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

Gr 5 Up–Keeping in communication with an incarcerated parent is tough. Jay Jay’s mom knew it was important, so as the girl grew, Jay Jay stayed connected with her dad. Upon his release from prison, where he earned a computer degree, father and daughter teamed up to create an app to keep families in touch. Her work and their life are documented in this graphic novel memoir, penned by daughter and dad, along with the help of others. As a title aimed at younger readers, the sparse text is traded for panels that feature the emotional side of reuniting as a family and moving from New York to Florida for a fresh start. Jay Jay’s age plays a role since she has to leave her friends and school behind to bond with a father she only knew through pictures and letters. But the lack of text leads to gaps in understanding the totality of his absence. Scenes of Jay Jay in school making new friends or adjusting to her father’s presence again at home feel disjointed at times, reading like a series of vignettes. Unanswered questions cast a shadow on the complexity of their relationship and how they collaborated on the app that would eventually be used for other families to stay connected during incarceration.