Do I Have a Daddy?: A Story About a Single-Parent Child

by Jeanne Warren Lindsay, Jami Moffett (Illustrator)

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

Genres: Family, Parenting, Picture Books, Childrens, Emotion

48 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1991

Reviews

[Nora Ramirez · Rating 5 out of 5]

1- I really enjoy reading this book because it talks about single parents. Children need to hear more of this stories to help them with a difficult situation. With this book, they might understand that whatever is going on at home is not their fault they don't have a mom or dad. The pictures are great because each page shows the different emotions of each character in the book.

2- I think children would respond to this book with a lot of questions. While reading this book, I will stop and explain to them how the child feels not having his dad around. It is okay to have just one parent, and they will be okay.

[Aidalys Nazario · Rating 2 out of 5]

This story is about a single parent and the struggle of having a absentee parent (in this case a father). It does talk about emotions toward the situation. I don't like that it doesn't feel honest. There has to be more to the story to actually connect with children. I do feel it is for an older child, 5+ year old's. The illustration was good because it showed the emotions in the characters faces.

[Delia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was excited to read this stories take on single parent families. While reading the story, I was somewhat disappointed. I felt like there was a lot that was left out. The story was put in a very simple way which I suppose may be what a child needs, however I felt like it could have gone a little deeper. I do think that this using this story would be a decent way to lead into a discussion with a child who may be a single-parent child.

[Takeisha Hannor · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book deals with a child who is questioned by a peer... if he had a daddy. This book helps children deal with being raised by a single parent. Age appropriate for second grade students, very interesting book that children will enjoy.

[Amber Cook · Rating 2 out of 5]

Do I Have a Daddy is a realistic fiction story that discusses the questions a child may ask if they are raised by a single parent. The book that I have is an older version and the pictures are very outdated. However, I believe this read would be for older children.. maybe around 2nd grade. I enjoyed this book and how the mother explains that her son's father was in his life when he was younger but as time went on "he went away". I also like that the story explains that grandfathers and uncles can still be a form of a father figure. I believe that this would be a good book to refer to parents who have a hard time explaining why the other parent is not in the child's life. The story was very short and straightforward and the back my book gives some special resources for single parent's. Some including how to explain to a child if their dad returns in their life, risks of covering up, and the right time to talk about why daddy left. However, one of the biases this book portrays is that dad's are the only one's that walk out of children's lives.

[Kevin Denizard · Rating 5 out of 5]

1) 2nd-4th grade
2)no awards
3) This book follows young Erik on a journey to get some answers on his absent father. He finds these answer in the form of his mother who answers his questions in a loving way while also reassuring him on the possibility of getting a new father in the future
4.I love how the boom pulls no punches in terms of the questions Erik asks his mother about his dad . I also like how the book gives more help to parents in terms of dealing with their child.

5)learning about different parent situations, read on fathers day

[Sandy Champagne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this as a test to see if it was appropriate for my son. The subject is handled with grace, honesty, and sensitivity. Great resource in cases of divorce or abandonment. Wasn't really representative of my family's situation though.

[Makayla · Rating 1 out of 5]

Weird

[Megan Piero · Rating 3 out of 5]

This third person narrative tells the story of a young boy named Erik who is playing house with his friend Jennifer. When he accidentally drops a pan on Jennifer’s foot, she screams out “I’m going to tell my daddy”. Erik says he will tell his daddy too, but Jennifer tells him “you don’t have a daddy”. Erik’s feelings are hurt when he realizes that she is right and goes home to ask his mother about why he does not have a father. She then gently explains to him that while he does not have a father, she is there for him to give him extra love. As a teacher, I will use this book to talk about how to deal with conflict. I will explain to my students how even when someone accidentally hurts us, we must still use kind words. I will explain to my students how it is not kind to make fun of someone's home life, even when you are angry.I will have them act out a similar conflict but have them practice better ways to resolve the issue. The author, Jeanne Warren Lindsay, does a great job at using simple language to make this book accessible to young children (ex. "You might have a different daddy someday. If I get married, the man I marry will be your daddy,too"). This book relates to my topic of diverse families because not every family has two parents.

