Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Adoption Kids' Book: We Belong Together
Todd Parr has a gift. With few words, few (bright) colors,
and few (bold) lines, he effectively conveys comforting truths. We Belong Together is a
brightly-illustrated book which is intended to be read by adoptive parents to
very young children. The story simply explains that the adopted child had needs
which the adoptive family was able to meet, and that because they family was
able to meet those needs, they adopted the child. The story also affirms that
the family enjoys learning and playing with the child.
Most of my social work experience has been in foster care
and adoption, and Todd’s message rings quite true for many of the kids I’ve worked
with. Their needs were unmet – by their birth families, by former foster homes,
by the system (!) – but finally they find a home that does meet their needs.
This provides a way for them to grow. I often think of Maslow’s Hierarchy of
Needs in the context of kids in foster care – lower-level needs need to be met
before higher-level needs can be attended to. Kids need to know that they will
have stability and safety before they can really start investing in
relationships and thriving. This book ties in with that understanding.
The story might need to be altered a bit to reflect your
child’s story, but it’s a good starting point. The illustration, style, and
simplicity of the book make it best-suited to very young children (maybe up to
age 4) who will be satisfied for now with a simple answer to the question of
why they were adopted.
Happy reading!
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Todd Parr is so talented for exactly the reasons you mention.
ReplyDeleteWe have My Really Cool Baby Book, which is also wonderfully inclusive. I'll have to take a look at We Belong Together next time I'm in the market for a shower gift!
My girls love the Todd Parr books but we haven't read this one yet. We'll have to take a look. I think his Family Book also touches on adoption as one more example of a happy family.
ReplyDeleteI almost like The Family Book better.
DeleteLori & Jody - yes! This book is so simple & colorful that it's a good fit for pre-readers - they can probably memorize it before they learn to read :)
ReplyDeleteThis article give me a good selection of books for study and i know this types of book is very good for my daughter when i present a book then she will be happy fell thanks for share it check my personal statement .
ReplyDelete