Saying Goodbye to Daddy [Hardcover]

Judith Vigna (Author), Abby Levine (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1991 | Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

Frightened, lonely, and angry after her father is killed in a car accident, Clare is helped through the grieving process by her mother and grandfather.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3-- Through a third-person narration, readers learn of Clare's emotions after her father dies in a car accident. What she experiences are universal stages of grief, all explored realistically. Her grandfather is a strong, sensitive character who knows how to re-direct her actions. He tries to answer her questions; when he cannot, he provides her with avenues of thought. The illustrations--a combination of watercolor, colored pencil, and ink--are childlike in perspective and placed on the right-hand page, opposite the text. Overall, the drawings are competent, although the location of the pipe organ in the church is highly unlikely. The writing is weak and not at all eloquent. Grammar is questionable, word order is discordant and does not read aloud well, and there are inconsistencies in the use of action words. However, the subject is addressed in a straightforward, accurate manner, and the book will suit those who need to explain the death of a parent. Acceptable for collections that can support another book on the grieving process. --Carolyn Vang Schuler, Monroe County Library System, Rochester, NY
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Vigna is an Albert Whitman author.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company; 1 edition (January 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0807572535
• ISBN-13: 978-0807572535
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 8.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #934,320 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Saying Goodbye to Daddy, July 10, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Saying Goodbye to Daddy (Hardcover)

Saying Goodbye to Daddy is a good resource for when a child has lost a parent suddenly. It starts off with breaking the news to the child. The feelings of confusion, saddness and anger are well described in this book. It gently discusses the finality of death in a way that mimimizes the fear. It also discusses the funeral home and the funeral. The child is given the opportunity to deside if she wanted to go to the calling hours and the funeral. The child was allowed to be angry. She was allowed to discuss her fear that she had somehow caused the accident because her father was upset with her breaking a cup. She was supported by a sensitive and loving family. She was assured that she would always be taken care of. The story showed that the adults were also grieving but they were able to provide the needed support this child.. There was an adult always present with the child and the adult was supportive, kind and loving. Overall, the story shows the need for a child and their family to talk openly about death, reminissice about the person who died , discuss the rituals following the death...ie calling hours, funeral and to discuss feelings after a significant loss. Due to the support given by the family, the child has a degree of peace by the end of the book. Good book for schools, churches and other community resources that might be tapped by people in the community who may be faced with having to provide some support to a child who has had a parent die. I will be adding this book to our Hospice library.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Extraordinary grief book for a young child, October 30, 2010

By 

wildflowr (Plano, TX United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Saying Goodbye to Daddy (Hardcover)

I've meant to write a review about this book for a very long time but, sadly, never had the time so I hope to make up for that now. But perhaps it was for the best because, in retrospect, this book was even more valuable than I thought it was when I first found it.

My husband died suddenly when our daughter was less than three years old and I was feeling my way around helping us best deal with our grief. While I had dealt intimately with the deaths of several friends after long-term illnesses, I had never before lost a spouse or dealt with the grief of a young child. I searched extensively for a book that dealt (at least broadly) with our situation while not coming across as a simple lesson plan or a bit sanctimonious with platitudes.

"Saying Goodbye to Daddy" was perfect for us. The story encompasses a lot of the issues we went through, from telling her about her father's death to dealing with funeral choices. The book is elegantly understated yet bravely addresses what are very hard situations to live through, and does it with beautiful and touching illustrations. There is a very poignant scene where the mother brings the father's wallet to the daughter and they go through it together, discussing the picture of the daughter, and an item from an event the daughter and her father shared together that were found in it. This opened the door for my daughter to ask if we could do the same thing with her father's wallet, and it was a very healing instance for us.

I've seen some reviewers recommend this book for children of kindergarten age and older but it was just as pertinent when my daughter was three. Although I tentatively read it to her one afternoon to see how she responded to it, it was her choice to read it before bed every night for months. It was almost like she was fitting the pieces of her emotions into the context of the book's topics. She gradually stopped selecting it but would revisit it frequently over the next couple of years. It's still on her bookshelves and she's a teenager.

If you're in a similar circumstance and have sought out this book because of that (and, if so, my heartfelt condolences), I can honestly say you can't go wrong with this book. It's a gem and I'll always have a warm spot for it in my heart and memories.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The power of feelings, February 23, 2009

By 

Barbara Harris (Ft Sill, OK USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Saying Goodbye to Daddy (Hardcover)

I purchased this book for a four-year-old little boy who lost his father in a car accident last month. Although Andrew is not ready to finish the book yet, introducing the book to him has allowed him to try to process this tragedy in his life. Andrew IS angry, and this book not only acknowledges his feelings, but shows that they are legitimate and OK. How appropriate that the author also goes through the wake and funeral so that children will understand that their experiences and feelings are shared by other children facing this situation. The author helps children who must face sudden death by presenting the step by step ritual of mourning in a way that gives children the opportunity to share their feelings and talk through them.