*received for free from netgalley for honest review* 4.5 rounded up. Books like this have always been important but its great to see and be able to read one. The "ending" is open, which again i find very important to help kids live with the uncertainty for however long it takes. Would buy.

This is book is a great resource to talk to your children about immigration. A young girls story about her father being detained by the authorities because he was not an American citizen. Carmen and her mother were born in the United States but her father was not. The emotions her family have and the community that comes to walk along side to help their family.


The book also comes with a note to parents along with other helpful notes from the author.

A special thank you to The American Psychological Association and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.

This is an immigration story with no ending. A young girl has her father taken away because he doesn’t have papers. While she is native born and so is her mom, her father is an undocumented immigrant and he shipped off to a detention center. Our little girl does get to visit her father in the detention center but doesn’t want anyone to know. She has to learn when is it OK to not keep a secret, when is it OK to ask for help, and when is it OK to find happy moments in the midst of something terrible. I hate that this book exists. I hate that we need this book and many like it. However this book is incredibly well done with wonderful illustrations. This book should be held in most public libraries to explain the world as it currently exists.

This is a wonderful resource for schools, classrooms, churches, and community libraries. It can benefit both children directly affected by family separation and issues surrounding being undocumented and also help build understanding and empathy for all kids. The story is told in simple, child-friendly language and threads the needle well between being realistic without being overly scary or traumatizing for kids. The family's separation is not resolved quickly and easily, but there is also an emphasis on support from communities, churches, and helpers. The overall tone is resilient and hopeful, while also acknowledging the sadness and injustice.

This would be a wonderful addition to school and classroom libraries for pre-K and elementary as well as a good book for school psychologists, social workers, and church leaders to have on hand. There is a very useful guide at the end suggesting further reading, conversation topics, and guides to kid-friendly explanations of complex topics and issues surrounding immigration.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review!

Rivera has tackled an extremely difficult, but real topic in this story. Carmen loves her Papi, but he has been removed from the home because he is an undocumented immigrant from Mexico. She is heartbroken that he is gone from her life and tries to maintain her connection with him while he is being detained. Her family wants to hide the news, afraid of the community's reaction. But when they discover the secret, the town rallies around Carmen and her family.

Immigration is such a sensitive and also highly contentious topic in the world today, but it effects millions of children and families. This compelling and realistic tale is one that many immigrant families can connect with.

One of the features I actually unexpectedly liked was the way the author left the ending very open and without a clean-cut closure or happy ending. For many families, they will struggle through the legal system for years and be separated from loved ones for extending periods of time. I thought it was a very smart and truthful move to not have the story end with her Papi coming home. Instead it ended with Carmen's inner realization that she can stay connected to her dad through her love and thoughts and memories while he is gone. It was good to not give false hope to children for something that may never happen.

It also features a Mexican main character and family which is so important representation and for their stories to be told and shared with all children.

Beautifully illustrated, this tale is a must have for families.

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. There aren't enough books about kids' parents passing away, but this one is pretty good.

In Something Happened to my Dad, Carmen is heartbroken because her dad isn’t at home with them. Through the story we find out that her father is an undocumented immigrant (in the book they say, “he didn’t have papers”) who is in a detention centre. Carmen struggles with whether she should tell her friends. She does, and they are supportive and kind. While there is some hope at the end of the book (the family has a lawyer who will help them), I liked that the situation isn’t quickly and completely resolved, since that is the case for so many families. Carmen learns that she can be proud of her family and of her father, and of the importance of the support of friends. I recommend this book for classrooms and home libraries.

I can really appreciate what this book is trying to accomplish. But I don't love the way it was orchestrated here. The story is awkward and fails to draw the reader in and the ending is actually an un-ending. Was the author trying to show that our little hero had found hope? Closure? I really can't say.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an electronic copy to read in exchange for an honest review.

Wow this one hits you in the heart. A child's father is arrested for not having the proper papers to live and work in the USA. The resources for adults at the end of the book are incredible and will hopefully provide assistance to teachers and caregivers when facing these situations.

Unfortunately, this heartbreaking book is a necessary entry into children's literature. Having one or more parents affected by the immigration system has become increasingly common. This story is very well done and can help kids who are going through it as well as those who are not by introducing them to the problem. I hope this finds its way into all libraries with a children's section.

I loved all of the information provided at the back of the book. I really liked that this book wasn't all sunshine and rainbows; immigration law is complicated and the process is slow. I would like to see a follow on book where we get to find out what happens to dad next.

Great book for schools and libraries to help children understand more about what families go through when they immigrate to the States.

"Something Happened to My Dad", by Ann Hazzard & Vivianne Aponte Rivera, Illustrated by Gloria Félix.

Release Date: May 17 2022

Thank you to the @americanpsychologicalassoc and @netgalley for sending me a copy of this important children's book!

"Something Happened to My Dad" tells the story of a mixed-status Mexican family trying to make a home in the USA. We meet Carmen - a typical little girl who loves her family and doing magic tricks with her Papi.

Carmen returns home from school one day to find that Papi is nowhere to be found. She is left reeling when her mother tells her that her Papi was taken away to a place called a "detention center". She learns that her beloved Papi has no papers, which means that it might be a long time before she sees him
again.

"Something Happened to My Dad" focuses on the trauma experienced by children of undocumented immigrants. It also touches upon the family as a whole and the stresses that come about when a member of the family is placed in a detention centre. For example, Rosa's mother mentions the high cost of hiring an immigration lawyer on top of paying for their household bills. There's more financial pressure on her since she is now the primary breadwinner of the family.

There's also a discussion of what the sudden removal of a parent does to a child. Carmen is completely lost without her father. She's unable to call or see him, which makes her feel like Papi just vanished into thin air.

Ann Hazzard and Vivianne Aponte Rivera have done a great job at showcasing the plight of undocumented immigrants and their families.

The illustrations in this story are also very beautiful! They succeed in further enriching the overall story of Carmen's family.