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Going Down Home with Daddy

Kelly Starling Lyons (Goodreads Author),

Daniel Minter (Illustrator)

4.25 · Rating details · 1,229 ratings · 282 reviews

“On reunion morning, we rise before the sun. Daddy hums as he packs our car with suitcases and a cooler full of snacks. He says there’s nothing like going down home.”

Down home is Granny’s house. Down home is where Lil Alan and his parents and sister will join great-grandparents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Down home is where Lil Alan will hear stories of ...more

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Hardcover, 32 pages

Published April 1st 2019 by Peachtree Publishing Company

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Community Reviews

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Average rating 4.25 ·

Rating details

· 1,229 ratings · 282 reviews

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Sep 02, 2020 ij rated it it was amazing

Shelves: african-american, 2020, picture-book, childrens, kindle, fiction, travel

Great story and great illustrations!!!

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Oct 21, 2020 Calista rated it really liked it

Recommends it for: important family ties

Shelves: genre-beginner, bage-children, genre-drama-tragedy, award-caldecott, diversity, nature, genre-travel, sub-food, 2019

A great story about "nothing is more important than family" and family reunions. This was nominated for the Caldecott. I like the story better than the art. The art is certainly inventive and interesting. I do like it, but I feel the story is better.

The artwork looks like she is blending watercolors with other mediums and she swirls the colors into unique shapes. It is fascinating. It is different and so I think it does warrant the nom.

This story took me back to my childhood. Our family did reu ...more

flag 26 likes · Like · see review

Jun 05, 2019 Betsy rated it it was amazing

Shelves: picture-books

I pick the books I review based on a complicated set of criteria that only makes sense to me. Often it has to do with a number of different factors, one of which is whether or not the children’s book in question relates to my own life at all. As I type this, I am gearing up for a trip to New Orleans. My mother and father-in-law will be celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary and they would like their children and their children’s families to join them. And, naturally, at the very last minute I pick the books I review based on a complicated set of criteria that only makes sense to me. Often it has to do with a number of different factors, one of which is whether or not the children’s book in question relates to my own life at all. As I type this, I am gearing up for a trip to New Orleans. My mother and father-in-law will be celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary and they would like their children and their children’s families to join them. And, naturally, at the very last minute it occurred to me that I should have been planning a gift for them all along. Indeed, that’s the sort of thing that would normally take months of planning. Instead, I’m sitting here reviewing a picture book. Why? Because out of all the books published this year, this is the one that right now understands me best. In Going Down Home With Daddy you’ll find a book that celebrates family and tradition, but also the pressure to produce something meaningful for the people you love. We are all Lil Alan sometimes. This book understands that.

It should be one of his favorite times of the year. The time when the family loads up the car before the sun is even shining and drives down to Granny’s house. The time when sisters and uncles and cousins all gather too, and everybody looks at the land they love. But this year is different. This year, all the grandkids are supposed to do something special. Something that speaks to the family in some way. Only problem is, Lil Alan can’t think of anything to say or do or make. His cousins have all come up with their own wonderful ideas but him? He’s stumped. It isn’t until he stops and listens that a natural idea at last comes to him. One that fits right in with his strong, loving family.

I’ve always liked Daniel Minter’s work on picture books, sure. Step Right Up: How Doc and Jim Key Taught the World About Kindness is probably one of the great underrated nonfiction picture books of 2016. But it was this book in particular that made me want to check out his portfolio. Travel to his website and you’ll see beautiful, sumptuous paintings as full of undulating light as they are intricate patterns. There can only be one conclusion: until the creation of Going Down Home With Daddy, Mr. Minter has been holding out on us. He’s been hoarding his talents for his adult works, giving us only glimpses over the years. I don’t know what changed with Lyons’ book but something broke the dam and now Minter has released his acrylic washes to see what they can really do.

