You may be more familiar with Naseem Hrab’s hysterical Ira Crumb books and maybe thinking her new story Weekend Dad falls along the same hilarious lines. You will be surprised and pleasantly so as Weekend Dad illustrated by Frank Viva is a beautiful and gentle look at what it’s like when your parents separate or divorce and you all of a sudden have two different places to live and parents you see only half of the time.

Weekend Dad does not preach or pander, it is thoughtful and straight forward and really gets to the heart of the feelings a young person has when their parents divorce. Sometimes they think about the parent they are not with and sometimes they think about toast. Naseem Hrab doesn’t dwell in sadness or anger but simply walks you through a weekend at Dad’s place: the feelings, the sights, the sounds.

Frank Viva masterfully illustrated this story to let the words really speak and carry the narrative. The Dad’s eyes when he picks up his child on the first Friday are pretty funny. With a simple colour palette and some funny little details throughout, the story stays light given the heavy subject matter. A perfect gift for a child who may be experiencing the divorce or separation of their parents and a wonderful book for those who have friends going through the same to gain understanding and foster empathy.