[Juso · Rating 3 out of 5]

This fictional narrative is a story about a young boy named Erik who questions why he does not have a father. As he and his friend Jennifer are playing, he accidentally drops a pan on her foot. As she screams out, "I am going to tell my daddy," Erik says he will tell his daddy too. However, after Jennifer tells him "You don't have a daddy," Erik's feelings are hurt and he goes home to figure out why he does not have a daddy. As a literacy teacher, I would use this text to explain how words can be very powerful and should be used appropriately ("Suddenly Erik started crying. Where is my daddy? he asked. Do I have a daddy? Jennifer says I don't have a daddy"). Students may interact with the text by doing an activity that shows a time when the student felt emotional about a particular situation. The author, Jeanne Warren Lindsay, has worked with single parents for 16 years. Therefore, Jeanne Warren Lindsay makes the text more authentic and personal. The author does a great job of breaking down complex issues such as the departure of a parent in a child's life, into a manner that children can understand. The text represents diverse families because the mom is a single parent.

[Elizabeth Mcdonough · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lindsay, Jeanne Warren (1991). Do I Have a Daddy?. Buena Park, CA: Morning Glory Press.

Subgroup:
Living with parents separately: Raised by a single parent and/or Divorced Parents
Genre:
Fiction
Topics:
The story of a young boy living with a single mom, interracial parents
Synopsis:
This story is about a young boy, Erik. He is questioning who is daddy is and why he is not around. His friend, Jennifer, has a family with a mom and a dad. He wonders why is family is not like that. He goes home from Jennifer's house and asks his mom about it. She explains to him that some mommies and daddies fall in love and get married, but his parents had him very young and were not ready for marriage. She explains that his father loved him and was proud of him. His mother does a good job of showing him how much she loves him. He also has other father figures in his life, his uncle and grandpa. The story also shows a multicultural aspect, Erik is biracial.

[Deianaira Earle · Rating 4 out of 5]

The genre of this book is realistic fiction and it deals with the topic of a single parent child. This a story about a young boy named Erik who finds himself questioning why he does not have a father. One day Erik and his friend Jennifer are playing and he accidentally drops a pan on her foot. Jennifer then goes on to tell Erik that she will tell her daddy on him and Erik replies by saying that he will tell his daddy too. However, Jennifer quickly reminds Erik that he does not have a daddy and Erik's feelings are hurt. He then goes home to figure out why he does not have a daddy. This story is interesting to children, offers children a variety of things to think about or question, and includes a rich, thick plot. The story is age appropriate for students at the elementary level and includes realistic, convincing characters. The illustrations are accurate in terms of setting, plot, and characters and the character represent a variety of cultural groups.

[A · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a picture book read aloud for young children who are curious about a parent who is not a part of their life. A young boy, Erik runs home hurt by another girl's remark that he does not have a daddy. Erik's mom reassures him that he does indeed have a daddy, but he just doesn't live with them. She explains that all families are different. Sometimes a mom and dad are married and they live together as they raise their child. Sometimes a mom and dad will have a child and not get married and they live separate. Erik's mom reassures him that his daddy was very excited when he was born and how much she wanted him. Although the mother gives a simple explanation for why Erik's daddy does not live with them and probably never will, it may be enough for a small child. Includes an extensive Special Section for Single Parents with tips on answering a child's questions. I liked the content of the book, but found the illustrations a little outdated looking. Good for grades PreK to 1.

[Alexandria Hiam · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a picture book read aloud for young children who are curious about a parent who is not a part of their life. A young boy, Erik runs home hurt by another girl's remark that he does not have a daddy. Erik's mom reassures him that he does indeed have a daddy, but he just doesn't live with them. She explains that all families are different. Sometimes a mom and dad are married and they live together as they raise their child. Sometimes a mom and dad will have a child and not get married and they live separate. Erik's mom reassures him that his daddy was very excited when he was born and how much she wanted him. Although the mother gives a simple explanation for why Erik's daddy does not live with them and probably never will, it may be enough for a small child. Includes an extensive Special Section for Single Parents with tips on answering a child's questions. I liked the content of the book, but found the illustrations a little outdated looking. Good for grades PreK to 1.

