You Weren’t With Me

By Chandra Ghosh Ippen
Illustrated by Erich Ippen Jr.

You Weren’t With Me follows Little Rabbit and Big Rabbit as they reconnect after a difficult separation. Even though Little Rabbit missed Big Rabbit, being together again brings up feelings of sadness, anger, fear, and worry. By listening carefully and acknowledging those emotions, Big Rabbit helps Little Rabbit begin to feel understood, reassured, and loved.

Because the reason for the separation is intentionally left open, the story can support families navigating many different circumstances, including divorce, deployment, immigration-related separation, parental incarceration, caregiver work-related separation, or other periods when a parent and child have been apart.