Dad, I Miss You. Written by Nadia Sammurtok and illustrated by Simji Park. Inhabit Media, Orca Book Publishers. 2024. $22.95 ages 9 and up

 

"Oh no, I can hear the airplane approaching, I 
don't want to go back there, Dad. 

It'll all be over soon. Before you know it, they'll 
let us have you home with us again. Just do as 
they say, my son. 

They said it will be better this way."

In this story about a young boy who has been taken from his home to attend a residential school, Ms. Sammurtok speaks for both the father and his son. In dialogue that passes back and forth, readers are made aware of the love each has for the other. 

The boy wants to show his father that he has learned the lessons he taught about fishing; the father wants to go fishing with him again. The plane will soon arrive. The boy doesn't want to go back. The father uses a reassuring voice to let his son know it won't be long until he returns. The child begs; the father worries that their baby girl will be next. 

It's heartbreaking for the two to be separated once again. 

"Goodbye, my son. I'll see you soon. 
Remember to always think of us, 
your grandparents, and your home. 
Think about the things we taught you. 
Think about your language, and where 
you come from. 

Before you know it, you'll be back home, 
with us, your family." 

The child hates everything about the school: the cold, the smells, the people, and that he cannot speak his own language. The father speaks of the pain of his absence, and the guilt for letting him go. The boy wants to be home. Dad speaks of memories of time spent together. The boy cries with hunger. 

When the boy returns, he feels he no longer belongs. He has forgotten so much, including the language of his people. The family will do their best to help him recover all he has lost while he was away from them. 

This book will begin to help readers understand the pain of separation and longing for home. Emotion-filled artwork provides clear settings for both places and has a real impact. 

An afterword explains that the author wrote this heartfelt book as a conversation between what the father and his son were thinking while they were apart. Too often survivors could not find the words to speak aloud of their experiences. Only with time might the two find a way to talk about what happened.