Over the Moon: An Adoption Tale [Paperback]

Karen Katz (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 2001 | Age Range: 4 - 8 years

An affirming story about international adoption, based on the author's own experience with her daughter.

A magical, reassuring story of one adoptive family's beginnings, told in words and pictures that are just right for the youngest child.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

W called this story of a couple who take an airplane trip to adopt a baby girl "an ebullient tribute for families whose members may have come from a faraway place." Ages 2-8.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 1. Bright, fanciful folk-art illustrations set the mood for (but occasionally get in the way of) this loving story of adoption. The smoothly flowing text is reassuring throughout, reflecting the joy of the new parents and ending with the "forever and always" that is the promise of adoption. The foster parents ("the kind people who had taken care of her") are pictured. The first day includes the first telling of the adoption story to the baby girl, "You grew like a flower in another lady's tummy." However, the first couple of illustrations are problematic. On the first spread, a baby is shown alone on a hillside sitting on a beanbag cloud with a city in the distance. The text states: "Once upon a time a teeny-tiny baby was born." Babies aren't born alone on hillsides, and even though this one is smiling, the picture doesn't seem reassuring. Adopted children need to know that they were born like other children, and did not appear magically without human connection. Also, though the text realistically recounts the new parents' first-day nervousness, the baby is pictured as smiling throughout instead of showing a range of reactions to different activities and situations.?Nancy Schimmel, formerly at San Mateo County Library, CA
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Age Range: 4 - 8 years
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Square Fish; 2 Reprint edition (July 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805067078
• ISBN-13: 978-0805067071
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 0.1 x 10 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (41 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #145,571 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #87 in Books > Children's Books > Social Situations > Adoption

More About the Author

Check out my newest book WIGGLE YOUR TOES! A Book to pull,fluff, and wiggle!

I have always been interested in folk art from around the world, Indian miniatures, Mexican ceramics, fabrics, Chagall, Matisse, children's art, and primitive painting, and I love to paint and experiment with pattern, texture, collage and color. The careers I've had--as a costume designer, a quilt maker, a fabric artist, and a graphic designer--have taken all these interests into account. Looking back, I can see that these passions and career choices have played a large part in influencing me to become a children's book author and illustrator.

But most importantly, it was after my husband and I adopted our daughter from Guatemala that I was inspired to do a children's book for her. My first book, Over the Moon, was the story of that magical experience of welcoming our daughter Lena into our lives. I painted, I drew, I collaged, and I wrote, and after working very hard... a beautiful book was born! Twenty-two books later, my daughter--now fourteen years old--still is an inspiration for me.

I am fascinated by babies and little kids. The simplest words and gestures can make them laugh. Sometimes standing in line at the supermarket and watching kids in grocery carts, my best ideas are born.

I am fascinated by people from all over the world and what they look like and how they live and the differences that make us all unique.

When an idea pops into my head I ask these questions:
Will a child want to read this book?
Will a parent want to read this book with their child?
Will this book make a parent and child feel something?
Is there something visual here that will hold a child's interest?
Will a child see something in a different way after reading this book?
If the answer is yes, then I know I'm on the right track.

I am very lucky to get to do what I do. Everyday I go into my studio and have fun. Don't get me wrong, some days are very frustrating. Sometimes the colors are all wrong and the words don't sound right. But after I work at it for a while...and try to do it a different way...and think...and change the words or colors...and try some more...suddenly, there it is--a great page of writing, or a great illustration. And nothing is more satisfying than that.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

52 of 52 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Love this Book November 18, 2002

By changshamom

Format:Hardcover

This is about the best book we have that deals with how we became a family - hands down! Our daughter was born in China as is our Number #2 daughter who we are expecting any day now. I found alot of the "classics" in the "how we became a family" to be not my cup of tea or piece of crazy cake, as it were."Over the Moon" approaches the "how you were born" subject so beautifully that we felt comfortable reading it to our 3 year old (over and over and over........) and would have felt comfortable reading it to her 2 years ago! A very gentle, happy, gorgeous book!

38 of 38 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Adoption Story December 27, 1999

By elizabeth beller

Format:Hardcover

Over the Moon is a vibrantly illustrated and beautifully written tale about international adoption. My five year old son asks for me to read it to him frequently. The author took care to use positive adoption language throughout the book, i.e. "You grew like a flower in another lady's tummy until you were born. But the lady wasn't able to take care of you, so Mommy and Daddy came to adopt you and bring you home." This is an appropriate reference to the adoption triad. The book describes a South American adoption but easily translates to our Korean adoption since we traveled to Korea to bring home our son. I also enjoyed the author's description of the extended family and community's enthusiasim over the arrival of this special baby. Over the Moon is a heart warming book your child will ask for again and again.

33 of 33 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars I love this book! April 24, 2002

By A Customer

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

As the mother of a 3-year old adopted from China, I've bought quite a few adoption-related children's books, and I like many of them. But this one I love! Although it's not directly tied to Chinese adoptions, the story is similar to ours (we're a 2-parent family; we adopted a baby; we traveled to get her). The illustrations are lovely and the story captures the happy anticipation we felt as we waited for our child. Most importantly, the author gave me words to use in explaining my daughter's birth to her: "You grew like a flower in another lady's tummy until you were born. The lady couldn't take care of you so Mommy and Daddy came to adopt you and bring you home." I just love those 2 sentences and feel grateful to have them. And my daughter asks me to read this book just about every day!

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars My 3-year old's favorite adoption book! June 13, 2005

By Adrienne E. Bashista

Format:Hardcover

Over the Moon is, by far, my son's favorite adoption book. He points to the baby in the picture and shouts "me!" every time we read it. We didn't adopt him from a tropical climate full of beautiful purple flowers, but he doesn't care. He knows we waited and wished for him like the parents in this book and we flew on a plane to get him. For a young child like him that's plenty with which to identify.

The message in this book is universal for all internationally adopted children: we couldn't wait to meet you and would have gone over the moon to get you!

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars It bring tears of joy to my eyes June 3, 2000

By A Customer

Format:Hardcover

We adopted a baby girl from Guatemala, and this story could have been written by us! Our daughter is only two, but she loves the bright colors...as for us we relive our wonderful experience of bringing her home every time we open it up!

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful, heart-warming book December 18, 1999

By A. Seaton

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

This is a lovely adoption story, particularly for young children adopted from Central America or South America. The illustrations are beautiful, dynamic and colorful, and the story is gentle and joyous. The story captures the excitement and joy of traveling to bring home an adopted child without dwelling on details, so it is easy to add the specifics of your child's adoption as you read. The book emphasizes the permanence of adoption, and that the child was meant to be the child of the adoptive parents. My 2 year-old daughter, adopted from South America, loves the story, and requests it before nap-time and bed-time.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Beautiful Story...It could be mine! February 20, 2002

By A Customer

Format:Hardcover

As we await the finalization of the adoption of our daughter from Guatemala, I read this book over and over again! I feel as though it tells our story. The illustrations are bright and appealing. I cannot wait to share it with my daughter. A must have for any adoptive family.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Good For Domestic & international adoption September 3, 2001

By Suzanne

Format:Hardcover

We often read this book to our son, who was adopted domestically. But we have also given this book as a gift to families that have adopted internationally. It has simple words and concepts - which makes a great gift. I have looked at other books and many others have too much detail. One of my other favorite simple books is titled "The Day We Met You", which we started reading to our child around the age of 1.