Do I Have a Daddy?: A Story for a Single-Parent Child [Paperback]

Jeanne Warren Lindsay (Author), Cheryl Boeller (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up

A single mother explains to her son that his daddy left soon after he was born. Includes section with suggestions for answering the question, "Do I have a daddy?"

--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 2-- When Erik asks his mother why he doesn't have a father, she tells him that he went away because he wasn't ready for the responsibility of caring for a baby. During her explanation, she reinforces that she'd wanted Erik very much. She also tells him that she and Erik's daddy were young and not ready for marriage. Dialogue is stilted, and plot developments are so forced that they can only be viewed as instructional contrivances. In fact, the story itself seems instructive; its energy does not flow directly to the child. The characters, drawn in pencil, look deformed. Their elongated bodies, dilated pupils, and odd-shaped faces contribute a strange feeling, and may communicate anxiety rather than reassurance. Following this story, a 13-page "Special Section for Single Parents" offers advice on explaining the situation to children as well as on psychological and legal issues. It is written clearly and directly, offering practical suggestions that are easily extracted and understood. Unfortunately, its location implies that it is secondary, and it casts too clinical a light on the story. --Liza Bliss, Leominster Public Library, MA
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

When Erik is taunted by his friend about not having a father, he goes home and confronts his mother: "Where's my daddy?" She answers his difficult question and others by explaining that there are different kinds of daddies, and Erik's was too young to take on the responsibilities of marriage. She reassures him that she will always be there for him and urges him to spend time with his uncle and grandpa who love him. Following the story is a section devoted to single parents, which, although seemingly geared toward less-experienced single parents, provides good tips for any single parent handling similar questions and emphasizes the importance of being honest and positive. The book will be useful in presenting the concept of single-parent families to a wide audience. Helen Rosenberg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Paperback: 46 pages
• Publisher: Morning Glory Pr; 2 edition (October 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 093093444X
• ISBN-13: 978-0930934446
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 7.9 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,169,669 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars my daughters favorite, April 25, 2002

By 

Maja Hadzic (Beograd, Serbia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Do I Have a Daddy?: A Story About a Single-Parent Child (Paperback)

If you are a single mom or dad raising your child alone this book will definitely be helpful for both of you.
It is my daughters favourite book for bed time reading. Written in such a simple manner it was easy for me to simultaniously translate and make it interesting in my language. It gave her a feeling that she is not the only kid living alone with mommy and gave her courage to ask more detailed questions while listening.

The sections for adults helped me more then all the other books written exclusively for single moms and dads.

If you are not certain, buy the book and will not regret it.

32 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not for Single Mothers by Choice, December 28, 2006

By 

A. N. Brown (Washington, DC United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Do I Have a Daddy?: A Story About a Single-Parent Child (Paperback)

This book is good for some situations, but it is not appropriate for planned single parent families, i.e. through donor insemination or adoption. More specifically, it is designed for talking about why the man who fathered you is not here, not for talking about why I chose to start a family with you without a father.

21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great book for single parents and their kids., February 7, 2000

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Do I Have a Daddy?: A Story About a Single-Parent Child (Paperback)

When his friend Jennifer taunts him with his not having a daddy, Erik goes to his mother and asks her why he doesn't have a father. Erik's mother explains the, like all children, Erik has a daddy but that she and his father never married. His father went away soon after Erik was born. But, she also tells him, "The important thing is I'm here for you." The presence of fatherless children is pervasive in our schools and communities. Do I Have A Daddy? is a sensitively portrayed story that young single parents and caregivers can use to help explain this critically important and emotionally laden issue with young boys and girls growing up with a never-married parent and the totally absent father. Do I Have A Daddy? is also available in hardcover.