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Reassuring children that they are loved despite the fact that a parent sometimes needs to be absent for extended periods. Acknowledging separation anxieties and sadness children may experience when a parent is away from home.
A young girl writes to her father who is absent on board a ship on which he works. She relates events from her day, family activities and news of friends. She tells him that she, her mum and little brother think of him all the time, miss him lots and are looking forward to his return in the summer. At the end of the book, Daddy gets off the bus and they are reunited in a bear-hug. This book is cleverly laid out with the pages divided into three sections (double-spread), one above the other. The top shows pictorially what Daddy is up to on board, the second (largest) section is a picture of the girl living her day to day life at home, whilst the bottom section is the text of her letters, which is brief. The pictures are full of detail and great for discussion with a child, and frequently the text links what Daddy is doing to what is happening at home – “the teacher showed me on a big map where you are going on your ship” – keeping the connection despite the physical separation.