Of course, when I encounter a book as original as this one, my instinct is to try to compare it to something I already know. So when I see how Minter paints a silhouette I want to connect him to Jacob Lawrence. Except there’s a nuance at work here that you won’t find in a Lawrence painting. Start at the top. Look at the first few images in this book. Look at how Minter has painted the pre-dawn light. It’s that strange blue that appears mere moments before the sun. Look at how he paints the dawn, the ants on Alan’s shirt, and finally those glorious glorious chickens. There’s not a human being alive in this world that does a chicken as well as Daniel Minter. They look like ambulatory Slovakian Easter eggs, standing out with their bold colors and designs against the much bolder, fainter patterns that grace the road in front of Granny’s house. I could spend hours comparing and contrasting the way that nature looks like it’s made out of watercolors (it isn’t) while the features of the humans disappear when they’re silhouetted against the sunny sky. Did you see the outlines of the cotton, floating like ghosts, behind Daddy when he indicates the land? Or how Granny is portrayed on that last page, with a tree on her gown, its roots running deep deep down and its branches running up her back and sides. Geez, this is a gorgeous book. You just want to take out the pages and frame each and every one.

When a picture book gets a particularly talented artist, it can be easy to overlook the work of the writer. But make no mistake, it doesn’t matter how talented an artist is. No artist can make a book with mediocre text stand out from the crowd. Kelly Starling Lyons actually worked with Mr. Minter back in 2012 on Ellen’s Broom. Since that time they have both been honing their skills. Now if you just look at the gist of the plot in Going Down Home you’d be forgiven for thinking that it was pretty bare bones. Family + anxiety = picture book gold. That’s why I was grateful that Ms. Lyons didn’t spare us the details. Details bring a picture book to life. It’s what separates the so-so from the great. So first off, you have the language at work here, which is something to behold. Sometimes it’s just little things, like a sentence that reads, “Just before satin night falls, we sit outside on porch steps and metal lawn chairs.” Sometimes it’s little details, like the fact that Granny’s kisses are “peppermint” or that there’s a dinner that contains, “biscuits oozing with mayhew jelly, just the way Daddy likes.” And sometimes it’s just how a book’s action ebbs and flows. How the story takes you from car to walking to riding to performing, and finally to leaving. A true book of family should make you wish you, like the characters, never had to leave. Of course, by having this book in hand, you never have to. Not really.

Eventually we figured out what to do with my own problem. My daughter will write poems, one for each thing her grandma and grandpa care about. My son will do a dance for a video. Me? I'll make a scarf. But it's hard not to want to have the guts of Lil Alan. When you write a picture book you want a main character that people can relate to. Well, I relate to Alan, but I'm also envious of him. He knows exactly what he owes his family. He knows how strong the bonds are, and what will mean the most to them. Maybe I'm a little envious of Kelly Starling Lyons too. She knows how to write a killer book. Plus she got paired with the incomparable Daniel Minter, so right there. Right there. But really, I have no time to be envious of anyone. I'm using that time instead to be just so darn grateful this book exists at all. Family rendered in its most beautiful light. A treasure in hand indeed.

For ages 4-7 ...more

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Jul 24, 2019 Bookishrealm rated it really liked it

Shelves: black-books, picture-books, books-read-in-2019, lead-poc-picture-books

Going Down Home with Daddy definitely resonated with me especially since I have a lot of family from the South. It reminded of the first time my mom and I came back to South Carolina to live with her family and my great-grandmother. This is such an important story for black children and also an important cultural story. I really enjoyed the artwork. It is super unique and beautiful. This is one that I could definitely see myself reading again.

flag 9 likes · Like · see review

Jan 18, 2019 La Coccinelle rated it really liked it

Shelves: netgalley, children, arc

Going Down Home with Daddy is a lovely celebration of family and African-American culture. Lil Alan and his family travel south every year for a family reunion on his great-grandmother's land. He and his sister spend time with their cousins. Everyone eats delicious-sounding food. And it's a tradition for the children to offer some kind of gift: a song, a poem, a story. Lil Alan isn't sure what he wants to do, and as the day of the celebration approaches, he worries that he won't have anything to ...more

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Feb 11, 2019 Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance rated it really liked it

Shelves: diversity, picture-book, relationships, southern

Lil Alan is excited about going to his family reunion with his parents and sister, but he doesn't know what he wants to share with others during the celebration. He is happy to explore his great-grandma's farm with his cousins and eat with his extended family and go to church and then, finally, to go to the reunion together. When it is time to share, Lil Alan knows just what to say.

