Customer Reviews

My Beautiful Bow: An Adoption Story

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My daughter and I have enjoyed reading My Beautiful Bow many times. Unlike many other books about adoptive families, this one effectively engages kids, using language and situations to which they can relate (some books favor more abstract concepts that are difficult for little ones to grasp). As an adoptive parent, I also appreciate that the story involves both mothers, seamlessly weaving the presence of Abby's birth mother and her mom, as the narrator, into the story. It offers a realistic and occasionally humorous take on whether nature or nurture can take credit for a child's appearance and personality. Basically, I love that it says what we want to communicate to our daughter in a fun and engaging story--that she is the beautiful product of two sets of parents (and, more globally, two cultures).

My Beautiful Bow: An Adoption Story

When I first read My Beautiful Bow to my six-year-old adopted Chinese daughter she said that it was "Delicious!"
I said,"Delicious? What does 'delicious' mean?"
She said that it was so good that she just wanted to eat it all up.
My daughter asked me to read the book again for her bedtime story the next day.
The day after that she took the book with her to school and asked her teacher to read it aloud to the class. Clearly, the book resonated with her.
When she was three-years-old my daughter was around a family friend who was pregnant and then had a baby. My daughter, just as the main character of the book, had made a number of comments about wishing she'd been in my belly before she was born. She, just like the main character, would climb under my shirt and pretend I was pregnant with her.
My Beautiful Bow addresses the importance of both the birth mother and the adoptive mother; for instance, the little girl in the book learns that she got her lovely singing voice from her birth mother and songs to sing from her adoptive mother. This is a book that needed to be written.

Having read many children's books related to adoption, I found this book in particular to resonate with my family. As with Abby, the younger sister in the story, my daughter was adopted from China, and this connection drew us in from the start. As an educational professional I am also looking for teaching value in a book. This is a great tool for use with extended family, friends, and especially our own adopted children. Nestled within each page is a message of love and the beautiful bonds within families formed by adoption, further evidenced by sister Hannah's sweet illustrations. Just as importantly, My Beautiful Bow speaks to the ties between adopted children and their birth mothers in China; hearts that may only know each other through an unseen magical or mysterious thread of connection. When I asked my daughter which parts she enjoyed most, she identified the humor that the sister in the story, Hannah, brought to the story. She also liked the red ribbon image and "cute" illustrations. This tells me that My Beautiful Bow is fun and engaging on many levels, and will appeal to a wider audience than just the China adoption community.

This book is a thoughtful story of a conversation many parents have with their adopted children. The book is geared for families adopting from China because of the illustrations but it can certainly apply to kids from any country. It gives parents a teachable moment in a fun and colorful way. Although my daughters have already brought up the subject of their birth mothers, I think this is a wonderful way to reinforce the things we already discussed. I would very much recommend it to any adoptive family.

I've read so many adoption books before, during and after we adopted our children, and while most were informative, none of them really spoke to me in such a personal way as this one did. I think because it was such a lovely and honest story, with such a touching, personal experience, both my son and I felt connected to the book.

My son is 8, and we adopted him from Ukraine when he was 19 months old. We had created a homemade book for him that celebrates his adoption and homecoming, and we've always talked openly about his adoption, but he's never been one to ask too many questions.

When I received the My Beautiful Bow, I sat down with my son and read it with him. He was genuinely impressed by the drawings and very engaged by the narrative. In fact, in the middle of the book, he said, "I like this. This is my kind of book!" We laughed together at the some of the cute parts of the story (he loved to see Abby pretend she was in her mom's belly).

When we finished, I asked him, "What did you think?" and, you know, for the first time in 7 years, he asked me about his birth mom.

This is such a wonderful story to share with your children, and honestly, a great way to engage in dialog with them. Adoption is such a natural part of our lives and I think my son felt a certain bond with the narrator and felt secure enough to ask his own questions.

We both highly recommend it for all adoptive families!

Really charming and wonderful book! I have now given several copies of this book to friends who have a biological child and an adopted child, or who hope to build their family that way. I think it is also a great book for families who have only an adopted child, since they will know other kids who are with their biological parents and will be comparing themselves to them. I know one family who has a biological son and an adopted daughter from China who is now about 11. After reading this book, the daughter told her mom, you know I think I'll adopt a girl from China when I grow up. This book really gave her comfort and reassurance about her own story as an adoptee. Very heartwarming!

This book is beautiful and informative about adoption. It works for a range of ages as it explains what both adoptive and birth parents contribute to a child. I've never read a better book for children about culture and genetics, nurture and nature. On its lovely pages, parents will find ideas for a vast array of times during the day and year when they can gently discuss adoption and biology with their child. If you are an adoptive family, you should have this book.

My Beautiful Bow explores the bonds that an adopted child feels with her adoptive mom and her birthmother in a very sensitive and emotionally satisfying way. I particularly appreciated the way that the story lovingly describes how the child's special talents and preferences may be traced to both her birthmother and adoptive mom. The story depicts an every day conversation between adoptive mom, child and sister and shows how the subject of adoption can be processed in our every day lives. In reading My Beautiful Bow adoptive parents and children continue the dialogue about adoption in a way that supports a positive identity and sense of self esteem in children who were adopted. My Beautiful Bow is an excellent addition to your child's adoption themed library.