To celebrate month of the military child, I have partnered with the National Center for Youth Issues to review a new book for military children that is hot off the press.

This book is written by Julia Cook, M.S. She is a well-known national author of children’s books, counselor, and an expert on parenting. To learn more about her, click here.  The illustrator for this story is Tamara Campeau.

Disclaimer: A free copy of this book was issued in exchange for an honest review.

Deployment: One of Our Pieces is Missing approaches the unique and positive qualities of a military family through the eyes of a child. It also describes the difficult parts of military life such as; starting over, deployments, pitching in until your loved one returns home, and reintegration of the service member after he or she returns home.

I love how this family of four is illustrated as puzzle pieces that fit together. This is extremely symbolic of a family structure and how things feel weird when one of your “Pieces is Missing.”  I also enjoyed seeing the family pet illustrated throughout the story and how deployment affects pets too.

One consistent theme in this story is about change. “Different is change, change is good, because change can help you grow.” Change is inevitable in military families, but it is more difficult for some than others.  The story provides nice advice from the parents about change that instills the positivity behind adaptation and how you can grow from it.

My Final Thoughts:

This book is packed full of vibrant images, rhymes, and a storyline that can resonate with all military children.  As a bonus, there are tips for deployment listed in the back of the book.  I would highly recommend this book to military families across the globe that have young children who need help understanding deployment and family dynamics.

Would you like to purchase a copy of this phenomenal book?
Click here to purchase this story.

© Strength 4 Spouses LLC, 2018.