Seales, Stephanie. My Daddy Is a Cowboy. C. G. Esperanza, Illus. Abrams, 06/2024. [48]pp. Picture Book. Trade $18.99. 978-1-4197-6081-5. GRADES Kindergarten–4. OUTSTANDING.
A young girl is woken up before dawn by her father so that they can share a pre-sunrise horseback ride through the streets of their urban Afro-Panamanian neighborhood. The vibrant oil paintings by C. G. Esperanza capture a range of moods, from sleepy snuggles in the dark of early morning to the excitement and pride felt while prepping the horses and saddling them up as the skies begin to lighten from dark blues into pinks and gold. As the young narrator rides alongside her dad, their neighborhood slowly comes to life. Finally, under bright skies, she watches as her daddy stands up in the saddle and performs some tricks for the people walking by. While a little dense for a group readaloud, this would work well for one-on-one reading and would be a great resource for a unit on the history of Black cowboys and their continued presence in urban America. A Caldecott Honor and Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award winner.
Rachael Reiley—Hillcrest Elementary K–8 / Oakland Unified School District