My Dad's Deployment: A Deployment and Reunion Activity Book for Young Children

"…excellent resource for parents, teachers, counselors, and other caregivers to help young children feel a part of the deployment process and prepare them for what's coming next." —Operation We Are Here

The activities in this fun 112-page activity book reinforce concepts young children are already learning and give them a safe way to ask questions, talk about their feelings, and feel connected to a deployed parent.

Four sections (Getting Ready for Deployment, Deployment, Getting Ready for Reunion, and Reunion) provide appropriate activities for each stage of deployment, from packing and saying goodbye to welcoming Dad home.

Includes mazes, dot-to-dots, counting, matching, coloring, crafts, telling time and other activities familiar to preschool and elementary children. A fun book for children and an excellent resource for parents, teachers, counselors, and other caregivers to help young children feel a part of the deployment process and prepare them for what's coming next.

This book is specific to a dad deploying. A version for deployed moms is also available.

With careers ranging from preschool teacher to psych nurse, JULIE LABELLE's most challenging role was mothering her three young children during her Marine husband's deployments, and then years later standing by when their son enlisted and deployed with the Marines.

Julie wrote the activities in My Dad's Deployment and My Mom's Deployment based on things she felt she should have done with her children, but didn't, during deployments. With 20/20 hindsight, Julie gets a do-over in life by sharing activities for young children that will be loved by parents and children alike as they face deployment together.

Born overseas to multicultural parents, CHRISTINA RODRIGUEZ grew up as an Air Force brat, moving from place to place. Christina loved to draw and paint. She was awarded a generous scholarship to the Rhode Island School of Design where she earned a fine arts degree in illustration.

Christina is an award-winning children's book illustrator. She drew on her experiences growing up in a military family to bring a range of emotions into her Coloring My Military Life—Book 1 coloring book pages as well as her paintings for the award-winning picture book The Wishing Tree and her illustrated activities in My Dad’s Deployment and My Mom’s Deployment.