This book is written by Chandelle Walker and illustrated by Joshua Allen. To learn more about Chandelle or to order your copy of her book, click here.
Disclaimer: A free copy of this book was issued in exchange for an honest review.
Daddy Left with Mr. Army approaches the topic of deployment and the many transitions the entire family unit goes through leading up to the day the service member departs. This story details, through a child’s eyes, how each family member deals with the news of the deployment from the mother being sad, to the dad explaining what the deployment means for the family unit. The child narrating the story also explains the day his father left and then he details how he coped while his father was deployed.
This book models strategies children can use to express their feelings about deployment. It provides a candid look at how each family member deals with military life pre-deployment and after the father leaves. In the very back of the book, the author lists helpful activities to assist your children through a deployment rotation.
One consistent theme in this story is the strength of a military family. It allows you to see how a family unit exists during military life, pre-deployment, and during deployment. This visual is given through the eyes of a child, who is the narrator of the story.
My Final Thoughts
This book is quite adorable. I love how it gives a beautiful visual of a military family through the eyes of a child. In a rhyming style, Daddy Left with Mr. Army details the many emotions and feelings children have as they go through the transition of a deploying family member. I highly recommend this book for military kids as they will find it very relatable. It can bring comfort and inspire them to share their feelings as well as cope while a family member is deployed.
© Strength 4 Spouses LLC, 2019.
Chandelle Walker was raised in Arizona and met her husband, Mike, in California while he was serving in the Marine Corps. They have two children and one funny Belgian Malinois/German Shepherd mix that they all adore. They have been an active duty Army family since 2003 and have persevered through many separations, including five deployments to Afghanistan and Korea, each being a year long. The Army has allowed them to have adventures in Alabama, North Carolina, and Texas. Chandelle enjoys writing poems, crafting, home decorating, playing the piano, being outdoors, and meeting new people. She looks forward to publishing more children’s books in the near future.
To Connect with Chandelle:
https://kidsbooksbychandelle.com/
