Owen's Day with Daddy

Gerald "Jerry" Thomas Ruff (1954 - 2021) was an editor, teacher and author based in La Crosse, WI. Jerry retired in March 2020, and he thoroughly enjoyed the freedom to use his time as he wanted. Jerry passed away unexpectedly in March 2021, at the age of 66.  He spent the last year of his life working on numerous creative endeavors, writing poetry, children's stories and editing for friends. These books will be an everlasting gift for families and children.Davilyn Lynch was born and raised in Melbourne, Australia, where she would spend most days drawing, escaping into a world of creativity and wonder. She grew up in an inspiring household surrounded by her father’s abstract canvasses on every wall. After the distractions of life, it wasn’t until her first child came along that she rediscovered her love of drawing and decided to make it a major part of her life. With the help and support of her husband and close friends she was able to make her dream a reality and became a children’s book illustrator. Being born biracial, (Filipino and Caucasian) Davilyn grew up in a community that was predominantly white and suffered discrimination due to others seeing her as ‘different’. Davilyn wants to make sure she sends a positive message to young readers through her character illustrations that diversity among children and families is completely normal. Davilyn is self-taught, letting her passion and creativity be her guide in the picture books she works on.

"With a little extra love from his dad, Owen adjusts to becoming a new big brother. Owen’s dad and baby brother sweetly play together until Owen, overcome with jealousy, cries out, “I want to do something with you, Daddy!” Owen’s tantrum is followed by a tummy ache. Dad responds to the child’s hurt with validation and calm. They decide to do three fun things: feed ducks at the park, go down the big slide at the playground, and order cheeseburgers at the drive-thru. Within these simple activities, Owen is reminded of his deep connection to his father while practicing skills he can apply to older brotherhood (like nurturing ducklings and braving his fears of an unfamiliar challenge). By the end of their father-son day, Owen’s envy has morphed into thoughtfulness toward his new sibling; as they drive home, Owen asks, “Can babies drink milkshakes?” and when he returns home, he gently kisses his little brother. Though Owen and his dad never explicitly unpack the child’s jealousy, the narrative positively models adults being patient with Owen and affirming his difficult emotions, complemented by the illustrations, rendered with childlike simplicity. Owen, his father, and his brother are pale-skinned with black hair; Owen’s mother is light-skinned with brown hair. An uncomplicated story about the small ways that dads can help young ones accept their new siblings." - Kirkus Reviews