My Daddy Is a Seabee: A "Sunday Spotlight" Children's Book Review
- Jolene Phillips
- Mar 29
- 4 min read
It’s time for “Sunday Spotlight.”
This is where I highlight a children’s book I genuinely love, sharing my perspective as both a mom and a counselor.
Each Sunday Spotlight includes:
a brief summary of the book
an honest, real-life review
and simple, meaningful ways to weave social-emotional learning (SEL) into story time
These ideas work whether you’re reading at home, in a counseling office, or in a classroom.
At the end of each post, I include a link to purchase the book if you’re interested. These are affiliate links, but there is absolutely no pressure to buy. Purchasing through these links does not add any extra cost to you or affect the author; it’s simply an optional way to support this blog and the work I do here.
This Week’s Pick: My Dad is a Seabee, written and illustrated by Mariah Pavek.
This book is extra special to share here on the blog.
Mariah is someone I connected with a few months ago through the design world, and we instantly clicked. One morning, I woke up to a message from her sharing her book cover, and I was immediately excited.
Mariah saw a real need within the military community through her own family’s experiences with deployments. She recognized that the work her husband and other parents do as Seabees isn’t often represented in children’s books about military life.
And honestly, some of the most meaningful books come from exactly that place: a need.
I’m so grateful she brought this story to life. It was such a joy to encourage her through those final steps of the self-publishing journey, because if you’ve ever created something like this, you know those last moments can be filled with doubt. Seeing her push through and share this story is incredibly special.
Let’s dive into this book!
My Dad Is a Seabee offers a child ’s-eye view of what it means to grow up in a Seabee family.
It gently explains:
What Seabees do (building and supporting infrastructure rather than going out to sea)
Why they deploy
And, how families stay connected during those times apart
One of the most touching parts of the book is the homecoming scene, a beautiful reminder for kids that deployments, while hard, are not forever.
Mariah has also created two companion books:
A Seabee ABCs book for babies through preschoolers
And an activity book for ages 3–8
This main story is written with that same 3–8 age range in mind, making it accessible, comforting, and easy for young children to connect with.
From a Counselor’s Chair: Supporting Military Kids
My dad was in the Army until I was 7 years old, so I experienced military moves and deployments firsthand.
Military life is unique, and military kids are incredibly resilient. They learn flexibility, adaptability, and strength in ways many others don’t.
But here’s the important piece: they’re still kids.
And with that comes big feelings.
Military children often experience:
frequent moves and changes in environment
separation from a parent during deployments
uncertainty and lack of control
difficulty maintaining long-term friendships
pride mixed with worry about their parent’s role
Even the most resilient child needs support navigating these emotions.
That’s where books like My Dad Is a Seabee can make such a powerful impact. Stories help children:
see themselves reflected
feel less alone
understand what’s happening in age-appropriate ways
and open the door for important conversations
When paired with intentional activities, these moments can become deeply supportive for both kids and parents navigating military life.
3 Simple Ways to Add Social-Emotional Learning to Story Time
Here are a few meaningful ways to extend learning and connection after reading:
1. Feelings Check-In
After reading, ask:
“How do you think the child felt when their parent left?”
“How do you feel when someone you love is far away?”
You can even draw faces or use a simple feelings chart to help younger kids express themselves.
2. Create a Connection Plan
Help your child come up with ways to stay connected during separation:
drawing pictures
sending letters
recording short videos
creating a countdown chain
Giving kids something they can do helps restore a sense of control and connection.
3. Build a “Comfort Toolbox”
Work together to create a small collection of comforting items:
a favorite stuffed animal
a photo of their parent
a handwritten note
a small keepsake
This becomes something they can turn to during hard moments.
Extra Support for Military Families
If you’re looking for ready-to-use resources to continue supporting your child, I’ve created a few tools with military families in mind:
Brave Hearts Toolkit: Designed to help kids build emotional awareness, coping skills, and resilience
Home Is Where We Are Relocation Packet: Supports children through moves and transitions
Love Across the Miles Letter Writing Kit: Encourages connection during deployment through guided letter writing
I’ll include links to these at the end of this post so you can explore them if they feel helpful for your family, but I don’t want to take too much time sharing about them, as today is about Mariah’s book.
Final Thoughts
My Dad Is a Seabee is one of those books that fills an important gap while still feeling warm, approachable, and kid-friendly.
It honors the experience of military families, specifically Seabee families, in a way that is both informative and comforting for young children.
What stands out most is the heart behind it. This is clearly a story created with love, intention, and a deep understanding of what military families walk through.
Books like this don’t just tell stories.
They support stories, the real-life ones happening in homes every day.
And that’s what makes this one so special.
Want to See a Book Featured?
If you have a book you’d love to see featured, are a children’s book author yourself, or know an author who might enjoy having their story reviewed, I’d love to hear from you.
Feel free to reach out anytime at guidedbygiggles@gmail.com 💛
Let’s keep celebrating stories that help kids grow, one giggle (and page) at a time.
Click the picture to grab your copy of My Dad Is a Seabee, and Mariah’s other two companion books here:
Grab ready-to-use activities here: These were created for the Month of the Military Child but can be used year-round.
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