The story behind Where's My Daddy?

Some books start with an idea. Mine started with a question my little boy asked me.

Looking for the right words

I'm Zoe Jones, and I wrote Where's My Daddy?

I wrote it from my own experience of explaining to my son why his dad was gone. After we left an abusive relationship, I wanted a simple, loving way to tell him three things:

• it wasn't his fault
• he was loved
• he was safe

That's it. No frightening details. No adult explanations. Just the things a small child most needs to hear.

Why a picture book?

If you've left, you may know the moment. A small voice asks where Daddy is, and there's no easy answer.

You want to be honest. You don't want to frighten them. You don't want them to blame themselves. And you're often exhausted, still finding your feet.

A picture book can help. It gives you both something to look at together. It gives you words when yours run out. And it lets your child hear the same reassuring messages again and again, every time you read it.

That's what I wanted Where's My Daddy? to be.

What the book is about

Where's My Daddy? is a gentle picture book for young children whose mum has left an abusive relationship and who no longer see their dad.

The story gently answers the question so many children ask. It reassures them that they are not to blame, that they are loved, and that they are safe.

At the end, there's a bonus poem for parents, "My daddy caught an angry bug". I put it there for the grown-up reading the book, because mums need a little gentleness too.

The illustrations

The pictures are by Jacinta Kay, a Melbourne-based illustrator and graphic designer whose work centres on human emotion, nature and magic.

Her soft watercolour style uses sky blues, peach and gentle greens. The result feels calm and warm, the kind of book you can curl up with. Pages like the mum and child on the jam jar, the path at sunrise, and the big family on the hill give children hopeful, gentle images to linger on.

From one mum to another

Where's My Daddy? was published in 2020. It's available as a square paperback and an ebook.

It isn't a textbook or a guide. I'm not a psychologist or counsellor. It's one mum's way of helping her child understand, shared with other mums who might need the same words.

On Goodreads, it's rated 5 out of 5.

Who the book is for

• Mums and carers who want a gentle way to talk with a young child about why Dad isn't around.
• Young children, about 3 to 8, who are asking questions, or who might be quietly wondering if it was their fault.
• Organisations that support families, such as women's refuges, family violence services, counsellors, school wellbeing teams and libraries. Bulk copies are available on the organisations page.

If you'd like more help with those conversations, I've gathered expert advice into free printable guides for parents and practitioners, with a feelings page for children.

A note on privacy

Zoe Jones is a pen name. Families who have left violence often need to keep their stories private, and that's true for us too. Thank you for respecting that.

If you buy the book directly from me, your bank statement shows "ZJ BOOKS", not the book's title.

Where to find it

• On the website: whereismydaddybook.com.au/book/
• From Booktopia
• From any bookshop or library, using ISBN 978-0-6489440-0-3

You can also find me on Goodreads.

Frequently asked questions

Who wrote Where's My Daddy??

Zoe Jones, a mum who wrote it from her own experience of explaining to her son why his dad was gone. It was published in 2020 and illustrated by Jacinta Kay.

What is Where's My Daddy? about?

It's a gentle picture book for young children whose mum has left an abusive relationship and who no longer see their dad. It helps them understand it isn't their fault, and that they are loved and safe.

Who illustrated Where's My Daddy??

Jacinta Kay, a Melbourne-based illustrator and graphic designer whose work centres on human emotion, nature and magic. Her soft watercolours use sky blues, peach and gentle greens.

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