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Going Down Home with Daddy
Set at one young boy's annual family reunion, this Caldecott Honor-winning picture book is a rich and moving celebration of Black history, culture, and the power of family traditions.
"On reunion morning, we rise before the sun. Daddy hums as he packs our car with suitcases and a cooler full of snacks. He says there's nothing like going down home"
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.
"On reunion morning, we rise before the sun. Daddy hums as he packs our car with suitcases and a cooler full of snacks. He says there's nothing like going down home"
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.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 2019
20 people are currently reading
975 people want to read
About the author
Kelly Starling Lyons
51 books113 followersKelly Starling Lyons is an award-winning author whose 17 titles for children span easy readers, picture books, chapter books, fiction, nonfiction, and series. For more than a decade, Lyons has been creating inspiring books that center Black heroes, celebrate family, friendship and heritage and show all children the storyteller they hold inside. Her acclaimed titles include Going Down Home with Daddy, Sing a Song: How Lift Every Voice & Sing Inspired Generations, Dream Builder: The Story of Architect Philip Freelon, Tiara's Hat Parade and the Jada Jones chapter book series. Her new easy reader series with illustrator Nina Mata, Ty's Travels, debuts September 1. The first book, All Aboard, earned a starred Kirkus review.
Lyons counts Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People, Best of the Year and state award lists, Junior Library Guild selections, a Caldecott Honor and a Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor among the accolades her books have received. Two of her books, Hope's Gift and Going Down Home with Daddy, have represented the states of North Carolina and Georgia, respectively, at the National Book Festival's Parade of the States.
Lyons is a founding member of The Brown Bookshelf, a team dedicated to raising awareness of Black children's book creators, a Raleigh-Durham co-ambassador for The Authors Guild, and a teaching artist who visits schools, libraries, conferences and festivals nationwide. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and children where she facilitates a book club for boys that salutes literary treasures from Black authors and illustrators of today and the past. Learn more at www.kellystarlinglyons.com.
Lyons counts Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People, Best of the Year and state award lists, Junior Library Guild selections, a Caldecott Honor and a Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor among the accolades her books have received. Two of her books, Hope's Gift and Going Down Home with Daddy, have represented the states of North Carolina and Georgia, respectively, at the National Book Festival's Parade of the States.
Lyons is a founding member of The Brown Bookshelf, a team dedicated to raising awareness of Black children's book creators, a Raleigh-Durham co-ambassador for The Authors Guild, and a teaching artist who visits schools, libraries, conferences and festivals nationwide. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and children where she facilitates a book club for boys that salutes literary treasures from Black authors and illustrators of today and the past. Learn more at www.kellystarlinglyons.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 458 reviews
September 2, 2020
Great story and great illustrations!!!
October 21, 2020
A great story about "nothing is more important than family" and family reunions. This was nominated for the Caldecott. I like the story better than the art. The art is certainly inventive and interesting. I do like it, but I feel the story is better.
The artwork looks like she is blending watercolors with other mediums and she swirls the colors into unique shapes. It is fascinating. It is different and so I think it does warrant the nom.
This story took me back to my childhood. Our family did reunions on both sides of the family and we would have cousins and family to be with. My dad's family lived close, only a 2 hour drive while my mom's family was in Florida and took 17 hours to get there. We went once a year to Florida and I was always so excited. I couldn't wait to be with family and be in a place of love. I am still close with my family and we are a special family.
The family in this story shared meals together, appreciated their land and their roots, literal and figurative together and went to church together and celebrated with each other. That is just what our family did, both sides. They were bubbles of love and we all piled into a house, slept on pull out couches and on the floor. It was the highlight of my year, much better than school.
This is a great story to celebrate families and the bonds we have. It's also nice that this is of the perspective of a lineage of folks who were slaves at one time and now own their own land. It makes it powerful and universal.
The artwork looks like she is blending watercolors with other mediums and she swirls the colors into unique shapes. It is fascinating. It is different and so I think it does warrant the nom.
