God Found Us You (HarperBlessings) [Hardcover]

Lisa Tawn Bergren (Author), Laura J. Bryant (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 3 and up | Grade Level: P and up | Series: HarperBlessings

A Story About Adoption

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Another collaboration by the team behind God Gave Us You (2000), this book will resonate with many adopted children as well as their adoptive parents. The story is presented as a cherished and much-repeated bit of bedtime conversation between Mama Fox and Little Fox. Asked about “the day I came home,” Mama talks about how long she dreamed about and waited for Little Fox. Little Fox asks, “You were lonely for me?” and Mama’s affirmative response, for which several spreads of illustrations are provided, makes them cuddle all the closer: her pain is simultaneously shared and assuaged by Little Fox. Little Fox also asks about why he couldn’t stay “with the mother who had me,” and Mama responds in a warm and assuring tone. Bryant’s appealing images, mostly gentle pastels, are sweet but not saccharine, portraying these anthropomorphous animals as intelligent, loving, and wonderfully matched. A nice introduction to adoption for any child, adopted or not. Preschool-Grade 1. --Abby Nolan

From the Back Cover

As Little Fox gets ready for bed, Mama Fox tells him the miraculous story of his arrival. First there was the waiting: 'I'd go up to the cliffs and watch for you,' Mama Fox tells her child. Then the mother who had Little Fox made the big decision to give him away: 'I think she prayed like crazy that you would be safe, Little Fox. I think she prayed for me as much as I prayed for her.' Then, finally, both their prayers were answered, the day God delivered Little Fox to Mama Fox: 'When God found us you, you made me the happiest mama in the world.' Lisa Tawn Bergren tells this heartwarming tale with tenderness and a true understanding. Just as How Big Is God captures the immensity of looking at God through a young child's eyes, this book captures the more intimate, but no less profound, discovery of the blessings that adoption brings to both parent and child. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (June 9, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061131768
• ISBN-13: 978-0061131769
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 10.1 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (42 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #9,130 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #32 in Books > Children's Books > Literature & Fiction > Religious Fiction > Christian
  • #51 in Books > Children's Books > Religions > Christianity

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful!, June 12, 2009

By 

itsjustme (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: God Found Us You (HarperBlessings) (Hardcover)

Lisa Tawn Bergren and Laura J. Bryant's successful God Gave Us You has given rise to several other picture books featuring their cute and curious polar bears. But in their newest picture book, Bergren and Bryant introduce us to a new set of characters: A fox mama and her adopted baby.

God Found Us You follows the familiar Bergren format of a conversation between animal baby and animal parent. This time, Little Fox curls up to his mother and says, "Mama, tell me again about the day I came home." Mama says this is her favorite story of all time because "when God found us you, it made me the happiest mother in the world."

Mama Fox explains that she dreamed of Little Fox for a long, long time. She saw him everywhere she went; she prayed and prayed and prayed for Little Fox to come. It was difficult for her to see other mothers with their babies, but she "trusted that God knew you, and knew me, and knew when we'd fit perfectly together."

Little Fox asks: "How come I couldn't stay with the mother who had me?" Mama Fox says she must have had a very big reason to give up Little Fox; she must have believed it was best for Little Fox. "I think she prayed like crazy that you would be safe, Little Fox. I think she prayed for me as much as I prayed for her."

When Little Fox wonders if Mama Fox is his forever mama, Mama Fox assures him she'll be his forever - no matter what. Little Fox is the best gift God ever gave her. Then Little Fox falls asleep, feeling safe and secure, and remembering his mother is the happiest mama in the world.

Throughout, Bryant's illustrations are gentle and sweet, depicting the woodlands and Mama and Little Fox beautifully.

What I Like: Bergren's tone is just right. She and Bryant make is obvious Mama Fox adores her baby, and vice versa. I appreciate how clear it's made that God brought mother and baby together, and how carefully Bergren words the section on why Little Fox's birth mother gave him up. I also love the honesty Bergren displays when she allows Mama Fox to admit how hard it was to wait for her baby. This is a lovely, lovely book that brought tears to my eyes. If you have an adopted child, or know someone who does, this book is really a must have.

What I Dislike: Nothing.

Overall Rating: Excellent.

Kristina Seleshanko, Managing Editor
Christian Children's Book Review

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great for all types of adoption, October 10, 2009

By 

Mary Kate Shiverdeck "happy mom" (Festus MO) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: God Found Us You (HarperBlessings) (Hardcover)

This book is perfect for all types of adoptions. Many books are geared towards international or infant adoptions. We adopted a child through foster care and this book could have been written for us. It is beautiful.

42 of 54 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A little too angst-ridden, May 26, 2010

By 

TJ (NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: God Found Us You (HarperBlessings) (Hardcover)

The illustrations in this book are lovely, but we had trouble with its content. If you want your child to know how depressed you felt before you had him/her (for example,the fox parent explains how before the adoption was complete, she felt bad every time she saw a parent who had a baby), and how generally angst-ridden your adoption journey was, then this is the book for you. This book simply has too much information about the parents' difficult emotions for a child who is still picture-book age. There are so many other wonderful adoption books out there; we will not be reading this one to our daughter.