Finding Daddy: A Story of the Great Depression

by Jo Harper

Bonnie loves to sing while her father plays a fiddle. In better times, the family was happy in its modest home. But hard times took away Bonnie's father's job, then their house, and then even her father's fiddle. Hearing the unkind remarks of a neighbor, Bonnie's father leaves to search for work at the nearby port and to relieve the economic burden on his wife, who has started to take in laundry. A distraught Bonnie determines to take her dog, Caesar, and go find her daddy! In her search, Bonnie discovers the pivotal part she can play in rescuing her family and restoring their lives.

Genres: Picture Books, Historical Fiction, Childrens

48 pages, Hardcover

First published March 10, 2005

About the author

Jo Harper grew up in the Texas Panhandle riding horses and eating jalapeño peppers. She comes from a long line of Texas tellers, and is herself a dynamic storyteller, especially of tall tales. Her books, some of which are co-written with her daughter,range from baby books to young adult novels.Her young adult novel, DELFINO'S JOURNEY, won the Western Heritage Wrangler award. PRAIRIE DOG PIONEERS won the Willa Award. OUTRAGEOUS, BODACIOUS BOLIVER BOGGS was an A.B.A. Pick of the List book and was presented on PBS Storytime. JALAPENO HAL was a Book-of-the-Month Club selection, as was I COULD EAT YOU UP! She has taught for many years at all levels, first grade though college. She presents to all grade levels, and her lively, entertaining programs subtly teach reading and writing skills as well as values. She received a NEH grant to study the fusion of visual and verbal art at Columbia University. She also studied in Spain and Mexico.Her books include fiction, biography, tall tales, and history, and are set in Texas and Mexico.

Reviews

[Phil J]

A heartbreaking story and beautiful drawings, but seriously, that guy is trying too hard to hide from his daughter. It doesn't 100% make sense when you think about it.

Thanks to modern slang, my 6th grade students find the word "Daddy" hilarious, so I'm unlikely to use this book in my classroom.

[Brittany]

This was a good picture book, but talks about a dad abandoning his family because he was shamed for not being able to find work. So I edited a little bit as I read.

[Paul Hankins]

In this charming picture book from 2005, a young girl, Bonnie, too shy to sing in front of her classmates, finds her voice in order to not only sing--but to save her father from the feeling of uselessness experienced by so many men during The Great Depression.

Some background information regarding this historical time period but what would really make this a nice inclusion within a social studies unit are the extensions to music from the time period. With so many of these songs in the public domain and the internet sites dedicated to music, bringing in some of the songs from FINDING DADDY would be a super way to address Common Core State Standards in a social studies classroom or in an art class (other content areas picking up on the non-fiction and non-fiction-based works).

Some peril in the read-aloud as Bonnie goes out to search for her father, but the whole of the work is a beautiful look at a child's efforts to keep everyone together and how music can be the adhesive part.

[Grace]

This picturebook centers around the era of the great depression,telling the story of a family and their struggles during this hard time in America. This is a great historical fiction for young readers because it beautifully blended facts and information with a touching story. Its illustrations were realistic and its layout helped to get across the significance of events and facts surrounding the great depression. These descriptions, pictures and facts help the reader to understand the time. Not distracting from the story, but enhancing its cultural significance, these details really made the book come to life!

[Jayna]

Bonnie loves to sing and play hide and seek with her father because she can always find him. When her family is faced with hard financial times, she has to overcome her fears to try and find her father after he runs off out of shame.

[Alexis]

i learnd that life brings suprisies and it's not always for the good of things.

[Brenna]

This is a decent look at the Great Depression, but I thought the writing was average. The information about the Great Depression at the back was interesting.

[Letavia Smith]

what is the setting,character,problem,solution?

[Kristin Nelson]

The illustrations really tell the story. A terrific use of light and colors!