I Wish Daddy Didn't Drink So Much (An Albert Whitman Prairie Book) [Paperback]

Judith Vigna (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Grade Level: P and up | Series: An Albert Whitman Prairie Book

A young girl shares her feelings and frustrations about her alcoholic father's behavior.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2 A Christmas fiasco paves the way for young Lisa to share her feelings and frustrations about the duality of her alcoholic father's behavior, its immediate effect on their holiday celebration, and the long-term effects on her family as well. Skillfully interwoven is family friend Mrs. Field, a recovering alcoholic herself, who provides a somewhat happy ending to a relatively disappointing day. Vigna's familiar pastel watercolor washes provide a soft and gentle vehicle for depiction of both action and emotion. Although Kevin Kenny's Sometimes My Mom Drinks Too Much (Raintree, 1980) is the closest book in terms of target group, Vigna still reaches a younger audience in her brevity of text and emotional scope. A note to adults that provides insight into the child's feelings and tips for parents in assisting their child's understanding of the situation is appended. Addresses and telephone numbers are listed for Al-Anon and the Children of Alcoholics Foundation. This title is best placed in a parenting collection to facilitate and encourage sharing situations. A realistic portrayal that provides a balanced picture of the sober and alcoholic parent and an early primary age child trying to make sense of it all. Celia A. Huffman, Cuyahoga County Public Library, Ohio
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"Vigna still reaches a younger audience in her brevity of text and emotional scope."

School Library Journal

"Vigna's line-and-wash illustrations are adept and compassionate."

Kirkus Reviews

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company (January 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0807535265
• ISBN-13: 978-0807535264
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 7.9 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #449,304 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #23 in Books > Children's Books > Social Situations > Drugs
  • #45 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Teens > Social Issues > Drug Use & Abuse > Fiction
  • #46 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Issues > Drugs

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

42 of 57 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars This book is dangerous!, July 12, 2002

By 

Jennifer M. Macleod "yiddishe supermama" (Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: I Wish Daddy Didn't Drink So Much (An Albert Whitman Prairie Book) (Paperback)

(0 star review)

Happened across this book in the library, and I thought I'd put in a few words against it, since it's doubtless highly recommended among books to help kids "cope" with alcoholism in the family; that is, if your idea of teaching children to cope is training them to accept their fate, bury it in euphemism, and move on from one depressing day of abuse to another in the shadow of what this book seeks to excuse as a sickness.

The father in this book is typically horrendous, lying and near-abusing his daughter, yet the non-alcoholic mother insists on keeping her child in this situation, breaking down in tears rather than offering a beacon of safety in what must be the poor child's hopeless world.

True, this book is realistic. Yet I cannot imagine any parent or counsellor offering it to a child, since it doesn't offer any real advice besides
a) alcoholism is something to be ashamed of (the girl says she used to not have anyone she could talk to about her father, but now her mother has one friend she CAN confide in)
b) feel free to get out for an evening of fun before returning to the same bad situation.

Yuck, yuck and double-yuck. I'm all for building a body of fiction to help kids cope with issues, but this is a nasty addition to the bunch and could destroy more than a few already-fragile kids...

POSTSCRIPT, added June 16, 2010:
As adults, it's OUR job to protect kids. You wouldn't buy a book called "Pedophilia: my uncle has a disease and he can't help molesting me." Or would you?
If you're thinking of giving a child a book that encourages her to excuse a parent's inexcusable behaviour, please: skip the "understanding" literature and get the child out of the situation if you can.

16 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Warm but no-nonsense look at alcohol in the family, May 31, 2001

By 

Carol Watkins "Psychiatrist" (Parkton, Maryland, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: I Wish Daddy Didn't Drink So Much (An Albert Whitman Prairie Book) (Paperback)

A girl and her mother deal with the father's drinking during Christmas. The father builds his daughter a beautiful handmade sled, but is then too drunk to keep his promise to go sledding with her. Mother and daughter take theri Christmas turkey to the home of an older woman who is a recovering alcoholic. This woman provides them with a safe haven of understanding and acceptance. She acknowleges the hurt, but encourages the child to find ways to be happy even while her father continues to drink.

The story could help the child of an alcoholic understand that it is not the child's fault.

At the back of the book is information and a phone number for Alanon.

Carol E. Watkins, M.D.

2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great read but ..., January 16, 2011

By 

L. Butler - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: I Wish Daddy Didn't Drink So Much (An Albert Whitman Prairie Book) (Paperback)

Great read and very helpful. I recommend it if you live in a redneck area and your children's friends likely have alcoholic parents. My one caveat is that it needs a translation into Finnish.