ISBN 9781946395689 | hardcover | $17.99 | publication date May 2022
From award winning children’s writer Niki Daly, author and illustrator of the Lolo early reader series
- A 2023 Charlotte Zolotow Award Honor Book
- Included in CCBC Choices 2023, the annual best-of-the-year list of the Cooperative Children’s Book Center
- Honorable mention, 2023 Children’s Africana Book Awards
- Named one of Brittle Paper‘s “100 Notable African Books of 2022”
Whether it’s jumping in puddles with Tata in the rain, greeting the neighborhood cat on the quiet back streets with Gogo, or holding hands with Mama while rushing to make the bell, walking to school with family is the best. But nothing is better than walking to school with Papa. From high above, resting on Papa’s shoulders, all of the town is in perfect view, and Papa always says “I love you” when he says goodbye. A sweet ode to fatherhood and the special relationships children share with each member of their family, On My Papa’s Shoulders reminds us that it’s not about where we’re going, but rather the people who walk with us along the way.
A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
Read an excerpt | Discussion Questions
Reviews
Winner, South African Literary Award
“Daly delivers the tale with musicality and joy through uncomplicated yet poignant prose. He captures the feelings of a simple routine with a delight that’s refreshing, witty, and just plain fun. With fluid lines highlighted with primary colors, the art is imbued with the same energy, bringing to life a child-centered world. […] A wonderful tribute to the father-son bond.”—Kirkus
“Illustrated by the masterly Niki Daly, this tender and inclusive picture book celebrating family and fatherhood describes walking to school with four different family members, and the small joys of the journeys.”— “Best children’s books of 2022” The Times (UK)
“The illustrations in this picture book have a gentle quality to them, with lightly sketched lines and many pastel colors that stand out against the gray city. The backgrounds give a slightly different feel to each of the different routes the boy walks with each family member. But like the boy and his family, the pictures still have an overall sense of connection. This is a sweet little story about simple everyday moments with family, but especially with Papa.” —Skipping Stones Magazine
“A wonderfully heart-warming story of love shown in different ways between a little boy and his family, with their own unique ways of taking him to school, and intimate, uplifting parting gestures. […] Shining a spotlight on the value of, and joy that, extended family bring into children’s everyday lives, this is an amazing book to share with children in early years and foundation stage and key stage 1 to celebrate starting school, family love, and father’s day.” — The School Librarian
“[T]his gorgeous, gently humorous book truly does celebrate that father/son bond, but it also celebrates the bond between the boy and the various other members of his family – each one offering something different. One I’d strongly recommend adding to foundation stage collections and to family bookshelves, especially if there’s a child around the school starting age.”—Red Reading Hub
“This is actually a very basic story about a very common activity: walking to school. But the author has brought it across with such care that the simplicity disappears, leaving familiar experiences and tons of good feelings. […] This is a read to cuddle up with and enjoy, and one that many readers will identify with. It definitely leaves a smile on the face.”—Bookworm for Kids
“The illustrations are eye-catching, with a warmth of character detail and a thought-provoking sense of space and perspective. It places younger readers aged 4-7 in the middle of this boy’s life, family and world. A celebration of the bond between fathers and sons this is a great book to read and share.”—School Reading List
“A beautifully written book with outstanding illustrations… A heart-warming celebration of family and fathers. I am sure this book will be read and reread many times and will be a firm favourite for all young children on their journeys to school across the world. A great book for home, nursery and library.”—Dolphin Book Blog
“A sweetly relatable picture book with a distinctly South African urban setting.” —The Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
The Author
Niki Daly has won many awards for his work. His groundbreaking Not So Fast Songololo, winner of a US Parent’s Choice Award, paved the way for post-apartheid South African children’s books. Among his many books, Once Upon a Time was an Honor Winner in the US Children’s Africana Book Awards and Jamela’s Dress was chosen by the ALA as a Notable Children’s Book and by Booklist as one of the Top 10 African American Picture Books of 2000. It also won both the Children’s Literature Choice Award and the Parents’ Choice Silver Award. Niki lives with his wife, the author and illustrator Jude Daly, in Kleinmond, South Africa.