This story took me back to my childhood. Our family did reunions on both sides of the family and we would have cousins and family to be with. My dad's family lived close, only a 2 hour drive while my mom's family was in Florida and took 17 hours to get there. We went once a year to Florida and I was always so excited. I couldn't wait to be with family and be in a place of love. I am still close with my family and we are a special family.
The family in this story shared meals together, appreciated their land and their roots, literal and figurative together and went to church together and celebrated with each other. That is just what our family did, both sides. They were bubbles of love and we all piled into a house, slept on pull out couches and on the floor. It was the highlight of my year, much better than school.
This is a great story to celebrate families and the bonds we have. It's also nice that this is of the perspective of a lineage of folks who were slaves at one time and now own their own land. It makes it powerful and universal.
June 6, 2019
I pick the books I review based on a complicated set of criteria that only makes sense to me. Often it has to do with a number of different factors, one of which is whether or not the children’s book in question relates to my own life at all. As I type this, I am gearing up for a trip to New Orleans. My mother and father-in-law will be celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary and they would like their children and their children’s families to join them. And, naturally, at the very last minute it occurred to me that I should have been planning a gift for them all along. Indeed, that’s the sort of thing that would normally take months of planning. Instead, I’m sitting here reviewing a picture book. Why? Because out of all the books published this year, this is the one that right now understands me best. In Going Down Home With Daddy you’ll find a book that celebrates family and tradition, but also the pressure to produce something meaningful for the people you love. We are all Lil Alan sometimes. This book understands that.
It should be one of his favorite times of the year. The time when the family loads up the car before the sun is even shining and drives down to Granny’s house. The time when sisters and uncles and cousins all gather too, and everybody looks at the land they love. But this year is different. This year, all the grandkids are supposed to do something special. Something that speaks to the family in some way. Only problem is, Lil Alan can’t think of anything to say or do or make. His cousins have all come up with their own wonderful ideas but him? He’s stumped. It isn’t until he stops and listens that a natural idea at last comes to him. One that fits right in with his strong, loving family.
I’ve always liked Daniel Minter’s work on picture books, sure. Step Right Up: How Doc and Jim Key Taught the World About Kindness is probably one of the great underrated nonfiction picture books of 2016. But it was this book in particular that made me want to check out his portfolio. Travel to his website and you’ll see beautiful, sumptuous paintings as full of undulating light as they are intricate patterns. There can only be one conclusion: until the creation of Going Down Home With Daddy, Mr. Minter has been holding out on us. He’s been hoarding his talents for his adult works, giving us only glimpses over the years. I don’t know what changed with Lyons’ book but something broke the dam and now Minter has released his acrylic washes to see what they can really do.
Of course, when I encounter a book as original as this one, my instinct is to try to compare it to something I already know. So when I see how Minter paints a silhouette I want to connect him to Jacob Lawrence. Except there’s a nuance at work here that you won’t find in a Lawrence painting. Start at the top. Look at the first few images in this book. Look at how Minter has painted the pre-dawn light. It’s that strange blue that appears mere moments before the sun. Look at how he paints the dawn, the ants on Alan’s shirt, and finally those glorious glorious chickens. There’s not a human being alive in this world that does a chicken as well as Daniel Minter. They look like ambulatory Slovakian Easter eggs, standing out with their bold colors and designs against the much bolder, fainter patterns that grace the road in front of Granny’s house. I could spend hours comparing and contrasting the way that nature looks like it’s made out of watercolors (it isn’t) while the features of the humans disappear when they’re silhouetted against the sunny sky. Did you see the outlines of the cotton, floating like ghosts, behind Daddy when he indicates the land? Or how Granny is portrayed on that last page, with a tree on her gown, its roots running deep deep down and its branches running up her back and sides. Geez, this is a gorgeous book. You just want to take out the pages and frame each and every one.
