Thanks for the info. That is what I had originally thought. It was what is printed
in the songbook that had me confused because they have 2 half bars |D |E followed by a single full
E printed.
I have the first version of the songbook, I don't see that so maybe someone with the second versiion can answer with a little more knowledge (if it is in fact different), but based on what you have posted, this is what I see.
The |D | you posted looks like the 2/4 bar of D. The E starts a new bar, there is nothing saying it is a 2/4 bar, at least not in what you have posted.
So it looks like to me if the chords are shown as |D | E E , as I think you are saying, then it is 2/4 on the D, then back to 4/4 on the E, which is how it should be.
Chord songbooks have limitations. You generally need to listen to the song to know how it should sound. The extra information Justin gives in the Tips and strumming patterns are great. Once your experience grows, they will come more naturally. The video lessons, even the older ones made before the songbooks were published, are invaluable.