Hammer and Nails

Nominee:
Colorado Libraries for Early Literacy CLEL Bell Award, TALK
2017-2108 Chickadee Award


Darcy has plans. She and her friend are going to play dress up, do each other’s hair, and polish their nails. Daddy has plans, too. He’s going to read the paper, mow the lawn, and fix the fence. When Darcy’s friend cancels and she’s sure her day is ruined, Daddy suggests that they tackle their to-do lists together with a Darcy-Daddy Day. Daddy dons a tutu, and Darcy gives him a fancy hair do. They groom the lawn with Her Majesty’s Mowing Service and face off in a Daddy-directed sock battle. But will Darcy want to hammer? Will Daddy do nails? Stepping outside their comfort zones, Darcy and Daddy opt to be open-minded and even a bit daring. As Daddy says, “Sometimes things you’ve never done end up being fun!” With a gung-ho attitude, Darcy masters the hammer, and Daddy goes for it with the nails.

Josh Bledsoe is a debut author and elementary school teacher who loves hanging out with his kids. He has, at one time or another, played hair and nail salon, designed epic obstacle courses, worn a tutu, and made sandwiches out of waffles. He lives with his wife and two children outside Nashville, TN. Jessica Warrick creates humorous children's book illustrations from her home studio. Her work has appeared in Weekly Reader, and this is her eighth picture book. She lives in Portland, OR.