When a picture book gets a particularly talented artist, it can be easy to overlook the work of the writer. But make no mistake, it doesn’t matter how talented an artist is. No artist can make a book with mediocre text stand out from the crowd. Kelly Starling Lyons actually worked with Mr. Minter back in 2012 on Ellen’s Broom. Since that time they have both been honing their skills. Now if you just look at the gist of the plot in Going Down Home you’d be forgiven for thinking that it was pretty bare bones. Family + anxiety = picture book gold. That’s why I was grateful that Ms. Lyons didn’t spare us the details. Details bring a picture book to life. It’s what separates the so-so from the great. So first off, you have the language at work here, which is something to behold. Sometimes it’s just little things, like a sentence that reads, “Just before satin night falls, we sit outside on porch steps and metal lawn chairs.” Sometimes it’s little details, like the fact that Granny’s kisses are “peppermint” or that there’s a dinner that contains, “biscuits oozing with mayhew jelly, just the way Daddy likes.” And sometimes it’s just how a book’s action ebbs and flows. How the story takes you from car to walking to riding to performing, and finally to leaving. A true book of family should make you wish you, like the characters, never had to leave. Of course, by having this book in hand, you never have to. Not really.
Eventually we figured out what to do with my own problem. My daughter will write poems, one for each thing her grandma and grandpa care about. My son will do a dance for a video. Me? I'll make a scarf. But it's hard not to want to have the guts of Lil Alan. When you write a picture book you want a main character that people can relate to. Well, I relate to Alan, but I'm also envious of him. He knows exactly what he owes his family. He knows how strong the bonds are, and what will mean the most to them. Maybe I'm a little envious of Kelly Starling Lyons too. She knows how to write a killer book. Plus she got paired with the incomparable Daniel Minter, so right there. Right there. But really, I have no time to be envious of anyone. I'm using that time instead to be just so darn grateful this book exists at all. Family rendered in its most beautiful light. A treasure in hand indeed.
For ages 4-7
It should be one of his favorite times of the year. The time when the family loads up the car before the sun is even shining and drives down to Granny’s house. The time when sisters and uncles and cousins all gather too, and everybody looks at the land they love. But this year is different. This year, all the grandkids are supposed to do something special. Something that speaks to the family in some way. Only problem is, Lil Alan can’t think of anything to say or do or make. His cousins have all come up with their own wonderful ideas but him? He’s stumped. It isn’t until he stops and listens that a natural idea at last comes to him. One that fits right in with his strong, loving family.
I’ve always liked Daniel Minter’s work on picture books, sure. Step Right Up: How Doc and Jim Key Taught the World About Kindness is probably one of the great underrated nonfiction picture books of 2016. But it was this book in particular that made me want to check out his portfolio. Travel to his website and you’ll see beautiful, sumptuous paintings as full of undulating light as they are intricate patterns. There can only be one conclusion: until the creation of Going Down Home With Daddy, Mr. Minter has been holding out on us. He’s been hoarding his talents for his adult works, giving us only glimpses over the years. I don’t know what changed with Lyons’ book but something broke the dam and now Minter has released his acrylic washes to see what they can really do.
Of course, when I encounter a book as original as this one, my instinct is to try to compare it to something I already know. So when I see how Minter paints a silhouette I want to connect him to Jacob Lawrence. Except there’s a nuance at work here that you won’t find in a Lawrence painting. Start at the top. Look at the first few images in this book. Look at how Minter has painted the pre-dawn light. It’s that strange blue that appears mere moments before the sun. Look at how he paints the dawn, the ants on Alan’s shirt, and finally those glorious glorious chickens. There’s not a human being alive in this world that does a chicken as well as Daniel Minter. They look like ambulatory Slovakian Easter eggs, standing out with their bold colors and designs against the much bolder, fainter patterns that grace the road in front of Granny’s house. I could spend hours comparing and contrasting the way that nature looks like it’s made out of watercolors (it isn’t) while the features of the humans disappear when they’re silhouetted against the sunny sky. Did you see the outlines of the cotton, floating like ghosts, behind Daddy when he indicates the land? Or how Granny is portrayed on that last page, with a tree on her gown, its roots running deep deep down and its branches running up her back and sides. Geez, this is a gorgeous book. You just want to take out the pages and frame each and every one.
