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“No skill is more crucial to the future of a child, or to a democratic and prosperous society, than literacy.”
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Summary: Mama Kitten is worried. She is about to have a new baby, but she knows that she can’t take care of him. She wants her baby to have the best opportunities, so she decides she must find a family who will love and care for him, just as any mother would. Mama Kitten is determined to pick the very best home, so she pays a visit to Sadie Schnauzer, her dear friend. She wants Sadie to adopt her son, but Sadie isn’t sure. Sadie asks for some time to think about it. When she prays for help, the answer is clear: she will adopt Mama Kitten’s baby. This picture book about adoption features a cat and dog as the adoptive family.
Type of Reading: bedtime story, family reading, anytime reading, learning to read, read aloud book, remedial reader
Recommended Age: read together: 4 to 8; read yourself: 6 to 9
Interest Level: 4 to 8
Reading Level: 3.2
Age of Child: Read with girl nearly 7 years old.
Little Kid Reaction: Our child listened to the story, but was not moved by it. We have read adoption stories before, and she almost always is filled with questions like “is that one happened to me?” and “were you there when I was born?” Even when we’re re-reading stories she’s picked out. She also stopped us to ask questions, such as “why is Mama Kitten smiling in this picture when she has no home, job, or money?”
Big Kid Reaction: Based on the author’s note, this story is meant to share one family’s journey to adoption. The early part of the story does a nice job of setting out the circumstances and process for how the match came to be. But the end of the story falls apart. There is no need to cover every little detail in a children’s story about adoption, but given the title and the multiple references to how he blossomed, we expected to hear more about Cameron’s and Sadie’s life together.
Pros: Adoptive families with children of a friend or relative may find this story helpful in explaining their relationship with the biological parent.
Cons: This is a wonderful story for the person it is dedicated to; but the story falls short when trying to reach a broader audience. For example, there is a page that cuts away from the story to offer a personal note about where the love for him comes from. This is presumably where the child’s relatives live. There are no males in this story, so this may not be a story that works for a two-parent adoptive family.
Borrow or Buy: Skip. There are some wonderful adoption stories where animals are the main characters. There are also some great books that express a parent’s unconditional love for a child.
Educational Themes: This is a story that can help you introduce the idea of adoption and the circumstances that lead to a birth mother placing a baby for adoption. Some readers may also find it valuable in showing the power of faith and how prayer can help guide your life.
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