James Patrick Margarella

I Miss You Even When You're Sleeping James Patrick Margarella

"I miss you even when you're sleeping, when dreams take you wherever they may," whispers a father to his son as the latter closes his eyes after a long day; thus ends the imaginative back-and-forth exchange regarding who misses whom more when the two are apart, and thus ends the story. "I Miss You Even When You're Sleeping" is written in the first person perspective of an unnamed child narrator who is curious just how much his father misses him during the day. One evening, upon his father's return home, the two compare not only how much each missed the other but also creative feats that will engage children's imaginations. The dialogue between father and son is reminiscent of McBratney and Jeram's "Guess How Much I Love You," with each character ultimately realizing how much he is loved and missed on any given day. Quite simply, then, "I Miss You Even When You're Sleeping" is about the love and bond shared between parent and child, and young readers learn the magnitude of a parent's love.