When a picture book gets a particularly talented artist, it can be easy to overlook the work of the writer. But make no mistake, it doesn’t matter how talented an artist is. No artist can make a book with mediocre text stand out from the crowd. Kelly Starling Lyons actually worked with Mr. Minter back in 2012 on Ellen’s Broom. Since that time they have both been honing their skills. Now if you just look at the gist of the plot in Going Down Home you’d be forgiven for thinking that it was pretty bare bones. Family + anxiety = picture book gold. That’s why I was grateful that Ms. Lyons didn’t spare us the details. Details bring a picture book to life. It’s what separates the so-so from the great. So first off, you have the language at work here, which is something to behold. Sometimes it’s just little things, like a sentence that reads, “Just before satin night falls, we sit outside on porch steps and metal lawn chairs.” Sometimes it’s little details, like the fact that Granny’s kisses are “peppermint” or that there’s a dinner that contains, “biscuits oozing with mayhew jelly, just the way Daddy likes.” And sometimes it’s just how a book’s action ebbs and flows. How the story takes you from car to walking to riding to performing, and finally to leaving. A true book of family should make you wish you, like the characters, never had to leave. Of course, by having this book in hand, you never have to. Not really.
Eventually we figured out what to do with my own problem. My daughter will write poems, one for each thing her grandma and grandpa care about. My son will do a dance for a video. Me? I'll make a scarf. But it's hard not to want to have the guts of Lil Alan. When you write a picture book you want a main character that people can relate to. Well, I relate to Alan, but I'm also envious of him. He knows exactly what he owes his family. He knows how strong the bonds are, and what will mean the most to them. Maybe I'm a little envious of Kelly Starling Lyons too. She knows how to write a killer book. Plus she got paired with the incomparable Daniel Minter, so right there. Right there. But really, I have no time to be envious of anyone. I'm using that time instead to be just so darn grateful this book exists at all. Family rendered in its most beautiful light. A treasure in hand indeed.
For ages 4-7
March 8, 2021
Review to come :)
July 24, 2019
Going Down Home with Daddy definitely resonated with me especially since I have a lot of family from the South. It reminded of the first time my mom and I came back to South Carolina to live with her family and my great-grandmother. This is such an important story for black children and also an important cultural story. I really enjoyed the artwork. It is super unique and beautiful. This is one that I could definitely see myself reading again.
March 26, 2019
Going Down Home with Daddy is a lovely celebration of family and African-American culture. Lil Alan and his family travel south every year for a family reunion on his great-grandmother's land. He and his sister spend time with their cousins. Everyone eats delicious-sounding food. And it's a tradition for the children to offer some kind of gift: a song, a poem, a story. Lil Alan isn't sure what he wants to do, and as the day of the celebration approaches, he worries that he won't have anything to contribute. But when he looks around him and sees the history of the place, he comes up with a fitting tribute to his family and his history.
This is a little text-heavy for a picture book, so I would probably recommend it to older kids. That said, however, the story is simple enough for younger children to enjoy, too. The illustrations really make this book shine. The stylized drawings are combined with inky overlays to create a really unique look. Even on the pages where everything is done in monochromatic blues, I noticed that the people's irises are still brown, which I thought was a neat touch; everything about the illustrations celebrates the interesting culture and heritage of this African-American family.
Thank you to NetGalley and Peachtree Publishing Company for providing a digital ARC.
This is a little text-heavy for a picture book, so I would probably recommend it to older kids. That said, however, the story is simple enough for younger children to enjoy, too. The illustrations really make this book shine. The stylized drawings are combined with inky overlays to create a really unique look. Even on the pages where everything is done in monochromatic blues, I noticed that the people's irises are still brown, which I thought was a neat touch; everything about the illustrations celebrates the interesting culture and heritage of this African-American family.
Thank you to NetGalley and Peachtree Publishing Company for providing a digital ARC.
February 11, 2019
Lil Alan is excited about going to his family reunion with his parents and sister, but he doesn't know what he wants to share with others during the celebration. He is happy to explore his great-grandma's farm with his cousins and eat with his extended family and go to church and then, finally, to go to the reunion together. When it is time to share, Lil Alan knows just what to say.