This is a book filled with the joy and love that comes from a family, with beautiful illustrations and text. "Nothi ...more

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Mar 09, 2019 Kellee Moye rated it it was amazing

Shelves: mg-ya-picture-books, by-bipoc, picture-book-or-board-book, trent-6-7-years, read-to-trent

Going Down Home with Daddy by Kelly Starling Lyons is a family story. It is a heritage story. It is a home story. A perfect story of going home and reuniting with family, finding a way to tell the story of your family and home, and the love around all involved.

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Dec 12, 2019 Ms. B rated it liked it

Shelves: 2019, picture, honor, star-of-the-north

3.75 stars, the importance of tradition shines through in this story about a family reunion. This would be a great read alouus for discussions about family traditions and/or reunions. Or as a starting point for encouraging kids to learn about their own family's history. ...more

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Jan 05, 2021 Mariah Roze rated it really liked it

"Down home is Granny’s house. Down home is where Lil Alan and his parents and sister will join great-grandparents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Down home is where Lil Alan will hear stories of the ancestors and visit the land that has meant so much to all of them. And down home is where all of the children will find their special way to pay tribute to family history. All the kids have to decide on what tribute to share, but what will Lil Alan do?
In this rich and moving celebration o ...more

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Oct 22, 2020 Agnė rated it liked it

Shelves: fiction, picturebook, contemporary, realistic-fiction, children

Daniel Minter's illustrations in this picturebook are gorgeous: so dreamy and a little bit nostalgic, with cool patterns throughout and a mesmerizing color palette. What a great fit for Kelly Starling Lyons' story about family, reunions, culture, traditions, heritage!

However, the story is a bit too wordy for my taste and not particularly captivating plot-wise. Still, a really nice reunion tradition, something I wish I had. ...more

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

Mar 12, 2019 Heidi rated it it was amazing

Shelves: picture-books, picture-books-for-older-readers, 2019-books

Lil' Alan and his family set off for the family reunion early one morning. Lil' Alan is both excited and uncertain about the trip. He's excited to see his extended family, but he doesn't have anything to share for the celebration. As Lil' Alan and his family enjoy being with family and spend time remembering the past, Lil' Alan develops a greater appreciation for his currently living family members but also for his ancestors as well as the land. Lyons has told a tale honoring the importance and ...more

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Feb 21, 2020 Cynda rated it really liked it

Shelves: african-american, read-2020, children-youth, short-story, us-american-south

I watched this book in movie form produced by Dreamscapes. This is the second Dreamscapes movie version of a children's book I have seen. I must try to find more.

As a result of the Great Migration, many families are separated by miles and miles of highway and miltiple state lines. Families still come back South for annual reunion. Love, food, and traditions are shared.

Beautiful Narration. The male narrator performed the women's voices better than other male narrators I have heard. The language c ...more

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Jul 31, 2019 Beverly rated it really liked it

Shelves: pbf-family

Lovely illustrations done in acrylic wash depict a reunion of an extended black family, all gathering together on great-Grandma Granny's and great-Grandpa's (now deceased) cotton farm. There's no conflict here, only everyone having a great time visiting and playing; and one little boy, the MC, trying to figure out what he is going to do for the last evening's celebration time. I thought it was kind of sad that all these relatives only made it out to visit Granny once a year. (Nobody visited at T ...more

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Aug 04, 2019 Laura Harrison rated it really liked it

I am not in love with the text but the illustrations are sooooo beautiful!

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Jan 06, 2021 Kathryn rated it really liked it

I love the text! It really touched me. A beautiful story of heritage and family. I appreciate the way in which Lil Alan searches for and expresses what his family means to him--the encouragement from his family that he doesn't have to do a typical "performance" (song or recitation) during the family celebration, that he doesn't even need a lot of words, he needs simply to share from the heart.
Although this won a Caldecott Honor and I can certainly appreciate the illustrations, I can't say I lov ...more

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Jan 22, 2019 Laurie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: elementary, grades-k-3

Interest Level: K-3

Have you ever gone to a family reunion? Family is the most important thing and in this book family is important to Lil Alan too! Lil Alan and his family drive to Granny's house to have a good time with Granny, aunts, uncles, and cousins. However, Lil Alan has one big problem - he has nothing for celebration time. His Sis is going to sing Granny's favorite song, one of his cousins is going to read a poem, another cousin made a scrapbook out of Granny's favorite color, but Lil A ...more

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Jul 27, 2019 Margie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: book-a-day, own-these-books

How we define the word family is highly personal. It's as if there is a meaning found in dictionaries and an entirely different one with respect to our lives. For some family does not always consist of those related to us biologically. People whose love and support are unconditional can be thought of as family, whether there is a genetic connection or not.