[Michaela Puglisi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book follows a young boy who is playing with a friend of his when all of a sudden they get into an argument. The friend tells the boy "I'm going to tell me daddy", sparking questions that the little boy has about his own father. When he goes to his mother she explains that at one time he did, in fact, have a daddy but that he wasn't able to stay around. The mother continues on to explain that although the little boy doesn't have a "dad" he still has father figures to look up to. I thought that this book was tastefully written. It treads the fine line of how to explain the situation of a single parent family to a young child. What I enjoyed most was the section in the back that was for parents. This section included single-parent testimonies. This book would be a good fit for children who are struggling with the fact that they only have one parent to raise them. It is important to teach children that their parents don't love them any less just because there is only one parent.

[Randie D. Camp, M.S. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is book is intended to be used by parents to help their children understand their feelings about not having a dad in their lives. It could also be used with other children to help them be accepting of others from single-parent homes. The main character Erik, is very young so the explanation and tips offered in this book are geared towards a younger age. Mothers using this book with older children would need to adapt the story to offer a more complete answer to the child's questions.

There is an author's note in the back that offers more information for parents, it does make note that some children come from single-father homes and their question might be, Do I Have a Mommy?, the same advice could be used in that situation as well.

The illustrations capture Erik's emotions but the are not overly attractive or interesting by any means.

[Cait · Rating 3 out of 5]

The main character in this story is ridiculed by a student in his class because he does not have a father. The story offers an explanation from his mother as to why he does not have a father in the way most of his classmates do. She explains to him the reasoning of why his dad left, but tells his his dad will always be there for him. He also has an uncle and grandfather who he spends time with and does have a strong male influence. The end of the story provides a "help section" for parents who may be explaining the same situation to their children. I would be careful as to only use this book as a read aloud-maybe even in small groups or with a few children who seem to need assurance on this issue. I would not allow children to independently look through the book as the section at the end may be inappropriate for them to read.

[Karley]

Do I Have A Daddy, by Jeanne Warren Lindsay, is a story about Erik and his confusion of where his dad is. Erik wants a dad, and wonders why his dad left. He asks his mom if his dad left because he did not like him. His mom reassures him that his dad loved him very much, but that there are many different types of daddies. Erik's dad was overwhelmed with the idea of having a baby, and so he left. This is a great story to show children single parent families, and the questions children that live in this family type have. My class could learn from this story, and gain a better understanding of the word family. Some of the children may relate to this story, and have the same questions as Erik. Lindsay writes a colorful story that explains single parenting in a more understandable way for children.

[Mackenzie Loula · Rating 3 out of 5]

Do I Have A Daddy? by Jeanne Warren Lindsay is an amazing book about a young boy named Erik who questions why he does not have a father in his life. Erik's feelings become hurt during an altercate with another child when the subject of daddies comes up, and Erik feels different and left out because he does not have a daddy. He goes home to try and find out why it is that he does not have a father. This book is a great way to talks about the different types of families we have in our classrooms. Children need to be aware that all families are not made up of mommies and daddies, and by reading this book, they will learn and be exposed to a child who does not have a father. As a future teacher, introducing this concept to my children through reading this book will help better their understandings of the different types of families.

[Keturah Reid · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about a young boy asking questions about his father. He has never seen him and questions his mother on his whereabouts. You clearly can see that this is a single parent home which ties into my text set on families. I think this story definitely offers children a variety of things to question or think about. I also think it includes a problem and solution and realistic characters. The illustrations represent the the terms of the setting and characters. I will say that there are no negative stereotypes of this type of family. The characters also used language that accurately represented their culture. Overall I enjoyed this book and think any single mom in this world should have it. It definitely opens and informs children of single parent families.

