Barbara M. Jossee’s children’s picture book Papa, Do You Love Me? is a delight. Like her children’s picture book Mama, Do You Love Me?, Papa, Do You Love Me? features the watercolors of artist Barbara Lavallee. Through a story about a Maasai father and son in Africa, Joosse focuses on a father’s love for his son.
Papa, Do You Love Me? - A Child's Question
A young Maasai boy asks his father, “Papa, do you love me?” After a loving response from his father, the boy goes on to pose a multitude of questions, many beginning with “what if” to try to determine if his father’s love will remain steadfast in all situations and under all conditions.Papa, Do You Love Me? - A Father's Response
The father gently and carefully makes it clear that in his love for his son, he sees himself as the boy’s guide, teacher, and supporter, and that his love is unconditional and never ending. The fact that the story is set in Africa in the Maasai culture make the boy’s questions and the father’s answers particularly intriguing to children. For example, one of the boy’s questions is “What if a lion prowled in our camp, swished his tail and rumbled for food…and I was his food?”Papa, Do You Love Me? - The Artwork and Setting
The orange, brown and beige tones of the illustrations by Barbara Lavallee capture the sunshine and heat of the African plains. While the clothing, daily life, and environment depicted in the text and illustrations will be different from anything your child has experienced, the message of the book is a universal one. A two-page glossary provides fascinating details about the Maasai culture, including the fact that “Cattle and children are a Maasai father’s greatest treasures.”Papa, Do You Love Me? - A Gift for Children and Adults
I would recommend Papa, Do You Love Me? for four- to eight-year-olds. I would also recommend it as a Father’s Day gift to honor a father who has spent a lifetime providing parental love such as that shown in the book. It would also be a good gift for a new father to show him how important a father’s love and guidance is to his children. (Chronicle Books, 2005. ISBN: 0811842657)
