Book Review: The Daddy’s Heroes Series

Daddy's Heroes: Unforgettable Sports Moments to Share With Children by Tom Garcia and Karun Naga (Illustrated by Jenifer Donnelly)

Review by Chris Singer

About the authors:

Tom Garcia was born in Salamanca, Mexico in 1973 and grew up in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.  He is an attorney and co-author of the Daddy’s Heroes children’s books series. Tom co-founded Daddy’s Heroes, Inc. in 2006 with Karun Naga in an effort to help parents share unforgettable sports moments with their children.  The concept for Daddy’s Heroes was inspired by Tom’s nightly bedtime routine with his young son, where he would share his passion for baseball by recounting his favorite moments in baseball history. Tom and his wife, Emily, live in Santa Barbara, California with their two children, Jack and Enna.

Karun Naga was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1975 and grew up in Cleveland, Ohio and East Lansing, Michigan.  He is an entrepreneur and co-author of the Daddy’s Heroes children’s books series. Karun, an avid sports fan and former college baseball player, co-founded Daddy’s Heroes, Inc. in 2006 with Tom Garcia in an effort to help parents share unforgettable sports moments with their children.  Karun’s drive behind Daddy’s Heroes is fueled by his own enthusiasm for sharing his most cherished sports memories with his children and by the potential for making story time a more rewarding experience for millions of sports fans and their children. Karun and his wife, Haritha, live in Palo Alto, California with their twins, Arathi and Kushal, and dog Friday.

About the illustrator:

Jenifer Donnelly was born in Warren, Ohio and raised in Michigan and Pennsylvania. She graduated from LaRoche College, Pittsburgh, with a degree in Graphic Design. Her work experience includes design and fine art for many different clients, such as printers, advertising and design studios, magazine publications and government agencies. She embraced the changes in the graphics and printing industry during the evolution of desktop publishing. When not illustrating for Daddy’s Heroes, she is found creating fine art, working in watercolor, pastel, pencil, and oil. Jenifer lives in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania with her husband and two teenage daughters, who still enjoy reading a good picture book.

About the series:

The goal of the Daddy's Heroes book series is to foster stronger bonds between sports fans and their children. Retelling these unforgettable, historical sports moments will not only build these bonds, but will also help parents introduce their favorite sports to their children.

My take on the books:

Gibby's Homer: The 1988 World Series - The Los Angeles Dodgers were huge underdogs in the 1988 World Series against the Oakland A's, the most dominant team in baseball. While many thought the Dodgers were outmatched by the power of the Bash Brothers (Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire) and Dennis Eckersley's masterful pitching, Tommy Lasorda, Orel Hershiser and Kirk Gibson had other ideas. Kirk Gibson's game winning home run in Game 1 of the World Series propelled the Dodgers to the Championship. It was one of the greatest moments in baseball history. Gibby's Homer is a children's picture book that commemorates and celebrates this extraordinary victory and enables parents to share this magical moment with their children.

Kirk Gibson's homerun in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series might be one of the most memorable and extraordinary moments in all of baseball history. This retelling brought me back to when I was 16 years old and saw this live. The Dodgers were my favorite baseball team as a kid so this was a huge moment for me. I can still remember Dodgers play-by-play announcer Vin Scully's home run call (by the way, also the best home run call of all time!) and his comment while Gibby was coming to home plate, "In a year that has been so improbable, the impossible has happened!" This first book in the Daddy's Heroes series brings this memory alive for dads and their children to enjoy together. (Watch the video of Gibby's homer here).

The '86 Mets, Buckner & The Bambino - The second book in the Daddy's Heroes series tells how the New York Mets pulled off one of baseball's most unbelievable comebacks in the Game 6 of the 1986 World Series against the Boston Red Sox. The Mets, including players like Mookie Wilson, Gary "The Kid" Carter and Ray Knight, sent Bill Buckner and the Red Sox fans home in disbelief as they wondered if they will ever be able to break "The Curse of the Bambino."

To this day, memories of this game and Buckner's error still can bring looks of disgust and exasperation to the faces of Red Sox fans. I was never a really superstitious kind of person but I remember watching this game with my dad and saying something that the Curse of the Bambino must be real.

I love how the illustrations in this book bring the Bambino to life by including him in 12 of the illustrations. The illustration showing Buckner's error is classic! Dads will surely enjoy sharing this exciting baseball memory with their children. (Watch a video of Buckner's gaffe here)

The 2004 Red Sox, The Curse is Broken - The heroes of the newest Daddy's Heroes book, the 2004 Red Sox were the first baseball team in history to come back after being down 3-0 in a post-season championship series. Led by Courageous Curt, Big Papi, and Johnny D., they came back in Game 4 and won the next three games, beating their long-time rivals, the Yankees, and earning their spot in the World Series. The St. Louis Cardinals didn’t stand a chance as the Red Sox swept the series in four games. For the first time in 86 years, the Red Sox won a World Series Championship, breaking The Curse of the Bambino!

This latest release from the Daddy's Heroes team celebrates another fantastic moment in baseball history. There's plenty of heroes who starred for the Red Sox in 2004 and they play dominant roles in this book. Pitcher Curt Schilling will always be remembered for his toughness while playing with a bad ankle which often left his sock bloody. First baseman David Ortiz (Big Papi) also came through with clutch hit after hit. There was no doubt something special was going on and the famed Curse of the Bambino was in jeopardy as the Red Sox crawled back from a 3-0 series deficit to win the series against the hated Yankees.

Another terrific addition to the Daddy's Heroes series, this latest book is available just in time for Father's Day. Red Sox fans of all ages will want to share this book with their children.

My take on the series:

I love the vision and story behind Daddy's Heroes. Whether you're a fan of sports or of reading, it will be hard to resist any of the books in the Daddy's Heroes series. And what's not to like? The books not only do a terrific job of bringing sports memories alive for dads to share with their kids, but also help strengthen the bond between fathers and their children. Kids want to learn things about their dads and want to know what interests their dads. Sports are a great way to connect fathers and their children. When you combine these memorable sports events with reading, you really do have something special.

I can't wait to see what the Daddy's Heroes team comes up with next. My mind is already whirling with the possibilities. Maybe a story on Cal Ripken and the Streak or Drew Brees leading his New Orlean Saints to their first Super Bowl victory.

Be on the look out here at Book Dads for more about Daddy's Heroes and be sure to check their website out (www.daddysheroes.com) for more information and sample illustrations from their books.