Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, the actor, activist, and now author, has written her first children’s book, The Bench, illustrated by Caldecott Honor and Coretta Scott King Award Honor artist Christian Robinson, to be published on June 8. Inspired by her own family, the picture book depicts the special bond between father and son—as seen through a mother’s eyes.
The book, which will be edited by Mallory Loehr, will be published simultaneously by Random House Children’s Books in the U.S.; Tundra Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House Canada; and Puffin in the U.K., Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, India, and South Africa. The author will also narrate the audiobook edition, to be released in the U.S. and Canada by Listening Library, and in the U.K. by Penguin Random House UK Audio.
The Bench gives readers a window into shared and enduring moments of peace, trust, and comfort between a diverse group of fathers and sons. The Duchess of Sussex said in a statement: “The Bench started as a poem I wrote for my husband on Father’s Day, the month after Archie was born. That poem became this story. Christian layered in beautiful and ethereal watercolor illustrations that capture the warmth, joy, and comfort of the relationship between fathers and sons from all walks of life; this representation was particularly important to me, and Christian and I worked closely to depict this special bond through an inclusive lens. My hope is that The Bench resonates with every family, no matter the makeup, as much as it does with mine.”
