The Mulberry Bird: An Adoption Story [Hardcover]

Anne Braff Brodzinsky (Author), Diana L. Stanley (Illustrator)

Book Description

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

Although she loves her baby very much, a young mother bird gives him up for adoption because she is unable to give him the home which he needs.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 4-Relinquishment is the hardest part of adoption to talk about and is often glossed over in children's books. Brodzinsky has chosen to tell the story using birds to represent the people involved. A young mother bird feeds and protects her baby, noticing that other mothers have mates to help them. Her baby's father has flown away. Then a storm breaks her nest, and the baby falls to the ground. She goes to the wise owl for help, and he says the only way to solve her problem is to find a family to love and care for her child. She refuses at first, but then relents, and the owl carries the baby to the chosen shorebird couple. The young mother sees that her child is safe and loved, and sadly flies away forever. The baby hears from its adoptive parents the story of its first mother's love and care. This revision of the 1986 story is longer, newly illustrated in watercolors, and reflects changes in adoption practice. Language has been made more inclusive: the baby's need for "a mother and father" becomes its need for "a family." More of the youngster's feelings are included: anger and confusion as well as happiness and sadness. A caveat: a paragraph on the verso of the title page warns that the story is a fantasy and "... is not intended to represent the lives of real birds in any consistent way." Less realistic, more fanciful illustrations would have conveyed this message more noticeably. Still, the book is sure to prompt discussion.
Nancy Schimmel, formerly of San Mateo County Library, CA
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 47 pages
• Publisher: Perspectives Pr; Revised edition (May 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0944934153
• ISBN-13: 978-0944934159
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #543,051 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Building a nest, September 23, 2001

By 

Alyssa A. Lappen (Earth) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Mulberry Bird: An Adoption Story (Hardcover)

This book is intended for older children who have begun asking why their birth mothers could not care for them. It provides a nice jumping off point for an important talk.

There are deficiencies, true enough. But no single adoption book can explain every situation to every child. Expecting that is expecting too much. After all, every adopted child came to his family differently. Other titles that one might consider to help an adopted child include Randall Hicks' Adoption Stories for Young Children, Fred Rogers' Let's Talk About Adoption, Roslyn Banish's A Forever Family, Horrace, Jonathan London's Koala for Katie and Did My First Mommy Love Me. The last was written by an actual birth mother for her child.

Older children might also enjoy parts of Touched by Adoption, which includes 75 poets and writers who were themselves either birth parents, adopted or adoptive parents.

Whatever titles one uses, it is important to let an adopted child know that the family nest in which he landed was built to last forever. This book gets that message across. Alyssa A. Lappen

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Adoption story, October 22, 2001

By 

Haven Bailey (Guyton, GA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Mulberry Bird: An Adoption Story (Hardcover)

We just recently adopted a sibling group of three boys ages 5,4,2. They are so young and had a hard time understanding why they were put up for adoption. This book has helped them to understand that their birth mom did this out of love. What a wonderful story to share with any adopted child!!!!! My oldest son wants me to read this book to him EVERYDAY!

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars One of the better children's books about adoption, October 4, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Mulberry Bird: An Adoption Story (Hardcover)

Finally, a children's book about adoption that doesn't ignore the birthmother. The Mulberry Bird even puts her front and center, where she belongs--for after all, who makes adoption possible if not the birthmother?

This book is realistic and well-done. The art is of high quality, and children seem to enjoy the story. The only improvement that could be made would be to somehow acknowledge that some adoptions are fully open.