When Mama and Daddy Bear tell Dinah that they are getting a divorce, Dinah is very sad and scared. Where will Daddy go? Will she see him again? Over time, though, Dinah learns that while Daddy isn’t living with them anymore, many of the best things stay the same: Mama will always be her mama, Daddy will always be her daddy, and they love her very much. A brief note for parents is included.
Spelman, a social worker, has written a book on divorce for the very youngest children, trying to reassure them that although both parents will not be living with them, both parents will always love them…A sensitive book that should have wide use.
Told from the perspective of Dinah, the youngest in the Bear family, this simple story captures very young children’s perceptions of divorce, along with their questions, emotions, and fears. Spelman shows how divorce disrupts the sameness children depend on in their lives and their need for reassurance as they become secure with their new situation. Parkinson’s watercolors effectively convey the story’s message.
This book provides reassurance that, as painful and confusing as a divorce may be, it does not mean that both parents will no longer be part of a youngster’s life…The words used to describe the divorce and what it means are carefully chosen, and the expressions on the bear characters’ faces are appropriately sad. However, the message of this book is that life goes on.
