Customer Reviews

Welcome Home, Forever Child: A Celebration of Children Adopted as Toddlers, Preschoolers, and Beyond

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

The book Welcome Home, Forever Child is a wonderful children's book! This one is different from the children's books I've reviewed in the past, as this one is written particularly for children who are NOT adopted as infants. There is a whole different set of issues and questions that go along with a child who is adopted at an older age. They may remember experiences shared with birth and/or foster families, and have questions about how long they will be with their "new" family.

If you've adopted a toddler, preschooler, or older child, then this book is a MUST for your family! Author Christine Mitchell shares a story of love and the meaning of adoption in rhyming words that children will love to hear and easily understand. It will help create a bond with adoptive parents, and explain to the child what "forever" means.

The illustrations are so sweet. The author has used cats as the characters in the story. I love this because it makes the book appropriate for any type of adoptive situation- transracial, etc. The book starts out by talking about all the important milestones that may have been missed by the adoptive parents, but goes on to primarily focus on all the "firsts" that are to come, with a promise of being there to share in them. I am sure this book will be one that you will read over and over again with your child(ren).

Review sent in :Christine's book has captured into words and pictures the often hard to mention past of an older adopted child in a very warm and accepting manner. Acknowledging an adoptive child's beginnings is very important for the basis of self-esteem in the present and basic trust in the future. I love the simple yet straight forward manner Christine handles the loss of not being in their child's life from the beginning. As a professional in adoption support groups, I highly recommend this book. It will inspire both child and parent to work towards a healthy, honest and loving relationship. Cathy Botello, Adoptive Family Support Services, FSC

I purchased this book for two friends who just went through international adoptions. The wonderful story of family love and moments to come brought tears to my eyes. The beautiful illustrations create a sense of warmth and love. The story reminds us all that raising children is a lifetime of shared experiences and moments.

I am a kindergarten teacher and loved this book from the first moment I read it! I was so touched by the message of love, hope, permanence and a lifetime of memories that an adopted child would finally find with his/her new adoptive family. I bought this book for a friend who is in the process of adopting two older children.

I love that this much-needed book works equally well for transracial families because each member of the cat family depicted is a different color and pattern. My daughter (adopted as a baby) was very moved by it and requested that I read it again and again. I give it a standing ovation!

My children and I read this book together. Actually, my older daughter read it to my younger daughter and I. Although my children are older (9 & 12), they really enjoyed it. My younger daughter said "This book should be in the home of every family, not just families that adopted. Every family should have one so their children can learn about adoption". My older daughter loved that Christine Mitchell not only wrote the book, but illustrated it as well. She said "It was smart of her to use cats instead of human beings. Children can relate to animals and also she wouldn't have to decide what race to make everybody. That way it appeals to everybody".

This book has a very sweet and loving message. With so few books that are appropriate for older child adoptions, this book fills a real need for adoptive families. Welcome Home, Forever Child is a book that children will want to hear over and over again.

Welcome Home, Forever Child is a very nice book. I'm thankful for Christine Mitchell and hope to see other books about an older child being adopted be written in the near future. Like the Mitchells, we expanded our family when our oldest daughter, Rose, entered it as a four year old. This book is for her.

The characters in Welcome Home, Forever Child are cats which is perfect because Rose is a huge cat lover. Each cat in the family looks different (colors and stripes) which is another bonus considering we are mixed-race family. The activities the family participates in include walking on the beach, seeing animals at the zoo, swimming, reading books and more. I really like how the father plays an active role in the family. The artwork is simple, but warm and bright. The story itself is done in a rhyming fashion and will appeal to many young children.

I like how Welcome Home, Forever Child talks about God, prayer and blessings. For some, this obviously is going to be a drawback. Some Christians may not like how the children go trick-or-treating, but the children are not dressed up as vampires and witches. The girls are wearing a princess gown and a bunny outfit. I do believe some of the opening and closing lines could be greatly improved - "We wished so long for a child like you...It seems that in His way God knew...we're glad you're our Forever Child." Despite these minor criticisms, I highly recommend Welcome Home, Forever Child as a way to celebrate the adoption of older children.

This is a great book for older children I just adopted a 1 yr old and a 5 yr old and this was perfect for the 5 yr old. It talks about things we missed like his first step and first word, but goes on to show all the first we are going to do together. Like ride a bike, go to school, go to the zoo and more. I would recommend this to anyone adoption ages 2-5yr old!!

I purchased this book for a family who has recently adopted a three year old girl who was in foster care since birth. My friend and myself had a difficult time finding a book which was appropriate for a child who was not adopted at birth. This book is fantastic. My friend has three sons and they read the story to their sister as a nightly routine. Everyone loves the story. The illustrations are also adorable. She especially likes the story and feels as though the book is about her own life. Her offical adoption took place last month on National Adoption Day. She now refers to her Mom, Dad and three brothers as her "forever family". How great is that? This book very sweet and I am so happy to be able to give such a perfect gift that the whole family enjoys.