Winner of a Coretta Scott King Illustrator Medal and the Boston Horn Book Award

A simple, powerful book for children, about an absent father and the love he leaves behind

Every morning, I play a game with my father.

He goes knock knock on my door

and I pretend to be asleep

till he gets right next to the bed.

And my papa, he tells me, "I love you."

But what happens when, one day, that "knock knock" doesn't come? This powerful and inspiring book shows the love that an absent parent can leave behind, and the strength that children find in themselves as they grow up and follow their dreams.

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What's Inside

Praise

Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award Winner

ALSC Notable Children's Book

Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards Picture Book Honor

Notable Children's Book in the English Language Arts

Children's Book Committee at Bank Street College Best Books of the Year

A Huffington Post Best Picture Book of the Year

"Bryan Collier's richly textured illustrations and the lyricism of Beaty's text-with its echoes of spoken-word poetry-make this story of bereavement also a story of possibility and beauty."—The New York Times Sunday Book Review

"Challenging but ultimately uplifting, Knock Knock is a thoughtful meditation on grappling with the sometimes uneasy legacy passed down to us by our parents."—The Huffington Post

*"By sharing his experience, explained in an afterword, Beaty lends his voice to children struggling with the absence of a parent and the grief that goes with it."—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"The text, powerful and spare, is well supported by Collier's watercolor and collage art...there is a lot going on in the mind of any child who has been denied a parent, for whatever reason. In this book they will find comfort and inspiration."—The Horn Book

"A poignant [and] heart-wrenching tale of love, loss, and hope."—School Library Journal

"The desire for guidance encountering life's experiences is told from a small child's point of view with candor, as well as hope...."—Booklist

"The intimate nature of the text and the detailed visual environment are more suited for close sharing than a storytime, but the book's versatility suggests that it will see extended use."—The Bulletin

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What's Inside

Praise