Her Name Was Portia
Plus a free Father's Day printable and everything you need to know about the Summer Reading Challenge
Father’s Day is just around the corner, so in this issue we’re saving you some time and helping your little ones add a personal touch to the special day.
Here’s what’s inside:
🎁 A free Father’s Day printable your child fills in as a gift for Dad — questions, drawings, and memories he’ll hold onto forever
📚 Book recommendations featuring diverse families and incredible father figures — perfect for reading aloud this weekend
☀️ Everything you need to know about the Repped & Rooted Summer Reading Challenge — launching June 21
🖤 A sneak peek at the Roots Pack — 8 Black Canadian history books for children coming soon
🎤 And a video celebrating the remarkable Portia White — a Nova Scotia legend whose voice changed the world, and whose father is a legend in his own right.
Let’s get into it.
Hair Love by Matthew A. Cherry and Vashti Harrison
Celebrates the beauty of natural hair
Promotes self-confidence
We Are Family by Patricia Hegarty and Ryan Wheatcroft
Diverse families
Getting through ups and downs together
Lola Loves Stories by Anna McQuinn and Rosalind Beardshaw
Reading aloud with family
Celebration and wonder of books
Tuesday is Daddy’s Day by Elliot Kreloff
Co-parenting
LGBTQ+
You Made Me a Dad by Laurenne Sala and Mike Malbrough
Bond between father and child
Biracial family
Back Home by Arlene Elizabeth Casimir and Ken Daley
Importance of history and heritage
Magic and power of storytelling
A Family is a Family is a Family by Sara O’Leary and Qin Leng
Diverse families
Pride in unique family structures
Daddy Speaks Love by Leah Henderson and E.B. Lewis
Activism and social justice
Bond between father and child
Father’s Day can also be a difficult day. This Big Heart by Lindsay Ruck and Bria Miller is for anyone who has lost a loved one and reminds us that we feel so much because we love so much.
DIY Gift Sorted
Skip the mug and socks this year and have kids create a keepsake for Dad that comes from the heart (and also keeps them busy for a few minutes!).
Portia White - breaking barriers around the world
Portia White was a trailblazer who broke down barriers as a contralto, performing on stages around the world. And in keeping with the Father’s Day theme, her father, William A. White, was a well-known minister and army chaplain. Gather round with your littles and check out this video celebrating the amazing story of Portia White!
Click Play button — it will open the newsletter in your browser and just scroll down to the video to watch.
Portia White is one of eight trailblazers who will be featured in The Roots Pack - our first published book collection celebrating Black history and heritage! Any guesses who else will be featured in this series?
Repped & Rooted Summer Reading Challenge
We are SO excited to launch the Repped & Rooted Summer Reading Challenge on June 21!
Here’s what you need to know:
How do we participate?
If you’re a Repped & Rooted subscriber, then you’re in! A Summer Reading Tracker will land in your inbox on June 21 (the first day of summer!)
Does it matter what kids read?
Nope! From board books to graphic novels, we want kids to find books that excite them and keep them interested all summer long. Our biweekly newsletter will always have a shelf spotlight to help inspire a child’s next great read.
How do we track their progress?
We’ll be sending you two trackers. Kids can pick to use one, or use both; just make sure you fill out the form (which will land in your inbox in August) by September 1, and include a pic of a tracker so we have your information for the draw.
What do we win?!
Great question. We don’t want to give it all away, but there’s a pretty good chance books will be part of your prize bundle. And so much more!
We’re SO excited you’ve joined the Repped & Rooted fam!
P.S: If you like what you see (and read) then help us spread the love by sharing our link (reppedandrooted.com) with your friends and family. Every subscription keeps us creating!
Happy reading!