My Daddy Is a Cowboy
A Picture Book
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
A Caldecott Honor Book and Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award Book
A young girl and her father share an early morning horseback ride around their city in My Daddy Is a Cowboy, an award-winning picture book celebration of “just-us time," with 6 starred reviews, including praise such as gorgeous, must-have, exuberant, immersive, and magical.
In the early hours before dawn, a young girl and her father greet their horses and ride together through the waking city streets. As they trot along, Daddy tells cowboy stories filled with fun and community, friendship, discovery, and pride.
Seeing her city from a new vantage point and feeling seen in a new way, the child discovers that she too is a cowboy—strong and confident in who she is.
Thoughtfully and lyrically written by debut author Stephanie Seales, with vibrant illustrations from award-winning artist C. G. Esperanza, this beautiful picture book is a celebration of Black joy, outdoor play, and quality time spent between child and parent.
Tall. High as the clouds.
Strong as a horse’s back.
Like a cowboy.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
When Daddy wakes this picture book's young narrator before dawn, the two grin at each other: "Today, we get to ride together—just me and Daddy." Taking Daddy's motorcycle to the ranch where their horses live, the two observe the early morning quiet. The duo next brush and feed horses Power and Clover before saddling up ("If I'm lucky, people will see us ride and we'll make them smile like the cowboys do"). Esperanza's thick-stroked oil paintings depict the landscape and the duo's early morning route ("We pass Mommy's favorite coffee shop and the place where Abuelita sends money to her sister"), while the narrator's father reflects on how riding makes him feels ("stronger, safer, and happier"). Together, the creators expertly capture the open feel of early morning alongside the beauty of one-on-one time in this visually immersive story about a child whose "Daddy is a cowboy.... And so am I." Characters cue as Afro-Latinx. Ages 4–8.
