This book adorably depicts how varied and different all families can be, through description and hilarious pictures of animal families. Each page is a family portrait with the caption “Some children have… siblings; two dads; one mom; pets; step parents; half-siblings, etc. ” The families are all animals. The step family is a pig dad and wolf mom! The adopted family is a sheep couple with their adopted wolf babies! Its wonderful and funny and sweet.
When I fist moved back to Canada almost 4 years ago to be the full-time caregiver of my sister’s children, my niece was as-yet unborn and my nephew was almost 3. He had been an only child and the centre of his parent’s world his entire life. In the space of a few months, he moved house, got a new baby sister and had this terrible interloper appear who he, quite reasonably for his toddler mind, blamed for all these changes. His parents went off to work and he was left with ME, the horrible stranger who was deliberately keeping him from his beloved parents. And probably was to blame for this weird new baby somehow. It was a tough transition. The day that he drew a picture of His Family that included Mommy, Daddy, Baby and self, but specifically did not include me, was pretty heart-breaking.
So. I bought us this book and we read it together and his parents read it to him and we talked about families A LOT. There is a family where the children live with their aunt. The aunt is a cow (in fabulous earrings) and now every time we read it he loudly proclaims that I am a COW and we laugh hysterically. Obviously it was more than just this book that won him over, but this book helped a lot.
This is an updated Family picture. I am one of those figures. In case you don’t recognize me, I’m the one in between the two kids. :)
I got a little teary at your review. What a great story! I just put in my hold at the library. My little ones (4 and 2) are really in to figuring out how things and people relate to each other. I can’t wait to read this with them. And, while most of our acquaintances are in “traditional” families, I’m really happy to introduce them to the idea of other groupings – especially before it happens in person and they ask those forthright, embarrassing questions the way kids do.
I got a bit teary writing it, to be honest.
It’s a terrific inclusive book. I’ve overheard the Squishies telling each other about families: “Some kids have two mommies!? Lucky kids!”
What a beautiful book. And a beautiful review.
Thanks!
Great review.
And I got teary reading it, too.
Thanks!
My review is sappy but the actual book is funny and adorable, I promise.
I read this one to my kiddos tonight. It is charming and a hit with all of us! The pictures are cute and funny and I loved all the different options for what makes a family. Both kids completely unfazed by all of it and not even curious about why families might be different. I was honestly worried they were going to put up a fight and ask why they can’t live with their beloved grandparents or cousins, but the only question generated was what ‘adopted’ meant. I fumbled that a bit, but not nearly as bad as when ‘What does dead mean?’ was the question of the day, so I’ll count it a win. Thanks so much for bringing this to my attention – it will get lots of rereads while we have it from the library.
Yay! I’m so glad you liked it!
Books are such a great way to introduce and normalize things outside kids’ everyday life. Now when your kids meet a kid who is adopted, they will think: just like the wolf babies with the sheep parents! :)