Book Review: Twice Upon-a-Time... Born and Adopted
For quite some time, I've sought a book for our boys that would help us to explain all that is in our hearts about their birth parents, foster experience, adoption and future life. Honestly, every adoption book geared toward children just 'didn't fit' our situation. Either there wasn't enough respect given the birth parents who chose life for our sons or there was just too much fluff and not enough detail about the real emotions that encompass being adopted.
Friday, I was flipping through sale books at Half Price Books and stumbled upon this little gem. Twice Upon-a-Time... Born and Adopted by Eleanora Patterson. I will admit up front that I do not particularly like the style of the illustrations. I'm a fan of beautiful, impressionistic-type pictures in books for children. These drawings remind me of Shel Silverstein, whose poetry I enjoy, but whose illustrations are for giggling and belly-laughing at rather than pondering with. (Yes, I intentionally ended that last sentence with a preposition.)
Aside from that small detail, I will tell you that the words are perfect. The book is applicable for adoptive children who were adopted at any age, infant to teen, and for most any adoptive situation. It even mentions foster care, which really, really helps us. And, the book includes fathers, both birth and adoptive. Often adoption books, include mothers only or present every type of family situation.
The most appealing part of this book for our family is the conclusion which discusses the very real, very appropriate feelings that may come in the future about birth parents. We want our boys to feel like they can talk, ask questions and even try to find their birth parents WHEN they are mature enough to handle such an important thing.
If you are an adoptive family in the same boat as ours, I hope you find this book appropriate and lovely in its simplicity. Our little Prince Caspian is almost ready for such a book. On his adoption day, we talked about how special he is and how wonderful it is to be adopted. Later that evening, he was sitting at the dinner table, pumped his little fist in the air and said with a huge smile - "I adopted." Yes, sweet boy, you are.
Friday, I was flipping through sale books at Half Price Books and stumbled upon this little gem. Twice Upon-a-Time... Born and Adopted by Eleanora Patterson. I will admit up front that I do not particularly like the style of the illustrations. I'm a fan of beautiful, impressionistic-type pictures in books for children. These drawings remind me of Shel Silverstein, whose poetry I enjoy, but whose illustrations are for giggling and belly-laughing at rather than pondering with. (Yes, I intentionally ended that last sentence with a preposition.)
Aside from that small detail, I will tell you that the words are perfect. The book is applicable for adoptive children who were adopted at any age, infant to teen, and for most any adoptive situation. It even mentions foster care, which really, really helps us. And, the book includes fathers, both birth and adoptive. Often adoption books, include mothers only or present every type of family situation.
The most appealing part of this book for our family is the conclusion which discusses the very real, very appropriate feelings that may come in the future about birth parents. We want our boys to feel like they can talk, ask questions and even try to find their birth parents WHEN they are mature enough to handle such an important thing.
If you are an adoptive family in the same boat as ours, I hope you find this book appropriate and lovely in its simplicity. Our little Prince Caspian is almost ready for such a book. On his adoption day, we talked about how special he is and how wonderful it is to be adopted. Later that evening, he was sitting at the dinner table, pumped his little fist in the air and said with a huge smile - "I adopted." Yes, sweet boy, you are.
Comments
I saw that book at Half Priced Books the other day - probably the same copy, haha! I did not open it b/c I wasn't impressed w/the cover design & hadn't ever heard of it, so I passed. hah! I guess we need it after reading your review :o) Thanks for sharing!
(Didn't someone say once not to judge a book by it's cover? ouch)