For others, family is comprised of deep-seated traditions going back generations. The voices of ancestors, their wisdom, still speaks with cla ...more

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May 08, 2020 Amanda Nicholls rated it really liked it

Shelves: picture-books

I read Going Down Home with Daddy on EPIC. It is a 2020 Caldecott Honor book.
Going Down with Daddy is poetic story of Little Alan and his family visiting their Granny's farm for their traditional family reunion. The farmland was once worked by their slave ancestors.
While Little Alan is excited about the reunion, he is worried about not having something to share for the "celebration."
After spending time on the land, talking with daddy, and thinking about Pa, Little Alan feels inspired and figur ...more

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Jul 06, 2019 Kifflie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: picture-books

Lil Alan's family is on their way to an annual reunion at Granny's house. Each child is supposed to share something about their family's heritage at the celebration night, but Lil Alan is finding it hard to come up with something special. But through the excitement of spending time with his cousins and talking with the elders, he manages to come through.

A beautiful celebration of African-American culture and family. ...more

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Jun 28, 2019 Sheri rated it really liked it

I was looking for a story about family reunions and this one added much more to the concept. This family is going down to the farm where the father grew up to see their grandmother and the rest of the family and come together to celebrate. The family tells stories and share events that have taken place on this farm and their heritage. Colorful pictures and strong story of family connection.

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Oct 10, 2019 Monique rated it it was amazing

Shelves: african-americans, african-american-families, families, picture-books, picturebooks, diversity, early-memories, reunions

Images and words evoke memories long past, of family gatherings, and when I turned the last page, I felt the love the author conveyed throughout. This book was like a comfy blanket that wrapped itself around me and brought me comfort.

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Feb 24, 2019 Michele Knott rated it it was amazing

Shelves: representation-matters, read-in-2019, picture-books, family

Gorgeous.

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Apr 16, 2019 Effie rated it it was amazing

Good story about honoring family heritage made extra special by beautiful illustrations.

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Apr 20, 2019 Edward Sullivan rated it it was amazing

Shelves: african-american, picture-books

A beautifully illustrated, joyful and heartfelt story of a family reunion and celebration of roots and connection.

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Jul 03, 2019 Sarah rated it it was amazing

beautiful book.

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Jan 20, 2020 Christie Angleton rated it it was amazing

Shelves: families, 100-new-in-2020

The illustrations are so rich and gorgeous I want to snuggle into them like a warm blanket.

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Feb 13, 2020 KDV rated it it was amazing

Shelves: blm-black-joy, picture-books

Beautiful writing and illustrations tell a radiant family story. Pure love.

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Feb 18, 2020 Dee Dee G rated it it was amazing

Loved this story about family reunions in our culture. The illustrations are stunning.

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Apr 05, 2020 Shaye Miller rated it it was amazing

Shelves: caldecott

There's no surprise that this book was a Caldecott Medal Nominee this past year. Stunning artwork will keep readers searching the page for context clues as the text shares a story of the love of extended family. Reading this book is like being wrapped in a warm blanket -- road trips, hugs from Granny, an amazing dining room spread with so many comfort foods, going to church with family, family quilts, discussing history and ancestors, card games, and a final goodbye that leaves us hungering for ...more

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Jan 26, 2021 Alexis Cammack rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 3-regualr-3-award-winning

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Reading this book took me back to my family reunions and woke up all those loving feelings I had. The words were very meaningful and the pictures told a story of their own. The way the author used slang within the words of the story helped make it more relatable. The use of rhyme also made the book more engaging and fun for readers. All of the visuals & illustrations within the book focused the audiences eye. The colors, patterns, and watercolor look were ...more

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About Kelly Starling Lyons

Kelly Starling Lyons

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Kelly Starling Lyons is an award-winning author whose 17 titles for children span easy readers, picture books, chapter books, fiction, nonfiction, and series. For more than a decade, Lyons has been creating inspiring books that center Black heroes, celebrate family, friendship and heritage and show all children the storyteller they hold inside. Her acclaimed titles include Going Down Home with Dad ...more