle narrative.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kid ST. I really like the artwork here. It's a cool style and done in color pencil. There are some nice details and the layout with the dad's face on certain pages really add to the story telling. The kid wants to hold everything before they leave the house, and the dad plays along even though at times he seems frustrated, not angry. Parents can relate to the kid wanting to hold things, or be held. A simple story with a big heart.

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun story by YA author Ribay that features a dad and his son. When the dad asks the son to hold something the son goes overboard and wants to hold EVERYTHING that leads to an endearing ending about holding one another.

The kind of sweet story that reverberates across families in a way that gives it staying power as many can relate.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love that the spare text uses English and Spanish without any sort of need to explain or translate. So much of the work is being done in the illustrations that will likely get better and more endearing the more you read the book. It’s a book that both parents and children will get a kick out of.

[Abbigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sweet story about a dad and boy getting ready to leave the house. Absolutely love the illustrations but the text leaves something to be desired. Lots of repetition, just a little too simple (I think even for the youngest kids).

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great picture book for toddlers and their ever-patient daddies trying to get out the door. This can lead parents into letting the child tell the story with more and more detail as they grow, given the sparseness of the original printed text.

[Chazzity ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was cute, I love the touch of bilingual text, and this also gave me big No, David! Vibes 🥹❤️ With little text but lots of emotion, this book just felt filled with a dad’s love for his son and I adore that!

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simple yet captivating. The father’s endless patience, love and bond to his son shines through.

[Ricki · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the translanguaging in this book! When it is time to leave the house, the main character's dad asks him to hold TOO MANY items! The illustrations are really fun!

[Kelly]

Eh. I guess I am not the audience for this book. It's kind of abstract but also kind of literal and I don't get it.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is not much dialog in this book but it is super sweet nonetheless. It will bring back memories for those of you reading it with your kids if they are already out of the toddler phase.

[Stephanie ((Strazzybooks)) · Rating 3 out of 5]

cute and simple, it tells of a dad and toddler getting ready for the day. i could see young readers enjoying it.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

The interplay of physical and narrative tension and perspective in the illustration is phenomenal!

[DaNae · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a lot to go on. Feels like a parent who just discovered what all children are up to. I enjoyed the illustrations.

[Doreen · Rating 3 out of 5]

5/20/2026 Full review tk at TheFrumiousConsortium.net.