Title: All Kinds of Families
Author: Suzanne Lang
Illustrator: Max Lang
Publisher: Random House, 2015
Ages: 2-5
Format/Genre: board book fiction
Themes: Pride Month, families, family makeup, blended families, single parent families, queer families, step-families, open-mindedness, family love, lgbtqia+
Opening:
Some children have lots of SIBLINGS.
Some children have NONE.
Synopsis:
Lots of nontraditional family structures are celebrated in this fun and super-accessible board book!
Why I like this book:
This is a simple book to talk to young kids about the different kinds of families they would encounter in the world. A silly and positive introduction to open-mindedness and all kinds of family love.
The animals chosen for each type of family (Divorced, Single Parent, Grandparents, Step-Parents, Aunts, Uncles, 2 Moms, 2 Dads etc.) are diverse in color, shape and size. They have animals ranging from as large as a hippo to as small as a spider. This is also great for students to recognize that families come in all shapes and sizes.
The gender roles chosen in the book are also different. Each family has a variety of both boys and girls who represent the children. There is a clear indication of types of gender suggested in facial features. Most of the animals are not dressed which indicates that just because an animal is wearing pants does not mean it has to be a boy.
Every statement is accompanied with an illustration of the family described. Max Lang uses many mediums in the illustrations: photographs, colored pencil illustrations, magnetic letters, corkboard and push pins, etc. The “photo” frames are cool. The octopus family has a frame made of shells, the sheep family has a frame made of wool, the ducks’ frame is on a barn wall with a floor of straw and some eggs. Children will love to look at the minute details, e.g. the koala bears’ grocery list consisting of eucalyptus leaves and bark, all while learning the message simply stated at the end, “...if you love each other, then you are a family.”
Resources/Activities:
I would recommend this book as a read aloud for a families and pre-school classrooms.
Children can choose an animal and then sue them to draw/paint their own family.
Each week a group of bloggers reviews picture books we feel would make great educational reads. To help teachers, caregivers and parents, we have included resources and/or activities with each of our reviews. A complete list of the thousands of books we have reviewed can be found sorted alphabetically and by topics, here on Susanna Leonard Hill’s website.
In my 20's, with only my guitar and a rucksack, I wandered the continents, immersing myself in the lives of some wonderful people, projects and stories, which changed the way I view my responsibility to others and this earth. Right now I'm a European transplant in the US who writes books for children and young adults. Stories can help us not only navigate our world but can connect us to others, and allow us to inspire and help each other. I believe that equity and empathy should be at the core of our all actions, words, and stories.
I am also a school librarian and I get a kick out of book-matchmaking! And I use the pronouns she/her.
What a wonderful introductory book for children. I love the board book format. There is a lot packed into this book. Lovely share for the beginning of Pride Month.
This looks like such a sweet book! I love the illustrations. Am thinking it would pair well with Katy Tanis’s LOVE IN THE WILD. It, too, is a board book celebrating all kinds of families, including ones that are found through serendipity.
Yikes! Why haven’t I read this yet! I like the hand-written title too!
I haven’t seen this one before either. What a great review. I agree that it would go well with LOVE IN THE WILD. Thanks for sharing this one!
Pat said exactly what I wanted to say, so I’ll just ditto her! 😀
Haven’t seen this one yet – such a terrific resource for families with toddlers!