This picture book was written by a stepmother of a deployed soldier. The author is also the Nana to two military children, who experienced the anxiety of the near instant separation of their father and the stress of worry about their father.. In her story, neighbors and friends are supportive. They shovel snow, and send pizza to help lighten the burden. This is not the experience for all of our military families. During
my two year recall beginning on 9/11 my family had no assistance. The author points out that only 1 percent of the population serve in the military. This rareness creates a disassociation between the civilian population and the hardships experienced by the military families within their community. The adage "Out of sight out of mind" is a common refrain that leaves military families isolated.in parts of the nation where active-duty bases are far and few. In recognition of this disparity the author offers resources to the Civilian Community on how to reach out to the children of military and support their families. Raul Colon support Jill's text with art that provides a window into the various emotion the children and mother experience throughout their father's deployment. Each image is not sharp, like a perfectly exposed photograph. Rather, the imagery is hazy as if to draw attention to the emotional whirl and stress time plays on the mind when flooded with emotions of separation and fear of the unknown. In contrast, Jill's words and lettering in the Resources section at the end of the book has Bolded titles and is enclosed in a double red line border, as if to say "BE BRAVE" Read and act to the community.
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A simple tale which drips with emotion, illustrated softly with watercolors and colored pencils.

Love between the family members shines through on every page. A gentle tale both for military children with parents away from home and for understanding the sacrifices military families make.
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Former Second Lady Jill Biden presents the story of a military family in this poignant picture-book, inspired by the experiences of her own stepson Beau, who served in the US Army, and of his family during his deployment to Iraq. The tale opens as young Natalie bids her father goodbye, following her throughout the year as she struggles to be brave during those moments - occasions special and everyday - in which she is missing her Daddy. The books closes with the family's reunion, and an extensive afterword discusses America's military and military families, offering many suggestions for how non-military folk can help these people who serve the nation...

One of a number of picture-books penned by America's Second Ladies - there was Lynne Cheney's 2003 "A" is for Abigail: An Almanac of Amazing American Women, as well as last year's (2018) Marlon Bundo's Day in the Life of the Vice President from Charlotte and Karen Pence - Don't Forget, God Bless Out Troops pairs Biden's emotionally involving text with lovely artwork from illustrator Raúl Colón. It's good to be reminded of the sacrifice and service of our military - something from which we all benefit, but which is provided but such a small section of our society. Recommended to anyone looking for children's stories about parent-child separation in general, and deployed military parents in particular. ( )

This book is about a girl named Natalie. Her father is deployed overseas and it discusses how her, her mother, and her brother's lives are different while they wait for their father to return. It discusses all of the events that he misses and how they wish he was with them, but they have to remain brave. This gives students the opportunity to learn about what military children go through. This book is also great for looking at the character traits Natalie possesses, especially bravery. For all students this book would be good to use for transaction circles. The end of the book offers many resources and ways that people can get involved in helping to support the military and their families. I think it would also be great to add in some You-Tube clips to give students a perspective that this is real and many children are dealing with this lifestyle in the United States. I would use this book with students in second through fifth grade.

This book is about a little girl named Natalie and he dad goes on a long deployment. Natalie misses her dad very much and is often reminded of his absence. She tries to remain brave and strong, especially for her little brother, and she often reminds herself to be brave. The story has a happy ending when he father comes home, reminding Natalie that she is a brave daughter.

Ages: 5+
Source: JBLM Grandstaff Library
Book was used for strategy instruction: determining importance for Adv Lang and Literacy Method Class at Pierce College