La Plata Author Passes On Lessons From Grandfather In Children's Book Series

Destiny Phillip wrote her Dear Papa Hayes! series of three books in memory of her "Papa," Milford Lee Hayes, Sr.  

"Dear Papa Hayes! exists to share joyful stories based on lessons from my grandparents with other people with kids," Phillip said. 

Some of the lessons she tells through the books aim to encourage children to believe in themselves, to be kind, to be brave, and to cherish moments with their families. 

"Now that I have a child of my own, I'm thinking like how do I bottle up all of those good lessons," Phillip said. 

She says featuring children of color in the books is also important. 

"I want to showcase black and brown kids and to show the joy that exists in our households," Phillip said. "And so, I want kids to be able to see themselves on the cover of these books and I want them to read the story and relate to Papa." 

Phillip said that the Dear Papa Hayes! series is also giving back to the community. 

Half of the book sales will go toward purchasing school supplies and book bags for kids. 

Phillip said she is soon going to be working with different Major League Baseball teams to promote literacy and spark other conversations. 

"We are partnering with MLB to further the conversation around literacy and baseball and representation," she said. 

Her books are available for purchase on her website dearpapahayes.com and at Target.com and Walmart.com.