HELPING KIDS COPE

By Jack Kresnak
Free Press Staff Writer

Six years ago, divorced dad Mike Campbell was spending time with his then 5-year old son Daniel when the subject of Daniel's mom getting remarried came up.

"Dad, I thought you were married to mom!" Daniel exclaimed.  Campbell realized that even though he and his ex-wife had been living apart for more than three years, their son hadn't really grasped the concept of divorce.  "Nobody had really talked to him about marriage," said Campbell, who lives in Livonia.  "I think he was just used to . . . us living apart, me having him over every other weekend and Wednesday evenings."

His son's quandary fueled Campbell's creative energies, and he decided that kids like Daniel would benefit from a book -- or series of books -- in which the characters reflect their circumstances.  The result is "Dandy The Chipbear's Fun Day At Dad's," which Campbell, 40, wrote and self-published last year.

A "Chipbear" is the offspring of a bear and chipmunk, Campbell said.  Dandy lives with his mom, but spends time doing fun things with his dad.

"The purpose of Dandy was to have children identify with him before the children are old enough to understand what a marriage is and what a divorce is," said Campbell, who works for Focus: HOPE.  

Campbell's ex-wife, Susan Margulis, said the relationship she and her current husband have with Campbell has helped Daniel, now 11.

The book is illustrated by University of Michigan student Kerri Boring, who is also working on the second.

Boring said, "The Chipbear character . . . kind of articulates how his parents are really two different people . . . It doesn't mention divorce, but it's done so parents can talk about divorce when they read it with their children."

Daniel said his father's book "is good.  I mean, younger kids might not understand what divorce is.  But I understand that my mom likes someone else besides my dad and that's all right with me."

Campbell said he's started a Chipbear Cub Club for children of divorce.  Members get stickers through the mail.

"The main idea of the books is that a child sees that he's loved and he sees that his family still exists," Campbell said.