When Dad's at Sea
Kindergarten-Grade 2–Emily has to deal with a long separation from her father, a Navy pilot, who goes to sea for a six-month deployment. To cope, she tears off a piece of a paper chain every day that he is gone, traces his journey on a map, and communicates with him via e-mail and telephone. With her mother's support and the help of a friend whose father is on the same ship, Emily feels less lonely. Warm text with soft watercolor illustrations results in a sensitive and caring title for those service families who go through long separations from loved ones. However, the Navy reflects the diversity of our country, so it's unfortunate that the book's illustrations don't show it. Still, the book is certainly useful for children needing this type of material.–Pamela K. Bomboy, Chesterfield County Public Schools, VACopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.