"Why Did Daddy Have to Leave?" helps children understand why a parent on active military duty, or serving as a Reserve or National Guard soldier called to active duty, must leave for an extended length of time, despite loving their children greatly.  The story is told through the voice of a young child watching “Daddy” pack and mobilize for war and has been inspired by the feelings my own six and eight-year old children encountered as I mobilized and deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The book is a timeless way for parents and teachers to help young children understand and cope with the temporary, but long-term absence of a parent serving our country in war or peace time.