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Summary: After listening to her mom tell her adoption story, Beth was convinced that she could celebrate two birthdays: the day she was born and her adoption day. For three months she waited with great anticipation for her special day (and all those presents) to arrive. When it got here, Beth learned the real meaning of celebrating adoption. This is a story that helps children comprehend the love of being a family.
Type of Reading: bedtime story, family reading, anytime reading, learning to read
Recommended Age: read together: 4 to 8; read yourself: 6 to 9
Interest Level: 4 to 7
Age of Child: Read with 5-year-old child.
Little Kid Reaction: Our preschooler listened intently to the story and then asked about her adoption story. She was not particularly focused on a specific day (birthday or adoption day), but wanted to know more about how we came to be a family.
Big Kid Reaction: This is an excellent story for helping children understand that being a child of adoption is like being a child in any family: you are loved for who you are, not how (or when) you got here. Our daughter can find someone 'just like her' in Beth.
Pros: We found this an excellent book for continuing to build our daughter's understanding of her adoption story. The book has resonance for all families.
Cons: None.
Borrow or Buy: Borrow, at least. There are other stories with greater depth, but this is written in terms that are important (and comprehendable) to preschoolers and young elementary-aged students.
Educational Themes: The story offers a general story about how adoptive families come to be. Because of it leaves out a lot of details, it gives families a chance to add in their own details in making Beth's story their own.
Literary Categories: Fiction - adoption, family
Date(s) Reviewed: November 2006
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