Daddy's Heroes - Illustrated Childrens Books - Unforgettable Sports Moments to Share with Children!


The Story of Daddy's Heroes

As the dad of a 2-year-old boy, I enjoyed reading bedtime stories each night with my son.  I found, however, that I was always searching through huge piles of books for the perfect story to read to him; something was missing.

A good story and the way it’s received is very much dependent on its delivery.  With enough enthusiasm and excitement, the reader can catch a young child’s attention and help drive the imagination.  A story well told can evoke that “sparkle” in a child’s eyes.  Though my son and I were spending quality time in an activity that we both enjoyed, I didn’t feel I was capturing his attention.  I had difficulty connecting with the books I read to him and, in turn, couldn’t tap into his imagination.  I was frustrated that there was no “sparkle”. 

Then one night, we had a breakthrough.  My son asked me to tell him a story about baseball.  Since we did not have any baseball books, and because I have zero imagination, I told him a true story about my favorite baseball team – the 1980 championship-winning Philadelphia Phillies.  As I recounted Mike Schmidt’s towering homeruns, Pete Rose’s head-first slides and Tug McGraw raising his arms in victory following the last out of the World Series, I could feel my excitement growing as I relived those memorable moments.  I was a child again.  But what was even more exciting was the look in my son’s eyes as I told the story – there was that elusive “sparkle!”  Needless to say, at bedtime from that night on I was sure to hear the familiar question, “Daddy, will you tell me a baseball story?” – and Daddy’s Heroes was born.  T.G.

 

About the Authors & Illustrator

Tom Garcia
Co-Founder, Daddy’s Heroes, Inc.

Tom Garcia and Son Jack Garcia, Daddy’s HeroesTom 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
Co-Founder, Daddy’s Heroes, Inc.

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.

Jenifer J. Donnelly
Artist/Illustrator

Jenifer Donnelly realized at an early age that she enjoyed the visual arts and was fortunate to experiment with many art mediums at a young age. The opportunity to illustrate a children’s book is a dream come true. Her source of inspiration came years earlier during the many library trips with her two girls gathering picture books to read. Already an accomplished artist and designer, she embraced the challenge to create illustrations for the Daddy’s Heroes stories.

Jenifer 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.

 

 

 

 

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