The Night Dad Went to Jail: What to Expect When Someone You Love Goes to Jail (Life's Challenges)

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.

Did you know that “one in every 43 kids in the United States has had a mom or dad in prison?” or “ 65 percent of men are dads, and 75 percent of women in prison are moms?” I didn't, but thanks to author Melissa Higgins, I do now. “The Night Dad Went to Jail” is filled with helpful information like the statistics noted above, as well as essential definitions that explain what is happening to an incarcerated loved one and why. More importantly, it contains an overview of a child's emotional introduction and journey through the prison system as a dependent to an inmate and subsequent fallout and adjustment to a parent’s public arrest. It is an important story about an ugly situation that tugs at the heartstrings and offers the hope of better days by developing new routines & norms as the child and the rest of his family cope with the change of having a parent behind bars. Unfortunately, this story is a sad reality for many children. However, I think it's wonderful that the author took the time to write such a vulnerable piece. “The Night Dad Went to Jail” is a conversation starter that will open the hearts and minds of both young and older readers alike. But what I like best about the story is that it gives children permission to talk about and ask questions regarding such a tough subject-hopefully, in a safe environment with people they trust. I'd recommend this book to parents, educators, social workers, or anyone else that works with children if they are looking for a meaningful resource to use or add to their libraries.

To be honest, I'm surprised that there aren't more books like this in the world. Of course it has a very targeted audience but I'm happy to see that it even exists for children who need it. The story is simple and very straightforward and doesn't really go into why this parent went to jail, but that's a good thing. It's about figuring out how to get help or express yourself in such a difficult situation. Maybe it's a bit too sanitary but at least it starts a conversation.

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.

Almost half the book was spent talking about how great the cops were and how bad Dad was. Yet, how many thousands of innocent people go to jail every year? What about the children whose parents are innocent? Just a very statist book, not helpful to the actual people who have real experience with the state and the frequent trauma inflicted by the state through the legal system. Also, another big section of the book was about how the kids all made fun of them, which teaches kids "if I tell people they'll be mean to me". Kids are often more compassionate than adults.

The author only used 22 pages to tell a story that felt like a lot of things were left untold. The hero of the story, a bunny named Sketch, witnesses his father's arrest. The rest tumbles out like a story told by a maiden aunt. It was good. But it could have been much better.

Such a great book for children to help with big situations & life changes like these. My wife was browsing books and happened to see this one and it touched her heart. Kudos to the author.

My kid said this book is too awful that this is too sad to think about before bed LOL She said why did I have to read her about this stuff

Perfect

Not that I'd need it for anything else other than recreational purposes... Ah, quite an interesting book a self-help/read with mother for a difficult subject. I suppose because it's a children's book, it does have a pleasant ending and the story ark is quite simple. It's reassuring, I even felt better about my problems after reading this. Certainly a pick-me-up, even if you haven't went through what the protagonist has. Er, yes, that should stick. I give it 5 stars because it's just a cute book! It also serves a purpose too.

It's sad that there are children who need this book but if they do, it's a good one. I donated mine to our local jail.

Good condition

Great book text is American so may need to change the wording slightly but fabulous book