A tender, imaginative antidote to separation anxiety with gorgeous visual storytelling

​⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)

​When my son was five, I once asked him what he thought I did while he was at school. Without skipping a beat, he replied that I simply waited for him in the car outside the school gate all day—and added that his teachers obviously slept overnight in the classroom because they lived there! That pure, egocentric childhood logic captured the essence of early separation: to a young child, the world beyond their sightline either pauses or revolves entirely around waiting for them.

​Where Do You Go When You're Not With Me by Sara Porritt captures that exact developmental mindset with immense warmth and charm. Instead of approaching separation from a clinical or overly serious angle, the story reframes morning goodbyes through whimsical, validating imagination. The child imagines mom’s workday as a series of grand adventures: racing through city streets in a superhero cape, conducting an office "orchestra band," riding a sparkly snail in a top hat, or sailing on a jellybean ship with cookie-eating pirates. Grounding every playful fantasy is a comforting emotional truth: even when apart, parent and child are constantly connected in thought and heart.

​Leonardo Azevedo’s artwork deserves special praise for its emotional nuance. The background daycare setting is rendered in muted, almost ghostly monochrome tones—mirroring how hazy, unfamiliar, and overwhelming a school environment can feel to a young child—while the parents and home moments radiate in warm, protective color. The inclusion of modern family touches, such as a mom video-calling from an airport terminal and a dad welcoming everyone home with warm baked cookies, feels grounded and beautifully balanced.

​The concluding "Author's Note" and practical "Conversation Starters" make this far more than a bedtime story; it is an effective tool to open gentle dialogues about family routines and ease drop-off tears. A heartfelt, beautifully illustrated gem for any family navigating preschool or kindergarten transitions.

​ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Such a beautiful little book!

The child wonders where his mom goes after she leaves him at daycare every day. Good question, and the author has several inventive answers. I myself am partial to the sparkly snail and the jellybean ship with pirates.

It would be fun for parents to ask their children where they think they go during the day and maybe even make a book out of it!

Oh! I loved this book. I feel like most working parents will be touched by this book. My daughter was fascinated. Her face was alight as we read each page. I love seeing the child's imagination and the love.

I immediately want to purchase this book for every parent in my life with younger children, heck, every person with a child in general. The imagery created by the story is joyful, positive, hopeful, whilst also setting the tone and scene for the true questions, the emotions, and also the potential struggles within the setting of the story. The illustrations are stunning, utilizing color versus grey scale also adds depth and focus to the story. As a social worker, this book is such a beautiful homage to the experience of separation and curiosity whilst also acknowledging the division between experiences, that I see lack in a lot of these conversations and navigation of emotions. We know all of our children's lives, but they don't automatically know ours.

Where Do You Go When You're Not With Me
by Sara Porritt
Many children wonder what their parents do when they are at work, or school. This book takes a poetic version of this ruminant to Dr. Seuss in its structure. The poetic descriptions are far fetched and imaginative.

5 stars — A lovely, reassuring story for children and parents alike

Where Do You Go When You're Not With Me, story by Sara Porritt, pictures by Leonardo Azevedo, is a story I really enjoyed. As a mum who's had to travel for work, this book really resonated with me. The illustrations are lovely and work beautifully with the text to bring the book to life.

I liked that the book could be used with your own children too, as a way to ask them where mummy and daddy go every day. A comforting, heartfelt read with a lovely message. 5 stars

A great story for little ones struggling with separation anxiety or simply being away from loved ones or caregivers. Very cute imagining of possibilities of how the mother is spending her time away, utilizing a rhyme scheme that is engaging for little readers. Love the inclusion of the Author's Note and Conversation Starters as socioemotional resources for children and families. (Also, love the representation of the mother as the working parent with a stay-at=home partner.) As the mama of at least one anxious little, this is a wonderful story for beginning a conversation around separation anxiety while caregivers are at work or away.

Gorgeous book that I can see using in my daycare center often. With rhymes that are entertaining and pictures that depict the narrative just right, I definitely recommend this book.

I read this with my kids, and they really liked the idea of imagining what a parent might be doing when they are away. They laughed at some of the possibilities and were able to come up with their own ideas while we were reading. I liked that it made being apart feel less scary and gave us an easy way to talk about how parents still think about and love their children even when they are not together. This would be especially good for younger children dealing with school, daycare, or separation from a parent during the day

This is a beautifully written and illustrated book that could be used to support any child struggling with separation anxiety at nursery or school. Not only would it show that being away from loved ones can be difficult but also brings in humour with the examples of what the parent may do all day.

A child's imagination truly has no bounds. This was a very fascinating picture book about the curious mind and innocence of a child after being dropped to pre-school. As someone who works in education as well as being a mother, I could totally relate.

The fantasy and childlike wonder will leave you smiling.

A must-read for anyone with young children, as well those in an early years school setting.