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MWSA Review
On any given day, thousands of US military servicemen and women are deployed around the globe. Over two million have deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan over the last decade, and about half of those have deployed more than once. That equates to countless days and nights spent away from home—often more than a year at a time. Inevitably, the repeated and prolonged absences of so many fathers and mothers leads to stress, anxiety, and a feeling of loss at home. Although they don't fully understand what's going on, the youngest members of these military families are still very much aware that there has been a dramatic change in their lives.
It is for this reason that author Jesse Franklin and illustrator Tahna Desmond Fox's My Daddy Sleeps Everywhere is so timely. Using a series of short declarative sentences and a matching set of well-executed drawings of military fathers in various locales and settings, the book allows young children to imagine where their daddies might be sleeping on any particular night. Each drawing includes a black and white cutout of the sleeping father, so that children can put their own father "in the picture."
During these early, formative years, these young ones aren't yet ready to understand—much less worry about—what Daddy's work might entail. But by concentrating on where he might be sleeping (instead of what he's doing), the parent can share a comforting look at the varied locations where Daddy might be laying his head at night. In the end, they'll appreciate that, of all the places where he might be sleeping while he's away, his favorite is at home with his family.
My Daddy Sleeps Everywhere will appeal to military families with children one-to-five years old having a father who spends large stretches of time away from home on deployment.
Review by John Cathcart (April 2018)
Author's Synopsis
As military families tuck in for the night, their thoughts often turn to daddies who can’t always be home. This children’s military deployment book shows some of the many places daddy sleeps while he is away. In this wonderful story, daddy travels to every clime and place including the mountains, the prairie, the jungle, and everywhere in between. Though daddy’s particular location and sleeping arrangements are constantly changing, one thing never does. No matter how far daddy is from home, home is never far from his mind.
ISBN/ASIN: 978-1-938505-25-6
Book Format(s): Hard cover, Soft cover
Genre(s): Picture Book
Review Genre: Children & Young Adult—Picture Book
Number of Pages: 40