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Young Lune is sure her daddy tells the best stories. They all begin with “lakay,” which means “back home.” Originally from Haiti, Daddy has vivid memories of his homeland, which he’s eager to share with Lune. Some of the stories are funny—about a boy who climbs a mango tree and meets with a mishap. Some are both sad and joyful—about how Hurricane Flora washed away Daddy’s family’s gardens and trees, yet how his mother’s ingenuity and industriousness helped her family to recover. And some stories are about truth and love—about how a mother’s love and the embrace of a community help to keep children healthy.

Even though Daddy works long hours and comes home far past Lune’s bedtime, she waits up for him and he always takes the time to share a story even though he’s exhausted. Each time the magic and wonder of “lakay”—back home—are unveiled before Lune’s imagination.

When Lune’s mother tells her that she also has stories to share, the young girl imagines possibilities for Haiti and her own life, and can’t wait to share her story with Daddy.

In an author’s note, Arlene Elizabeth Casimer writes about her Haitian parents’ influence on her life and about how her father’s stories inspired her to write this picture book: “Their shared commitment to preserving Haitian food, language, and stories in our home influenced how I identify as a Haitian American: someone whose roots reach back home and whose trees and fruits flourish here in the United States.” She adds, “I wrote this book for every child who knows so much about their country of origin and yearns to visit ‘back home’ because of their parents’ commitment to sustaining their culture in a foreign land.”

. (Candlewick)