This is a book filled with the joy and love that comes from a family, with beautiful illustrations and text. "Nothing is more important than family," Alan's Granny tells everyone. When Lil Alan doesn't know what to say, his daddy advises him, "Think with your heart."
It's such a happy feeling to read this story, a story that celebrates both the achievement of the family of the past and the strengths of each individual in the contemporary family.
This is a book filled with the joy and love that comes from a family, with beautiful illustrations and text. "Nothing is more important than family," Alan's Granny tells everyone. When Lil Alan doesn't know what to say, his daddy advises him, "Think with your heart."
It's such a happy feeling to read this story, a story that celebrates both the achievement of the family of the past and the strengths of each individual in the contemporary family.
June 17, 2020
Going Down Home with Daddy by Kelly Starling Lyons is a family story. It is a heritage story. It is a home story. A perfect story of going home and reuniting with family, finding a way to tell the story of your family and home, and the love around all involved.
September 25, 2020
3.75 stars, the importance of tradition shines through in this story about a family reunion. This would be a great read alouus for discussions about family traditions and/or reunions. Or as a starting point for encouraging kids to learn about their own family's history.
January 5, 2021
"Down home is Granny’s house. Down home is where Lil Alan and his parents and sister will join 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 family history. All the kids have to decide on what tribute to share, but what will Lil Alan do?
In this rich and moving celebration of history, culture, and ritual, Kelly Starling Lyons’ eloquent text explores the power of family traditions. Stunning illustrations by Coretta Scott King Honor-winner Daniel Minter reveal the motion and connections in a large, multi-generational family."
In this rich and moving celebration of history, culture, and ritual, Kelly Starling Lyons’ eloquent text explores the power of family traditions. Stunning illustrations by Coretta Scott King Honor-winner Daniel Minter reveal the motion and connections in a large, multi-generational family."
October 22, 2020
Daniel Minter's illustrations in this picturebook are gorgeous: so dreamy and a little bit nostalgic, with cool patterns throughout and a mesmerizing color palette. What a great fit for Kelly Starling Lyons' story about family, reunions, culture, traditions, heritage!
However, the story is a bit too wordy for my taste and not particularly captivating plot-wise. Still, a really nice reunion tradition, something I wish I had.
However, the story is a bit too wordy for my taste and not particularly captivating plot-wise. Still, a really nice reunion tradition, something I wish I had.
March 12, 2019
Lil' Alan and his family set off for the family reunion early one morning. Lil' Alan is both excited and uncertain about the trip. He's excited to see his extended family, but he doesn't have anything to share for the celebration. As Lil' Alan and his family enjoy being with family and spend time remembering the past, Lil' Alan develops a greater appreciation for his currently living family members but also for his ancestors as well as the land. Lyons has told a tale honoring the importance and value of family and family history that will resonate with many readers. Minter's luminous illustrations shine through with love and joy. This story is a powerful reminder of the role that family plays in our lives.
February 22, 2020
I watched this book in movie form produced by Dreamscapes. This is the second Dreamscapes movie version of a children's book I have seen. I must try to find more.
As a result of the Great Migration, many families are separated by miles and miles of highway and miltiple state lines. Families still come back South for annual reunion. Love, food, and traditions are shared.
Beautiful Narration. The male narrator performed the women's voices better than other male narrators I have heard. The language cadences were toned down for those who are not used to Ebonic cadences while still being strong enough to satisfy my love of audient language.
The Artwork. The watercolors indicate the warmth and glow of beloved memories
As a result of the Great Migration, many families are separated by miles and miles of highway and miltiple state lines. Families still come back South for annual reunion. Love, food, and traditions are shared.
Beautiful Narration. The male narrator performed the women's voices better than other male narrators I have heard. The language cadences were toned down for those who are not used to Ebonic cadences while still being strong enough to satisfy my love of audient language.
