Papa Do You Love Me?
Barbara M. Joosse
(Reviewer - Rev. Marie D. Jones)
2005 Chronicle Books
ISBN: 0811842657

Set in Africa, featuring the Maasai culture a story of the powerful connection between father & child.

Associate Reviewer Rev. Marie Jones writes:
Papa, Do You Love Me? is the companion book to the classic best-selling children's book, Mama, Do You Love Me?, which sold over one million copies in fifteen languages. Now, author Barbara M. Joosse beautifully captures the strong bond of love between father & child.

Accompanied by artist Barbara Lavallee's gorgeous & vibrant watercolor illustrations, the text tells the story of a young Maasai boy in Africa who wants to know how much his father loves him. Amidst the backdrop of the African culture & landscape, the boy comes to learn that his father loves him a great deal, & that children & parents are really all the same all over the world, despite the vast differences in how they live or what they look like.

The author spent time traveling & visiting schools in Kenya & Uganda, & her love of the culture & respect for the ways of the Maasai is evident in the tone of this lovely book. The illustrations are luminous & filled with warmth & bold color, perfectly framing the tender story of parental love. The end of the book even provides a delightful index of the cultural terms used in the text, giving children an even greater understanding of Maasai life.

Papa, Do You Love Me? is the perfect gift for both father & child, & a treasure they can bond over again & again as they read it together. Sadly, so few books focus on & celebrate the connection between dads & kids, & this one is destined to become a classic.

More from Barbara M. Joosse:
I Love You the Purplest
Ghost Wings
Stars in the Darkness & many more!
(06/05/05)

Rev. Marie D. Jones
2005©Marie D. Jones
A RebeccasReads.Com Associate Reviewer

Reviewer's Bio:
Marie Jones is a New Thought minister, author of Looking For God In All The Wrong Places & a widely published writer of inspirational essays, gift books, short stories & magazine articles. She is also a screenwriter, & has produced a children's storybook video series for Gigglebug Farms Productions. she holds a Masters Degree in Metaphysical Studies & is a licensed pastoral counsellor.