This book tells the story of a father who lives separately from his children. Every second Friday, Marge (aged 6) and Totty (aged 4) pack their bags with extra sets of clothes because they always get wet and messy. Their father’s house is so untidy it’s sometimes hard to find people. They love searching for treasure and dressing up, finding toys, having tea parties and dancing to old records. When they go to bed (they have to climb over things to get there), Dad tells them what fun he’s had and how special the girls are to him – he collects photos of them and their drawings – so that’s how they know that Dad’s house is their house too. This helps to reassure the children that, no matter how chaotic their loves may seem, they can be sure of one constant: they are special and loved.
Categories: Divorce / Separation, Non-traditional Families
Every Second Friday
This book may reinforce the fact that a parent's love for a child is constant regardless of circumstance. A child with parents living apart may identify with the children in the story.
Author: Kiri Lightfoot
Illustrator: Ben Galbraith
Publisher: Hodder Children's Books
Review by: Rosemary Griffith