Dear Dad: Growing Up with a Parent in Prison—and How We Stayed Connected

In this joyful graphic novel memoir with a mission, debut author Patton and Valdez (We Are Groot) give voice to the experience of a child with an incarcerated parent. Without sacrificing her personal portrayal of the difficulties of having an incarcerated parent and how that can negatively affect parent-child relationships (“Do I have a dad?” a five-year-old Patton asks her mother), the author highlights solutions that helped facilitate bonding during her father’s imprisonment. She asserts that “it’s not a privilege for a kid to talk to their parents. It’s a right,” and details the many letters she sent and received over the years leading up to her father’s release when she is 10. Easy-to-follow, realistically wrought comics panels rendered in saturated jewel tones by Jenai (Prudence Under Suspicion) chronicle the tween’s growth, including her aptitude in academics, which she shares with her father, who earned a degree in computer science while he was “locked up.” Following his release, the father-daughter duo develops an app that simplifies communication between kids and incarcerated parents. By showcasing the challenges of daily life for a family learning to live together again while making up for lost time, the creators present an uplifting memoir that works to destigmatize incarceration. Ages 8–12. (Sept.)