A tender new story from the award-winning creator of Julián
Is a Mermaid celebrates first-time camping, father-child
bonding, and feeling at one with the universe.
“We’re going camping, you and me.”
“Where?” I ask.
“The desert,” says Dad . . . “To shake hands with the
universe.”
Going to bed each night can be dark and scary. The night sky
stretches out endlessly, making one sensitive child feel small in
comparison. So Dad comes up with a plan: a night of camping out in
the desert. Together, the two load up Darlin’, the old pickup
truck, and drive over the mountain with the radio on, stopping to
shoot the breeze at a junkyard before setting up camp, jumping in
sand dunes, and lying back to name all the birds they can see. After
sunset, when the young thinker feels tiny against the vast sky, Dad
knows just what to ask—and just what to say—to soothe away fears.
Maybe this night spent under the stars (and a surprise from Mom and
the baby later) are just what is needed to show that the universe is
a friendly place. From acclaimed author-illustrator Jessica Love
comes a story of small moments between father and child that affirms
the comfort of finding one’s place in the world.