This beautiful poem celebrates the bond between parent and child in a special way. Through the exchanges between a little Chinese girl and her mother, Motherbridge of Love offers a poignant and inspiring message to parents and children all over the world.
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This book shares its name with a London-based organization dedicated to promoting greater understanding of Chinese life and culture among adoptive families in the West. The text, credited to an anonymous adoptive mother, takes the form of a series of heartfelt, parallel musings about two women "who never knew each other" but who are central to a sprightly Chinese girl. "The first one gave you life; the second taught you to live it.... One found a home for you that she could not provide, the other prayed for a child; her hope was not denied." Masse (Goodnight, Sweet Pig) echoes this dreamy lyricism with gently surreal illustrations rendered in a texture like shot silk. Her treatment of the birth mother merits particular interest: on some spreads, she portrays the woman relatively realistically, carrying water in her village or gazing down at her pregnant belly. But in other spreads, the mother is transformed into a benevolent spirit; readers will notice her Asian features in the moon that shines down on the adoptive mother and child, and even in the mountain that the pair traverse during a hike or in a dramatic sky. It's a risky artistic choice, but Masse pulls it off in an understated way that offers comfort and encouragement to parents and children. A portion of the proceeds benefits Mother Bridge of Love. Ages 4-10. (Sept.) --Publisher's Weekly, Sept. 10, 2007
"Got a girlfriend who just adopted a kid? You're going to want to get them this book, although the illustration is so gorgeous, you could give it to anyone. The text was submitted anonymously to the charity Mother Bridge of Love, which seeks to connect kids adopted from China with their homeland...it does explain quite lyrically how two mothers can each have a part in making one whole child" --Time Magazine
"I read the book with my adopted daughter and awaited her response. It was wonderful. When I asked her what she liked in the book she immediately said the two mothers were two trees with a shared heart" --Maura Sills, founder, The Karuna Institute
"Got a girlfriend who just adopted a kid? You're going to want to get them this book, although the illustration is so gorgeous, you could give it to anyone. The text was submitted anonymously to the charity Mother Bridge of Love, which seeks to connect kids adopted from China with their homeland...it does explain quite lyrically how two mothers can each have a part in making one whole child" --Time Magazine
"I read the book with my adopted daughter and awaited her response. It was wonderful. When I asked her what she liked in the book she immediately said the two mothers were two trees with a shared heart" --Maura Sills, founder, The Karuna Institute
About the Author
This poem was anonymously submitted to the UK based charity Mother Bridge of Love, founded by Xinran, the acclaimed Chinese author, broadcaster and journalist. In 2004, Xinran made it her aim to reach out to Chinese children all over the world who have been adopted, creating a bridge of understanding between Chinese and the West and between adoptive culture and birth culture.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
not just for the little ones,
By
This review is from: Motherbridge of Love (Hardcover)
We brought our two adopted daughters back to Jiande orphanage as preteens in 2006 and addressed the birthmom question not for the first time ... we had relied on the "Choco" book and other fables available in the mid-90s when we first had these discussions of the "tummy Mom" and the "real Mom." Too bad this book had not been available then. However, it is such a graphically beautiful book and has such a simple message that I thought I would add it to our China book shelf. The girls tend to act disinterested in those books now--unlike when they had been younger--but a book like this is easy to flip through in a few minutes and can easily re-ignite that on-going conversation our family has been having about how it feels to be adopted.
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Simply Beautiful,
By
This review is from: Motherbridge of Love (Hardcover)
I was in tears by the second page. And the illustrations are Beautiful!!
This is a must for any adoptive parent. My just turned four year old is just discovering that everyone was once a baby and people are born. She asked me last week if she came in the mailbox...LOL. This is beatiful book to start that conversation for the questions I know are coming.
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Celebrating Family with Barefoot Books,
This review is from: Motherbridge of Love (Hardcover)
We are currently in the process of adopting our daughter from China and during our long wait, we are collecting resources, learning about Chinese culture and thinking and talking about how we are going to share with our daughter the story of how she became a part of our family.
When I discovered Motherbridge of Love, I was drawn at first to the beautiful vibrant art depicting a little Chinese girl, and her Chinese birth mother and Caucasian adoptive mother. It will be so nice to have images that help her understand where she came from. The soothing blues and greens, livened up with bright red now and then are captivating and the fact that sometimes the Chinese birth mother is depicted in nature, watching over the little girl is a particularly beautiful touch. Like another reviewer when I read the text, I couldn't help but get teary. It is a beautiful poem that has been circulated in various adoption communities for years, in many versions, and this version is superb. It acknowledges that our daughter will have questions about where she came from, it honors both of us, her birth mother and adoptive mother, by exploring the things that we contribute to the person she is becoming and ends on a positive note reassuring her that she is a part of both cultures. I cannot recommend this book highly enough - I've read it to my five-year-old son, who is very excited to meet his little sister, more times that we can count and I'm sure this is going to be a family favorite for many years to come!
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