Coming November 2026!

The
Father's Day
Potato

A tender picture book about motherful families — and the love that grows them.

About the Book

A story for every kind of family.

When six-year-old Sam is asked to make a “Father's Day Potato” at school, he feels confused and a little left out — because he doesn't have a dad.

Through a thoughtful conversation and a sunny day at the park with his mom, Sam discovers that families come in many shapes — and that love, not labels, is what truly matters.

32

pages

6–8

ages

7

potatoes

∞

kinds of love

Why It Matters

A book that meets kids where they are.

01

Supports kids in single-parent and non-traditional families.

Sam's story shows children who don't have a dad that they belong, fully and completely.

02

Encourages empathy and inclusion in the classroom.

A gentle anchor for teachers navigating Father's Day projects with care.

03

Opens the door for important conversations.

A natural starting point for parents to talk about love, family, and difference.

04

Gentle, age-appropriate, emotional storytelling.

Tender, honest and never heavy-handed — written for hearts ages 6 to 8.

The Cast

Meet the Potatoes

Seven potatoes, seven kinds of love.

Papa Russet

tells the best dad jokes

Uncle Buttons

sews everyone’s costumes

Coach Spud

cheers from the sidelines

Scout Tater

leads the campfire songs

Pop Pop Pete

reads the bedtime stories

Big Spud

gives the warmest hugs

Pop Pop Pete

reads the bedtime stories

Big Spud

gives the warmest hugs

Grandpa Yukon

grows the family garden

Early Praise

What people are saying

“

“Each time I read this beautiful book, tears come to my eyes, and I feel a lump in my throat. The story skillfully pushes back on stereotypes that cause pain for those who don't fit an idealized version of 'family'. With its beautiful illustrations, it offers both children and the adults in their lives a loving way to hold important conversations when the children they love are hurting, feeling sad and puzzled by what is happening to them. This story and its illustrations are profoundly and wondrously poignant — a unique contribution to children's literature, valuable for humans of all ages who are in the lives of children.”

— Donna Haig Friedman, Ph.D. Ally and Co-Director, National Leadership Team, ATD Fourth World USA https://atdfourthworld-usa.org/ Former Director, Center for Social Policy, University of Massachusetts Boston https://www.umb.edu/csp/

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Meet the Author

Stacy Randell-Shaheen

Storyteller · Mom · Educator

Stacy Randell-Shaheen is a social justice advocate and educator who has worked with children, teenagers, adults and families for over 40 years. She wrote the story as one way to explain father absence to her own child and help other mothers or caregivers to do the same. Despite stereotypes and negative assumptions, children raised in loving single parent homes can achieve whatever they imagine. Their families are not "broken" by fatherlessness. The positive and powerful impact on children from motherful homes is limitless.
Children from all types of families will benefit from the story as they build empathy and understanding for peers whose families do not look like theirs.

Illustrations by Farheen Fatima https://www.behance.net/farheenbookartist