The Artwork. The watercolors indicate the warmth and glow of beloved memories
January 21, 2023
Lovely illustrations done in acrylic wash depict a reunion of an extended black family, all gathering together on great-Grandma Granny's and great-Grandpa's (now deceased) cotton farm. There's no conflict here, only everyone having a great time visiting and playing; and one little boy, the MC, trying to figure out what he is going to do for the last evening's celebration time. I thought it was kind of sad that all these relatives only made it out to visit Granny once a year. (Nobody visited at Thanksgiving or Christmas? or maybe she went to stay with some of these relatives on the other holidays; the story just doesn't say.)
November 26, 2019
I am not in love with the text but the illustrations are sooooo beautiful!
January 6, 2021
I love the text! It really touched me. A beautiful story of heritage and family. I appreciate the way in which Lil Alan searches for and expresses what his family means to him--the encouragement from his family that he doesn't have to do a typical "performance" (song or recitation) during the family celebration, that he doesn't even need a lot of words, he needs simply to share from the heart.
Although this won a Caldecott Honor and I can certainly appreciate the illustrations, I can't say I loved them. Still, I really enjoyed the overall experience of reading this book.
Although this won a Caldecott Honor and I can certainly appreciate the illustrations, I can't say I loved them. Still, I really enjoyed the overall experience of reading this book.
January 22, 2019
Interest Level: K-3
Have you ever gone to a family reunion? Family is the most important thing and in this book family is important to Lil Alan too! Lil Alan and his family drive to Granny's house to have a good time with Granny, aunts, uncles, and cousins. However, Lil Alan has one big problem - he has nothing for celebration time. His Sis is going to sing Granny's favorite song, one of his cousins is going to read a poem, another cousin made a scrapbook out of Granny's favorite color, but Lil Alan? He has nothing. The family eats, goes to church, and has a great time. Then it is celebration time. What will Lil Alan do? Will he disappoint Granny and the family? Or will he come up with something spectacular? Read this incredible book to find out what happens!
This book is absolutely fantastic! The illustrations are beautiful and the colors are incredible! The story itself is so heartwarming! I want so bad to be a part of this family and share in their love and heritage (and eat some of that scrumptiously yummy food!). Do not miss this breathtaking book about love and family!!
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Have you ever gone to a family reunion? Family is the most important thing and in this book family is important to Lil Alan too! Lil Alan and his family drive to Granny's house to have a good time with Granny, aunts, uncles, and cousins. However, Lil Alan has one big problem - he has nothing for celebration time. His Sis is going to sing Granny's favorite song, one of his cousins is going to read a poem, another cousin made a scrapbook out of Granny's favorite color, but Lil Alan? He has nothing. The family eats, goes to church, and has a great time. Then it is celebration time. What will Lil Alan do? Will he disappoint Granny and the family? Or will he come up with something spectacular? Read this incredible book to find out what happens!
This book is absolutely fantastic! The illustrations are beautiful and the colors are incredible! The story itself is so heartwarming! I want so bad to be a part of this family and share in their love and heritage (and eat some of that scrumptiously yummy food!). Do not miss this breathtaking book about love and family!!
Follow me:
Blog - Blazer Tales - https://blazertales.com/
Facebook - Laurie’s Library Place - https://www.facebook.com/LauriesLibra...
Instagram - laurieslibrary - https://www.instagram.com/laurieslibr...
Twitter - @laurieevans27 https://twitter.com/laurieevans27?lan...
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July 28, 2019
How we define the word family is highly personal. It's as if there is a meaning found in dictionaries and an entirely different one with respect to our lives. For some family does not always consist of those related to us biologically. People whose love and support are unconditional can be thought of as family, whether there is a genetic connection or not.
For others, family is comprised of deep-seated traditions going back generations. The voices of ancestors, their wisdom, still speaks with clarity in the collective hearts and minds of brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers, grandmothers and grandfathers, uncles and aunts and lots of cousins. Going Down Home With Daddy (Peachtree Publishers, April 1, 2019) written by Kelly Starling Lyons with illustrations by Daniel Minter takes us to one family's special commemoration.
My full recommendation: https://librariansquest.blogspot.com/...
