On Our Way Home...Not Just for Father's Day

Father's day is one of those holidays I always dread selecting story time books for. Not that there's a shortage of books, but I find myself using the same three or four titles each year, hoping something better will catch my eye. Several children's book authors have found their niche with cute rhyming stories for a cadre of holidays. But you can't use these books for every big holiday, and sometimes the plots in these books feel a little forced or a just a bit stale.
On Our Way Home by Sebastien Braun is no such book.The lovely artwork in this story geared for toddlers and its focus on relationships instead of stereotypes makes it a true standout. You may recognize the bear cub and his daddy from Braun's two other successful books, I Love My Mommy and I Love My Daddy. This book is almost a concept book, because the plot is so simple. But the affection between the little cub and his father shines as they take a walk through the forest, slide down the banks of a stream together, catch falling leaves, and gaze up at the stars.

On Our Way Home by Sebastien Braun

The little cub has some childlike qualities that children can relate to. Holding daddy's hand, carrying a stick, cuddling up close. This book is designed for older toddlers and young preschoolers, but may be a guilty pleasure for the four and up crowd. For some groups this book may be just a little bit too dear, even a bit twee for the more world weary youngsters in your story time crowd.
This book does capture the magic of fatherhood at the young hero worship stage. It is also short, well-paced, and full of beautiful brown, blue and bottle-green pictures. I would definitely include in my Father's day story time program this year, with other selections like The Apple Pie that Papa Baked, the The Daddy Mountain, and Mr. Seahorse.