A Card for My Father

A Card For My Father by Samantha Thornhill with illustrations by Morgan Clement is the first title in a trilogy of picture books exploring the lasting effects, big and small, of a father’s incarceration on his first-grade daughter, Flora. In A Card For My Father, how can Flora complete her class assignment to make a Father’s Day card when she’s never met her father?

A Note From A Reader

“A Card For My Father opened up a very unique and loving experience for my daughter and I. We just read it together even though my daughter is 19 years old now. Not only did we shed tears connecting to the story, but it was an absolute relief to share an experience other than your typical mom, dad, and white picket fence dynamic we are all too familiar with. As a single mom, I would cringe reading bedtime stories that were mere fairy tales in my home. I’m grateful for this book and the genuine touch of reality it brought to us.” 

Press

“The beginning of a needed story.” —Kirkus Reviews

“I participated as a reviewer in Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2019 and during the group’s Twitter party so many people were asking for children’s books about incarcerated parents. A Card for my Father doesn’t just fill a gap on the bookshelf, it does it very well. This book is special. … Thornhill can’t stop herself from writing poetry, and Clement’s images play an integral role in the story. Her illustrations give Flora’s feelings a heavy presence on the page. Word and image pair perfectly giving the subject matter engaged the dignity it deserves and gifting the world with a brilliant book.” —Jennifer Miller, Raise Them Righteous