A Family Is a Family Is a Family (Who We Are) Paperback

This is one of my favorite books about families! This is a book about how there are all kinds of families, and no two are exactly the same. What makes it unique and extra-fabulous is the framing. It begins with a teacher asking the children to tell the class what they think makes their family special. The narrator says that he decides to go last, because his family isn't like anyone else's. As the children talk about their families, it's clear that no one's family is like anyone else's. The illustrations are fun and engaging. LGBT families, single parents, divorced parents, blended families, disabled parents, grandparents, and foster parents are all included, but the family configuration is never what the kids mention. For example, one child says that what's special about her family is that her moms love to sing; she doesn't point out that she has moms, plural.But the real reason I love this book is because when it's the narrator's turn at last, he recounts a time at a park when a stranger asked his foster mom which were her real children. Her absolutely perfect response: "Oh, all of them. I don't have any imaginary children." As a foster and adoptive parent myself, I LOVE this. This is the response that I wish I had thought of in time!All families should read a few "all kinds of families" books with their children, because all children will encounter lots of different families. This is a particularly good one for opening the eyes of many well-meaning adults as well!

This book is perfect to introduce a unit on families in primary grades! It shows interracial couples, adopted and foster children, single parents, two moms/dads, a parent in a wheelchair, families with lots of kids, a grandparent raising a grandchild, etc. as the kids in the class share little facts about their families.The best part is that none of the families are presented in a preachy way that points out why they might be “different.” For example, the child with two moms says, “My moms love to sing” and there is no discussion of why there are two moms, no suggestion that it’s unusual, and no indication that anyone has a problem with it. (There is one page where the child says their mom gets asked which of her kids are her REAL kids, and the mom replies that she has no pretend children, but that’s the only one where the family’s uniqueness is even pointed out.)When I read this book to my class, I first had them draw a picture of a family. As we read, we noted whether any of them drew families like the ones in the book. It surprised me that they literally had no idea that a grandparent and grandchild can be a family. It really broadened their schema and helped generate a discussion of all the many ways to be a family.

It’s about a student that was shy to talk about their family because it was different than other family. Each student tells their family story. As you read, each child family is story different than the others. One students comes from many siblings, and one student has a newborn sibling. Another student has two moms. Another student is with mom 1/2 time and then the dad.This story is good story for any child that having trouble understand why their own or another family is different than “mom, dad’ and child structure”It’s a beautiful illustration.Definitely a book that children can understand.The only thing it may not be for all reader especially those concerned about telling their children about homosexual family. It doesn’t go into details but show a family that is. If you’re one of those parent don’t purchase this book.I love it the book and I think it’s a beautiful way to show how beautiful families can be.

The first time I read this book was for a college assignment to check out the children’s section of the library. Tears. It’s so important to show children what every kind of family looks like, no matter what type of family they have. It’s important for them to know they’re not alone/weird if they have a family that looks different from their friends’ families and also for kids to have perspective on what different families can look like. I’d highly recommend this book as a classroom read aloud if you’re doing a project on family or just to read to your kids in general for a discussion about what different families can look like.

I teach special education and we have a once a week social emotional learning group time with two other general education classes. We read this book last week together. It was so meaningful for everybody. It help open the space for an amazing Conversation about family. The students decided out three classes are a very special family together. This was so meaningful seeing as we are all learning virtually right now and they steal feel this connect.

The book is great the only issue we had was one page in the book. The page with the divorced parents and it says, “one week dad gets me and one week mom gets me, fair is fair.” Although it’s a very individual problem with the wording we know we’re not the only ones in coparenting situation where the time share is not 50/50 and makes it a little awkward to read when that to a kid, something that’s already a sensitive area in many situations for a wide variety of reasons.It could’ve easily talked about sharing time rather than something like “fair is fair.”Again, I know it might seem like a very picky critique but then again 50% of kids are in a coparenting/mixed family situation.It’s an important aspect to consider.

I love reading this book to my son. He understands there are hundreds of differ combinations of families.

Wonderful book, highlighting families of every combination you can imagine. Loved the message and enjoyed sharing it with my kindergarten class.

The book goes through all the different kinds of families in such a beautiful way. Everything from single parents, and gay parents to surrogacy and foster parents. It really is a great way to teach kids about all the different kinds of families

Nice book with inclusive message. Perfect for use in school.

Mir gefällt die Vielfalt der Familien: Schwarzer Vater-Schwarze Mutter- Schwarzes Kind ("Sandkastenliebe der Eltern), weißer Vater-weiße Mutter + 15 weiße Kinder), weiße Mutter-weiße Mutter-weißes Kind, weißes Kind-weißer Vater+weiße Mutter - weiße Mutter+ weißer Vater + 8 weiße Großeltern, weiße Mutter + 2weiße Kinder (allerdings verstehe ich wofür, "I think my mother orderd the new baby online" steht), weißer Vater + weiße Mutter oder weißer Vater (ist nicht eindeutig) + drei Kinder (1 weiß, 2 PoC), weißer Vater-Mutter of Color-Kind of Color (Wechselmodell), weißer Vater-Mutter of Color + Kind of Color, weiße Mutter mit Rollstuhl + weißes Kind, Großmutter of Color + Kind of Color, weißer Vater + weiße Mutter + fünf weiße Kinder (Patchwork), weißer Vater-weißer Vater + weißes Kind, weiße Pflegemutter + drei weiße Pflegekinder.Die Illustration spricht mich nicht an, deshalb nur vier Sterne

We love this book! My five-year-old daughter has requested it every night for a week now. The story is lovely (the final page may make you teary—and I'm not a super-sentimental person) and features families of all sorts. (My daughter has taken to saying "mommy you're my everything" and also "mommy you're my foster mother," even though I've tried to explain what that means. Ha!) We like to linger over the illustrations as well, which are detailed and add another level of nuance to the story. This will definitely be a book we buy as a gift for friends and family w young kids.

Very teachable message.