Show appreciation for your father with this book of poetry honoring dads. With stubborn love and sage advice, fathers provide a special guidance that is essential whether we are two, twelve, or twenty years old. These heartfelt poems acknowledge the fears and insecurities all children have and the ability of dads to make things better.
Written from a child’s viewpoint, the lighthearted poems at the beginning contrast with the poems found later in the book as they begin to address the conflicts children encounter while growing older. Layne addresses the struggle for independence in the poems “Thinking About It Now” and “The Inquisition,” in which he shows how children come to realize that dads give advice and question their children’s actions out of love. In the poem “Remember,” he also reveals how dads are needed for support when children are affected by death for the first time.
In Verses for Dad’s Heart, Steven L. Layne and Gail Greaves Klinger create a seamless blend of verse and illustration that is both accomplished and inspirational, addressing important social issues through language and drawings. The pictures of diverse families cross the boundaries of race to show that in every family there is a dad to appreciate. These verses and illustrations work together beautifully to honor the heroes closest to home—our dads.
About the Author
Dr. Steven L. Layne teaches courses in children’s and adolescent literature at Wheaton College. He also serves as a national literacy consultant, featured author, and keynote speaker in and out of the United States. He is the author of award-winning titles for both children and teens and a best-selling poetry book for educators. Layne has written many other children’s books for Pelican, including My Brother Dan’s Delicious, The Teachers’ Night Before Christmas, Thomas’s Sheep and the Great Geography Test, and the Hal Clement award-winning novel for young adults, This Side of Paradise. Additional information is available on the author’s Web site at www.stevelayne.com.
About the Illustrator
Gail Greaves Klinger has been an art educator for over thirty years. She has taught art to all grade levels in public schools and to adults in community-park districts. She is a member of Lively Arts and of the National Art Education Association. Her art has been on public display in many locations. She resides in Wheaton, Illinois, with her husband and three children.
VERSES FOR DAD’S HEART
By Steven L. Layne
Illustrated by Gail Greaves Klinger
FAMILY & RELATIONSHIPS / Parenting / Fatherhood
40 pp. 7 x 10
21 color illustrations
ISBN: 9781589801455 hc