I recently had the opportunity to read a brand new book written and illustrated by Kathleen Edick and Paula Johnson, titled We Serve Too! A Child’s Deployment Book.
I absolutely recommend this book for all children with deployed or soon to deploy parents and think every installation should have a copy of it.
I say I had an opportunity to read it but that isn’t really true. When the book arrived, I opened it and before I could flip open the cover, my 16 year old said, “Oh cute! Can I see it?” and promptly sat down to read it. Then 24 year old said, “Let me see it!” and read it. Enter 20 year old who said, “How sweet! My turn!” and took it to read. My turn FINALLY arrived and I was able to read it. Who would have thought my girls would be interested in a book about daddy deploying?
Written from the perspective of a little girl, using rhyme and language military “brats” know, it tells the story of her experience with daddy’s deployment. I loved the pictures showing the child doing the things that daddy might be doing like pushups, using static lines and binoculars. It shows the daily activities that they continue to share like eating peas and praying for one another. It portrays daddy as an integral, albeit not physically present, member of the family and the family as a strong cohesive unit working together. While dealing with the issues in a positive manner, the book still confronts the loneliness and fears we all experience head-on, and offers prayer and God as a solution to them.
The book comes with a couple unique and fun features: a pull out poster with the Creed of the Soldier’s Child, a Prayer for Daddy and ideas of things to do while daddy is gone on it. It also has an adorable child’s dog tag attached to it!
The book is written from an Army point of view but you’re not Army? Not an issue! The story can easily be adapted and the authors offer solutions for adapting the story, if needed, right on their website. To see samples of the charming illustrations and order your copy please visit: We Serve Too!
(Cross posted from MamaBugs) | 
