Daddy and Me

Jet, Jan 10, 1994

Daddy And Me is the first children's book by Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe, wife of late tennis champion Arthur Ashe, and their daughter

Camera. It is a powerful pictorial story of his relationship with his 6-year-old daughter. Camera tells of their loving relationship in her own words, while her mother, an internationally acclaimed photographer, captures every moment on film.

Their exchange of love is wonderfully illustrated with black and white photos that show the celebrated father and his daughter praying together, playing together, reading, walking in the park, singing, sharing lots of hugs and kisses and caring for each other on good and bad days.

One of the reasons Arthur and Jeanne conceived this book was to give other parents a way to discuss AIDS with their young children, and show that family of does not stop with the discovery of an illness like AIDS.

Another reason for writing the book was that Arthur knew what it was like to lose a parent. At the age of 6 he lost his mother. Therefore, he wanted to document the love that existed in his family.

As life unfolded itself to Camera, she revealed in the book what she learned from her experiences with her famous dad: "I have learned lots of things from my daddy. And one thing's for sure----I love my daddy and my daddy loves me. That is the best medicine and we both agree," she wrote.

Arthur Ashe died of AIDS on February 6, 1993. This book started out as a family project and was completed by Jeanne and Camera in his memory.