> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://daysofadomesticdad.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # I'm Right Here: A Children's Book About the Bond Between Parent and Child - URL: https://daysofadomesticdad.com/im-right-here-childrens-book/ - Published: 2026-09-23T16:32:29.000Z - Updated: 2026-09-23T16:34:21.000Z - Author: Colby - Tags: Family After raising five kids, I've learned that some of the biggest parenting conversations happen at the most unexpected times. Sometimes it's in the car. Sometimes it's while you're trying to get everyone out the door. And plenty of times, it's at bedtime, when your child suddenly asks a question that deserves a much better answer than the one you were prepared to give. That's one of the things that caught my attention about *[I'm Right Here](https://www.brownbooks.com/shop/p/im-right-here)*, a new children's book from author Michelle Grace and illustrator Lea Androic. At its heart, the book takes a pretty big idea — the connection between a parent and child — and puts it into words and pictures that a young child can understand. *I'm Right Here* will be released October 6, 2026, by Brown Books Kids. ![Cover of I'm Right Here, a children's book by Michelle Grace illustrated by Lea Androic](https://storage.ghost.io/c/b9/55/b955f19e-2d72-43e0-ad6e-7ea2d292618a/content/images/2026/09/I-m-Right-Here-front-cover.jpg) ## A Story About Being Connected, Even When You're Apart The idea behind *I'm Right Here* is simple, but it's something most parents will probably recognize. Kids want to know we're there. That doesn't always mean physically standing next to them. As they get older, they start spending more time away from us. There are school days, sleepovers, trips to Grandma's house and eventually all of those much bigger steps toward independence. But especially when they're little, knowing that Mom or Dad is still there can mean everything. Michelle Grace uses the night sky, stars and the idea of a universe much bigger than ourselves to explore that connection between a mother and her child. The story tells a child that distance doesn't erase that bond. Even when two people aren't standing in the same place, the love connecting them is still there. It's a reassuring message, and bedtime seems like a pretty natural place for that conversation. ## The Story Behind the Story What makes *I'm Right Here* more interesting to me is where the idea came from. Grace didn't simply sit down and decide she wanted to write a children's book about motherhood. The story grew out of her own experience becoming a mom. Her path to motherhood came through surrogacy, and according to Grace, she became interested in early childhood development as she looked for ways to build a strong connection with her daughter. One of the things she kept coming back to was play. Not complicated activities or expensive toys. Just imagination, storytelling and turning everyday moments into something a child can participate in. Grace describes play and storytelling as ways she and her daughter learned about each other. As a dad, I think there's something pretty relatable about that. Parents spend a lot of time thinking we're supposed to teach our kids how the world works. Then every once in a while you realize they're changing the way you look at the world, too. For Grace, motherhood also brought creativity back into her life. Before becoming a mother, she had spent years building a life in New York City but felt like part of herself had faded along the way. She says becoming a mom helped reconnect her with that creative side. ![Author Michelle Grace with her daughter surrounded by children's books](https://storage.ghost.io/c/b9/55/b955f19e-2d72-43e0-ad6e-7ea2d292618a/content/images/2026/09/Michelle-and-Daughter-photo-credit-Theresa-Balderas-1.jpg) ## There's Another Layer to the Book There's also a family story behind *I'm Right Here* that gives the book's message about lasting connection a little more weight. Grace lost her own mother to cancer when she was 19 years old. Years later, becoming a mother herself caused her to think differently about her relationship with her mom and the connection that remained even after losing her. That experience eventually became part of the inspiration for *I'm Right Here*. So while the book is written for young children, the idea behind it stretches across generations. There's a daughter remembering her mother while also trying to explain to her own daughter that the bond between them isn't dependent on distance or time. That's a lot for a children's book to tackle. But maybe that's also why children's books can be useful. They give us a starting point. ## Books Can Open Conversations We Don't Always Know How to Start One thing I've learned from parenting is that you don't always need to have the perfect speech prepared. Sometimes you just need something that gets the conversation started. Books have always been good at doing that. A child may see stars and a mother carrying her little boy through a field of flowers. An adult reading beside them may see something completely different — growing up, letting go, losing someone you love or simply wanting your child to know you'll always be there. And then your child asks a question. That's when the book has done more than tell a story. It's created an opportunity to talk. For younger children who struggle with separation or simply want reassurance at bedtime, *I'm Right Here* could provide parents with an easy way into that conversation. ## About *I'm Right Here* *I'm Right Here* is written by Michelle Grace and illustrated by Lea Androic. Grace grew up in Brooklyn and now lives in Manhattan with her daughter. Her children's stories focus heavily on imagination, play and the connection between parents and children. Androic is a Croatia-based illustrator whose work often draws inspiration from motherhood, nature and womanhood. The celestial theme runs throughout *I'm Right Here*, with stars and the night sky helping visualize something children can't actually see: the connection they have with someone they love. The 32-page children's book is published by Brown Books Kids and is scheduled for release on **October 6, 2026**, with a list price of **$17.99**. It's intended for young children and works naturally as a bedtime story, but I think the more interesting part may be what happens after the story is finished. Because sooner or later, every parent has to figure out how to tell their kids something that sounds incredibly simple: **Even when I'm not standing right beside you, I'm still here.**