Sam and his Dad

by Robert Loran Floyd

Overview

Sam was a small boy the smallest in his class. And he couldn't catch a ball or even throw a pass.

How can a small boy named Sam feel larger than life? All he needs to do is spend a day on the golf course with his dad. Sam and his Dad is the delightful rhyming book for readers ages five- to fifteen-years-old that teaches them how to gain confidence in life, while always doing the right thing.

Young Sam is so small that the other kids in school will not invite him to play any sports. When his father takes him on the golf course for a day, he soon learns that he has skills that have nothing to do with being big or small. Not only that, but Sam discovers that some of the most important skills he has have more to do with making good choices in life.

As Sam travels the golf course, children everywhere will learn important lessons about sportsmanship, fair play, and growing up, no matter what size they are on the outside. Join Sam and his dad on the golf course, and discover what it really means to hit it right!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781493625130
Publisher:	CreateSpace Publishing
Publication date:	06/13/2014
Series:	Sam and Life Lessons , #1
Pages:	26
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.07(d)

About the Author

Robert Loran Floyd is the son of famed golfer Raymond Floyd. He wrote his rhyming children's book, Sam and his Dad, in order to teach lessons about life and honor. He is married with one daughter, Ella, who was the inspiration for the book.

Editorial Reviews

2014-07-24
A little boy golfing with his dad learns some valuable lessons in Floyd's brightly illustrated children's book.Sam may be small for his age, but he enjoys a Saturday golf game as much as any grown-up. When he and his dad spend a day on the golf course, Sam encounters a problem that requires him to rely on his own judgment for perhaps the first time in his life. Sportsmanship and honor play a large role, as Sam confronts the possibility of taking credit for something he did not earn. The way he chooses to proceed, and how his father responds, provides young readers with a familiar but powerful lesson. Sam's simple, sudden reward for choosing wisely may seem contrived to adult readers, but kids will love it. Although the story is ostensibly about a golf game, it speaks on a deeper level about the precious nature of the parent-child relationship and the basic ethical principles of honesty and integrity. The bonding experience of a young child and a parent playing a sport together will also resonate with many readers; Sam gets a feeling of confidence when he receives the support of his father, which provides another valuable lesson. The book's greatest strength is its fantastic illustrations, which are displayed in a classic Sunday-comic style reminiscent of Bil Keane's The Family Circus. The author's passion for golf shines from the pages, but the book doesn't require readers to have knowledge of the game. The rhyming verses are never awkward; the lines flow easily with a gentle meter, well-suited for reading aloud. A couplet just before the end, however, features the first-person voice of an unseen narrator, which is a puzzling choice: "Sam never will forget that day; neither will I, / as I couldn't help looking up into the sky."A simple, timeless story of family values.

Kirkus Reviews