For others, family is comprised of deep-seated traditions going back generations. The voices of ancestors, their wisdom, still speaks with clarity in the collective hearts and minds of brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers, grandmothers and grandfathers, uncles and aunts and lots of cousins. Going Down Home With Daddy (Peachtree Publishers, April 1, 2019) written by Kelly Starling Lyons with illustrations by Daniel Minter takes us to one family's special commemoration.
My full recommendation: https://librariansquest.blogspot.com/...
May 8, 2020
I read Going Down Home with Daddy on EPIC. It is a 2020 Caldecott Honor book.
Going Down with Daddy is poetic story of Little Alan and his family visiting their Granny's farm for their traditional family reunion. The farmland was once worked by their slave ancestors.
While Little Alan is excited about the reunion, he is worried about not having something to share for the "celebration."
After spending time on the land, talking with daddy, and thinking about Pa, Little Alan feels inspired and figures what what to share.
This story and illustrations authentically integrate black culture and tradition while avoiding stereotyping. The focus of family traditon is relateable across many cultures and could be used in the classroom to allow student to reflect on their own family traditions and values.
Going Down with Daddy is poetic story of Little Alan and his family visiting their Granny's farm for their traditional family reunion. The farmland was once worked by their slave ancestors.
While Little Alan is excited about the reunion, he is worried about not having something to share for the "celebration."
After spending time on the land, talking with daddy, and thinking about Pa, Little Alan feels inspired and figures what what to share.
This story and illustrations authentically integrate black culture and tradition while avoiding stereotyping. The focus of family traditon is relateable across many cultures and could be used in the classroom to allow student to reflect on their own family traditions and values.
July 6, 2019
Lil Alan's family is on their way to an annual reunion at Granny's house. Each child is supposed to share something about their family's heritage at the celebration night, but Lil Alan is finding it hard to come up with something special. But through the excitement of spending time with his cousins and talking with the elders, he manages to come through.
A beautiful celebration of African-American culture and family.
A beautiful celebration of African-American culture and family.
June 28, 2019
I was looking for a story about family reunions and this one added much more to the concept. This family is going down to the farm where the father grew up to see their grandmother and the rest of the family and come together to celebrate. The family tells stories and share events that have taken place on this farm and their heritage. Colorful pictures and strong story of family connection.
October 10, 2019
Images and words evoke memories long past, of family gatherings, and when I turned the last page, I felt the love the author conveyed throughout. This book was like a comfy blanket that wrapped itself around me and brought me comfort.
February 25, 2019
Gorgeous.
April 16, 2019
Good story about honoring family heritage made extra special by beautiful illustrations.
April 21, 2019
A beautifully illustrated, joyful and heartfelt story of a family reunion and celebration of roots and connection.
July 3, 2019
beautiful book.
January 20, 2020
The illustrations are so rich and gorgeous I want to snuggle into them like a warm blanket.
February 19, 2020
Loved this story about family reunions in our culture. The illustrations are stunning.
April 6, 2020
There's no surprise that this book was a Caldecott Medal Nominee this past year. Stunning artwork will keep readers searching the page for context clues as the text shares a story of the love of extended family. Reading this book is like being wrapped in a warm blanket -- road trips, hugs from Granny, an amazing dining room spread with so many comfort foods, going to church with family, family quilts, discussing history and ancestors, card games, and a final goodbye that leaves us hungering for the next family reunion. <3 The illustrations in this book were created in acrylic wash.
For more children's literature, middle grade literature, and YA literature reviews, feel free to visit my personal blog at The Miller Memo!
For more children's literature, middle grade literature, and YA literature reviews, feel free to visit my personal blog at The Miller Memo!
January 27, 2021
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Reading this book took me back to my family reunions and woke up all those loving feelings I had. The words were very meaningful and the pictures told a story of their own. The way the author used slang within the words of the story helped make it more relatable. The use of rhyme also made the book more engaging and fun for readers. All of the visuals & illustrations within the book focused the audiences eye. The colors, patterns, and watercolor look were fascinating. The pictures told what the words couldn’t, beauty.
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