Emma's Story [Hardcover]

Deborah Hodge (Author), Song Nan Zhang (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up

When Emma sets out to make a cookie family with her Grandma, the happy afternoon suddenly turns sad. The cookies are meant to look like her family, but hers is the only one with licorice hair and eyes. She doesn’t look like the others; does that mean she doesn’t belong?

In gentle text, Deborah Hodge tells the story of one small girl’s adoption: the hopes and prayers of her Canadian parents, their trip to the other side of the world, their meeting with the new baby, and the very long ride home to the new family waiting for Emma

Thousands of baby girls from China have been adopted by North American families. Although this lovely book tells the story of one such little girl, it is about much more than the logistics of adoption. It is about the many ways in which we can come together to form a family.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2-Emma Li Ming, who was born in China, is happily ensconced in her new home in North America. But as she and her brother make cookies to resemble their family, she is dismayed that hers is the only one decorated with raisins and black licorice for eyes and hair, in contrast to her fairer relatives. When she comments, "I want to look like everyone else," her affectionate grandma suggests that they read the story of Emma's adoption as a reminder of the great joy and happiness that she has brought to their family. Grandma counsels that "It's not how we look that makes us a family, Emma. It's how we love each other." While the story is sweet and the sentiments noble, the overall feel of the narrative is forced, slightly pedantic, and overlong. The visuals also fall short. The backgrounds in many of the color illustrations are lovely, but the figures appear lifeless and wooden. The typeface is somewhat small and crowded into the book's design. Jean Davies Okimoto and Elaine M. Aoki's The White Swan Express (Clarion, 2002) and Rose Lewis's I Love You Like Crazy Cakes (Little, Brown, 2000) are more successful treatments of this topic.
Rosalyn Pierini, San Luis Obispo City-County Library, CA
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

“Skillful paintings … realistic, detailed illustrations … The layout balances text and art neatly.”
–Publishers Weekly

“Hodge writes with a quiet tenderness, creating the mood of the story…. Zhang’s soft, but wonderfully detailed illustrations match the mood of the story perfectly… Highly Recommended.”
–CM Magazine

“[A] gentle and warm tale…[with] beautiful paintings that are superbly rendered with incredible detail…. [A]n invaluable adoption tale…”
–Resource Links

“…timely… The softness of Zhang’s paintings, rich in detail, matches the mood of the text… heartwarming…”
–Montreal Review of Books

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 24 pages
• Publisher: Tundra Books (October 21, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0887766323
• ISBN-13: 978-0887766329
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 0.3 x 10.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,177,901 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A sweet adoption story., November 22, 2004

By 

Allison Martin "Book Reviewer" (comeunity.com) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Emma's Story (Hardcover)

This is a lovely adoption story for children from China or other Asian countries. The story begins with a young preschooler enjoying cookie making time with her grandmother. But as she makes cookies representing her family, as children do, she is feeling sad because she looks different than the other people in her family. Her grandmother lovingly takes her into her lap and retells the story of Emma's adoption from China. Most of the book is about her adoption and journey home, with the joy that this brings to her family. It has a loving ending, where she plays in the park with her family and knows sometime she will return to China to visit. Song Nan Zhans's colorful illustrations illuminate the story with warmth.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A terrific adoption story- perfect for any girl who given the name Li Ming, August 9, 2004

By 

KSL "emma-and-me" (Florida, USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Emma's Story (Hardcover)

It's a story starts in the kitchen of Emma's grandma one day while making cookies. Emma notices her cookie is different looking that her brothers and asks why. Emma and her grandmother sit down and look at Emma's very own life story book. This is a book that I hope my daughter will enjoy and help her understand there are other girls and boys who have been adopted, have similar questions and maybe feel the same way.

It does not mention birth parents or abandonment so this is a good book to start to introduce your child to the fact that other babies have been adopted from China. The pictures in the book do not look like actual photos so your child will not get confused that this is actually her story but a little like her story.


This book is very special to us, especially since I found this book after we'd named our daughter the same name as in the book before even knowing about this book.