The Night Dad Went to Prison - Children's Book

Product Description

When someone you love goes to jail, you might feel lost, scared, and even mad. This colorfully illustrated book lets children know that they are not alone in this situation. It offers age appropriate explanations to help with difficult conversations. Told from the experience of a rabbit, this picture book is intended to make a parent's incarceration a little less frightening.

Features

• Used Book in Good Condition

Top Reviews

Teacher must have
by Sassieluvs (5 out of 5 stars)
July 21, 2015

I'm a teacher and I bought this book for my classroom library. This book is great to have to help students deal with their tough lives. A big hit in my classroom. UPDATED TO ADD: I had older students this year and wondered if the students who needed this book might find it babyish, but my 4th, 5th and 6th graders appreciated this book for the message it had. They liked knowing that there were enough other students dealing with the issue that a book had been created. I wish that there was another book similar to this that targets older elementary students.
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Super helpful for a confused 4 year-old boy
by Dauntless Birch (5 out of 5 stars)
June 12, 2019

My 4 year-old son was struggling with comprehending what happened after his father was arrested for domestic battery. In an attempt to help him understand and navigate his feelings, I ordered many books about loss, incarcerated parents, divorce, etc. For my son, this book outshone all others. He frequently requests this book and even asked if they could have a copy in his classroom. I purchased a second copy and will be donating it to his preschool class for any other children that have experienced the shock of a parent's arrest.
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My wife is a social worker and unfortunately for many ...
by JC (5 out of 5 stars)
December 21, 2016

My wife is a social worker and unfortunately for many children in foster care this is not an uncommon topic.
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Your child can now know and understand what's going on...
by Cat (5 out of 5 stars)
August 3, 2018

We most recently experienced a very close family member going to jail and being sentenced to prison time. The book brought out my sons deepest fears and pushed us in the right direction for healing. Every school social worker and therapist should have a copy.
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This is a really sweet and honest book for kids and I applaud the ...
by Rollerwings (5 out of 5 stars)
September 26, 2016

This is a really sweet and honest book for kids and I applaud the author for tackling this subject matter. To all the grown adults making horrible jokes about incarcerated parents in their "reviews" for this book, congratulations, you're no better than the bully who taunts the protagonist in this book by gleefully informing their classmates that his dad "got picked up by the cops last night." You're literally bullying little kids. Keep in mind that there may be children shopping on Amazon with a book allowance or a gift card, maybe looking for a self-help book that will aid them in their situation, and they really don't deserve to wade through shaming and ugly-minded reviews from adults who should know better.

Also, if you say you don't want your children to find this one on Amazon FreePlay, you might want to ask yourself why. It's certainly a book that merits further discussion between parent and child, but by reading it your child will surely become more empathetic toward his or her peers. If one in 43 American kids has really had a parent incarcerated at some point, that's one in every other class in a typical elementary school. You're doing your kids no favor by bubble-wrapping them and pretending nobody their age is facing this stuff. I bought this for my kids because they have people close to them and some friends with a parent who has been incarcerated, and kids do ask questions and deserve the truth.

Anyway, the book itself is very nicely written with a cast of anthropomorphic animals. The protagonist, "Sketch" Bailey, has two parents who live apart but seem to both be very involved in his life, and during a visit with his dad, he and his two younger siblings witness their father's arrest. This naturally frightens him, even leading him to question whether he might be in trouble as well, but a social worker stays with the children until their mother arrives. The nature of his father's crime is ambiguous, but Bailey's mother informs him that his father admitted he broke a law and will have to stay in jail for a while. Bailey acts out at school soon after, responding with anger (and an act of violence against inanimate objects) when one classmate calls him a "jailbird" and another tells everyone he witnessed his father's arrest, but he is helped by a guidance counselor who assembles a support group for children with incarcerated parents.

The ending page presents a real gut-punch, and it's beyond bittersweet yet realistic. Through Bailey's narration we learn that his dad will be in prison for six years, implying he'll likely be in his teens when his dad is released. He admits that he is still angry but he loves his dad and is working on forgiving him.

It's really commendable that this book never condemns the incarcerated parent but focuses on his good qualities. I wish I could say the same for the mean-spirited "reviews," but I digress. "Sketch" is understandably angry at his dad and unsure how to respond to him when he visits him in jail, but it's also implied that his mother believes in maintaining family ties between her children and their father.

Overall, I felt this was a great book that tackled some difficult stuff. Referring to a review below, it's probably too much to get into the morality of law and justice in a book for young children when they, at least right now, are probably just looking for answers as to why their parent was incarcerated. But this open-minded book could definitely serve as a springboard for parents and children to discuss laws, civil disobedience and other related topics.
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Great book for children going through this tough experience
by Amazon Customer (5 out of 5 stars)
December 17, 2016

Great book for children going through this tough experience. I'm a trauma therapist and use it for my kids at work.
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Must have
by Amazon Customer (5 out of 5 stars)
March 28, 2019

Awesome book, I got it for my 6yr daughter she loves it
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Loved it
by Micayla (5 out of 5 stars)
December 8, 2018

Written great. Helpful advice for kids struggling with a parent in jail/prison. Also acknowledges different feelings and emotions the child may feel and how to handle them
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Five Stars
by Eeyorelvr (5 out of 5 stars)
September 23, 2016

Another book to help young students deal with having a parent in prison.
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excellent
by Sharon J Wilson (4 out of 5 stars)
December 12, 2015

Very well done. The boxed comments are good informatIon as is the back matter. A must for all libraries. Recommended for school libraries.

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