DEAR DAD

Father-daughter pair Jay Jay and Antoine Patton draw from real life for this work of graphic nonfiction that grapples with the toll incarceration takes on families.

Jay Jay, who presents Black, is 5 years old when she learns that her father’s been incarcerated for the past two years. Writing letters and making phone calls aren’t enough to maintain the sort of connection Jay Jay needs (the art obscures her father’s face in many of her memories). While in prison, her father develops his skills as a computer programmer, ultimately earning his degree. He’s released when Jay Jay is 10, and he sets out to pursue a career in tech, but it comes at a cost; the whole family—Jay Jay, her parents, and her younger brother—must relocate from Buffalo to Florida. After they adjust to their new life, Jay Jay’s dad, inspired by his own experiences, starts developing Photo Patch, an app that helps children share photos and letters with incarcerated parents. It isn’t easy, but with help from Jay Jay, a budding programmer herself, the two are ultimately successful. Some of the dialogue feels forced, and the cartoon art is a bit static. Still, the journey is a satisfying one that exudes feelings of love and empathy, and it illuminates a challenge that affects many families but isn’t often addressed in literature.

Offers many young people much-needed inspiration and solace.