Faraway Families was first published in 2019 and written by co-authors Jena Rhydderch and Jocelyn Tochor. After moving away from their immediate family members and upon having children, they quickly discovered a need for a children's storybook about families living far away.

There are very few books teaching young children about the concept of Faraway Families even though most of us have relatives who don’t live nearby. Jena and Jocelyn wanted an interactive way to teach their children about how they can stay together with their loved ones, even if they happen to be living in another part of the city, country or world.

According to an AARP survey, 52 percent of American families are dealing with distances of more than 200 miles between grandparents and at least one grandchild. Babycenter.com reports that if your child’s grandparents or other family members live far away and frequent visits aren’t possible, it may take until age two to really remember them. Faraway Families helps families bridge that gap to help family and friends create lasting memories for children.

Jena and Jocelyn observed their own children playing shy when their children's grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins visited, especially if it had been a few months in between visits. This is also known as "stranger anxiety." This proved challenging when a visit was over a weekend and it could take one to two days to warm up; by the time they were comfortable, it was time to part ways again.

Faraway Families' goal is to help children keep that connection, to be reminded that family is always family, no matter how far apart they may be!