A Day With Daddy
illustrated by Nicole Tadgell
Scholastic, May 2004
ISBN: 978-0-439-56850-0

From the book

"Daddy comes for me
as soon as the sun
kisses my window...

We bop to the park.
When we get there,
we race
to the basketball court...

We go for burgers and fries.
I munch mine slowly
so the afternoon
will last forever..."

from A Day With Daddy
© 2004 by Nikki Grimes

About the book

More children than anyone can count suffer the pain of their parents' divorce. Fortunately, there are fathers who opt to stay in the circle of their children's lives.

No matter how wonderful the newly-single mother may be, time spent with Daddy is still precious to a child. Even if it's only a day, father and child can make the most of it. That's what A Day With Daddy is all about.

Reviews

"Upbeat without being preachy or sentimental, ... titles in the new Just for You! easy-reading series tell realistic stories of African American family life with excitement and grace. ... In A Day with Daddy, a boy living with his mom talks about having fun with Dad on their weekly outing. Grimes draws on personal memories of growing up in a divorced family, and her simple, poetic words describe what goes on until the boy returns home with “enough happy / to last me one week.” The separation is here as well as the joy, and Tadgell’s exuberant watercolors show the family bonds, the longing, and the love. [The book includes] excellent notes for adults and suggestions of things they can do with their children." ––Hazel Rochman, Booklist