I Live With Daddy

by Judith Vigna

Olivia, who lives with just her dad since her parents got divorced, has chosen to write a book about her mom's glamorous career as a TV reporter but manages to show that she loves both her parents equally.

29 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 1997

Reviews

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book really touched my heart because how real this social issue is in today's world. Olivia is the the little girl who seems to be stuck in the middle of her parents relationship. Most children at a young age are confused as to why their parents aren't together and may find a point in time to blame themselves and think that they're the reason as to why their parents aren't together just like Olivia did. Growing up with one parent may be really hard especially for kids because they would rather prefer to live together and don't seem to understand why they can't all live together as a family. One parent may be very busy and can't always be around their kids life as much as the other parent and in this case it was Olivia's mom. Olivia regretted writing her book about her mom because it was her dad that was always around and was always at her school events even if he had to leave school early. She felt like she was letting down her dad by just writing about her mom when he's been around more. Olivia ended up showing that she loved both of her parents equally no matter what. She didn't hold any grudges against her mom because she was hardly around or didn't hate her mom, but she completely understood her instead.

[Deserae Duran · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is great for children with divorced parents to read. It is about a little girl who lives with her dad and how much fun they have together. It's also about the little girl and her mother's relationship. Her mom is very busy with work and makes time when she can but the daughter loves her no matter what. Towards the end the daughter is afraid her dad may leave because she doesn't appreciate him enough so she dedicates her book to him. This book is aimed towards an older audience because there is more text than the younger ones books. The illustrations are not as colorful but they still do their job!

[Delaney Mohr · Rating 5 out of 5]

I Live with Daddy by Judith Vigna was an inspiring children's book. The pages in the story are full bleed to make you as the reader feel like you're immersed in the story. The colors were bright and the book was landscape so that pictures could carry on from one page to the next. This book was interesting, because typically you do not see children living with their dad for most of the time and see the dad more involved than the mom. I like this book, because the dad is the more involved parent and you can tell how much he loves his daughter. Dad's are not always the bad guy and that can be shown in this story. I would read this to my class.

[Margo Schulz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Judith Vigna's I Live with Daddy is about Olivia and how she is coming to terms with her parents recent divorce. Olivia lives with her dad, and only gets to see her mom on the weekends due to her busy work schedule as an anchorwomen. The story really shows just how confusing a divorce can be and how balance between parents can be difficult. For a child going through the same thing, I think this story is a perfect way to help explain that it's not the child's fault and the effects divorce can have on a child.

[Molly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oof, this one was... tough. Points for being a divorce story where the child lives mainly with their father, and points for being about one of the lesser-discussed aspects of shared custody, which is when one of the parents is kind of flakey and doesn't show up for things or is always very busy. I appreciate that they're like, "Your mom loves you- she's just very busy," but... yikes. This would be one I would probably only recommend if a family was experiencing that specific situation- otherwise, I think it's kind of upsetting.

[Jaelyn Stock · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book spoke to me, as a child that lived with her father due to divorced parents I was able to connect with the young girls consistent concerns. The tone is young girl that is confused and concerned. She talks about not seeing her mom due to her career and even though she has a great Dad, she keeps thinking about the reasons why she doesn't see her but also mentions her a lot even though her mother isn't in their day to day life. The illustrations are very soft, yet detailed in the little girls consistent concerns and thoughts of her mother.

[Ren Turner · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think books such as these are very important because they can help children have more of an understanding about having divorced parents. Whether their parents are still together or are separated, the concept of divorce can be confusing. Books like this explain the concept of your parent needing to work, or not being around in a way that a child might gain more clarity about their own situation.

[Becca Roy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A cute story about a little girl living with her dad and wishing her mom visited more. She writes a story about her mom but when her mom doesn’t show up she dedicates it to her dad. An important story for kids to feel seen.