[Liane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Genre: Picture Book, realistic

Reading Level: Early

Topics & Themes: Single-mothers. Absent fathers. Male role-models. Question family status.

Curricular Use: Shared reading, lead to a discussion of different families. Independent reading for children with questions about non-traditional families.

Social: Families are different. Book helps parents openly and honestly discuss family situation.

Literary Elements: Conflict with Jennifer introduces difference of their families: two parent verses single parent. Section in back of book for use as a resource for single parents dealing with children's questions.

Text & Pictures: Interaction of text and pictures

[Chelsea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Warren, Jeanne (1991).
Subgroup: Single-Parent
Genre: Realist Fiction
Topics: Children or Single Parent, Psychology, Unmarried mother, Parental Deprivation
Synopsis: A little boy named Erik is playing with his friend Jennifer when an accident happens-- Erik drops a pan on Jennifer's foot! When she yells, "I'm going to tell my daddy!" Erik realizes that he has never known where or who his daddy is. The rest of the story is a discussion between Erik and his mother about what happened to Erik's father. His mother explains what happened in the best way possible. A great books for parents in this situation who need to know how to answer their children's questions.

[Carly Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

For Kirstin's Award

Level: Early Emergent

Genre: Picture Book

Topic: Single-parent families, a child only having one parent who lives with them

Social: A child of a single parent family asking questions about where the other parent is, a child finding out about what happened to their biological father, a young boy needing a strong father figure in his life

Curricular Use: Guided Reading or independent

Literary Elements: Dialogue, Conflict and resolution

Strong Connection between pictures and text

[Joanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about a young boy Erik who is taunted for not having a father. His mother tries to help him out by answering difficult questions by explaining the various types of families that exist and reassuring him of her love and the important role his uncle and grandfather play. This book illustrates the absence of a parent in a nurturing manner. Following the story is a section devoted to single parents, which provides tips and emphasizes the importance of being honest and remaining positive.

[Alison · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am not a fan of this book. This book seems very outdated, especially if you read the parent part at the end. All of the mothers interviewed for this book were unwed teen mothers. Yes this is something that still happens quite often but it is not the only reason that the father leaves. I understand that you do not want children believing that their parent did not want or love them but that can often be the reason for their leaving. I do like the fact that the author says that it is NOT THE CHILD'S FAULT that the father left.

[Kendra · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book about single parents. It was an easy read that children can understand. This book talks about a little boy who's father is not present in his life. It starts with the boy being teased at school by his peers about not having a father then when he gets homes he asks his mom why doesn't he have a dad. His mom basically tells him his dad left after he was born and did not marry her, but she explains that is okay because he has her and she loves him. This is a heart warming book I recommend to all single mothers.

[Kahlil Simpson · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book by Jeanne Warren Lindsay, attempts to help single-parent households explain the absence of a parent. Within the book the protagonist gets in an argument with another child and threatens to tell his father, only to realize he is not sure if he has one. The book does a solid job of describing the circumstances that cause families to split up (without having to defame the other parent).

However, the book is rather dated, and thus issues that arise are that the absent father happens to be African American, and the title alone assumes that Dad's are the likely parent to abandon a child.

[Chloe Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Do I Have a Daddy? is a great story to read to a child or class about families who are single parent households or if a child's father is deceased or not around. I think this book would be appropriate for kindergarten students. This could be great story for children to make connections with like if they come from a single household or even they can share something that makes their family special or different.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably best read one-on-one or in small groups so that discussion can be engaged in an authentic, inclusive way.

The intended audience of the "special section for single parents" wasn't entirely clear, but I wonder if it was intended for young, unmarried pregnant or parenting mothers for whom the child(ren)'s father is not in the picture. (This assumption would align with the author bio that describes Lindsay's years of work with teen parents.)

[Andrea Retana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book to discuss of different families.It has strong connections between pictures and text. I will like to read this book in my classroom because it would help students who come from single families to feel better about themselves.