Saturday Is Pattyday

Elisabeth Anne MacDonald teaches English at the University of Western
Ontario.

Separation and divorce are difficult subjects for a child to deal with:
there are not only the inevitable feelings of loss and instability, but
also the urgent question of what the separation will mean in terms of
the child’s relationship with the departing parent. Saturday Is
Pattyday describes the experience of a small boy, Frankie, whose two
moms have separated.

Frankie talks about how he felt scared listening to his two moms, Allie
and Patty, fighting after he had gone to bed at night, and how much he
misses Patty since she moved out. Saturday is now “Pattyday,” the
day that he spends with his other mom. When he arrives at her apartment
for the first time, he finds that she has made a special space for him
and his stuffed dinosaur, Doris Delores. But when Frankie and Patty have
a disagreement, he tells her about his fears and he begins to discover
that, although the situation has changed, he is still loved and cared
for by both parents, and will continue to have a place in each of their
lives.

Frankie’s feelings concerning the break-up of his family unit are
clearly and honestly portrayed and directly addressed. Accompanied by
bright and simple illustrations that will appeal to the younger audience
for whom it is intended, Saturday Is Pattyday is a thoughtful and
affirming story about love, not loss. Highly recommended.