Details
Synopsis
A four-year-old girl asks her parents to recount the story of the day she was born--the day they knew they had a new baby to adopt. The parents share the often-told story with the girl again, telling her about the late night phone call announcing her birth, their trip to the hospital, what it was like the first time they saw her, and how they cried "happy tears" when they held her for the very first time. Illustrated with watercolor paintings., A young girl asks her parents to tell her again the cherished family story of her birth and adoption.
| Size | | Height: | 9.3 in | | Width: | 10.5 in | | Thickness: | 0.5 in | | Weight: | 13.6 oz |
Publisher's Notes
First Line: "Tell me again about the night I was born."
Industry Reviews
"The account is lively and believable, convincingly depicting the joy and solidity of the new family without evading the birthmother's role."
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books - Deborah Stevenson (01/19/1997)
"Everyone--including adoptive parents and children longing for validation of their unique experiences--will embrace this pitch-perfect celebration of true family values."
Kakutani
Actress Curtis's return engagement amply confirms the promise shown in her debut picture book (When I Was Little). A sweet and sunny look at adoption, the story is framed as a much-loved and clearly much-requested family tale, and rings true from beginning to end. Combining wit ("Tell me again how you carried me like a china doll all the way home and how you glared at anyone who sneezed") with candor ("Tell me again how you couldn't grow a baby in your tummy, so another woman who was too young to take care of me was growing me"), Curtis deftly addresses the logistics of adoption in a matter-of-fact manner that radiates love and reassurance. Cornell, who also illustrated Curtis's previous books, again serves up whimsical, Roz Chast-like watercolors crammed with amusing visual asides: a jar of diaper cream sports the label "Tub o' Lard"; a tiny bandage on a newborn's tummy carries the notice "future bellybutton"; a little girl and her dog, tucked cozily into bed, wear matching curlers (the girl's in her hair; the pup's on his ears). It's hard to imagine a warmer celebration of the special joys of an adopted family. Ages 4-8. (Sept.)
Lopate
PreS-Gr 2 While Curtis's fame as an actor may get this adoption story special attention, it deserves recognition in its own right. If the title suggests a blow-by-blow description of the birth process, readers are quickly set straight; the news arrives by telephone. The narrator's adoptive parents rush to the hospital via plane, and any questions about the identity of the birth mother are brushed aside; she is simply "too young" to take care of her child. The new parents see their daughter in the nursery, howling wide-mouthed and oblivious to their pleased and loving gazes. Both participate equally in this tale; the first night home with the baby, the father tells her about baseball, holding her and a bat cradled in his arms. The humor implicit in the text is made explicit in the illustrations: watery, cartoonstyle watercolors with fine-pen accents to show outlines and facial features. This book exudes action and light; nothing here will lull children to sleep, except the warmth of feeling and comfort. It does not delve into the complexity of adoptive dynamics, but simply affirms family love, the pleasure parents feel about new babies, and how pleased children are to hear the story of their birth. Ruth K. MacDonald, Bay Path College, Longmeadow, MA
Lopate
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