Two Birthdays for Beth (Hardcover)

by Gay Lynn Cronin (Author), Joanne Bowring (Author, Illustrator)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Grade 2?Mom tells Beth her "very own adoption story," saying, "You came from your birth mother's body and my heart," which makes the birth mother's experience sound more mechanical than it actually is. Then Mom describes the chocolate cake and presents with which she celebrated the day, June first, when "...you became my little girl." Beth thinks this means she will get two birthday parties a year?in January when she was born and in June. Readers wait with her through the seasons, but on June 1...no cake, no presents. Mom tells her that she has only one birthday, just like everybody else. She explains, "Adoption is different, but the love is the same. I don't love you because you're adopted. I love you because you're Beth." An adult reading this story aloud would get across the intended message, but children could use an inflection on the "I don't love you" sentence that would give it quite a different meaning. The pencil-sketch and pink-wash illustrations of the African American mother, child, and grandfather give no clue as to the child's age; the broadly smiling Beth on the cover and in the similar second illustration looks years older than the character in the rest of the book. African American adoptive families need a book of the quality of Betty Lifton's Tell Me a Real Adoption Story (Knopf, 1994), but this isn't it.?Nancy Schimmel, formerly of San Mateo County Library, CA
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Description
After waiting for months for a second birthday celebration because she is adopted, a young girl is initially disappointed--until she realizes how lucky she is.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 1 pages
• Publisher: Perspectives Press (IN) (February 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0944934137
• ISBN-13: 978-0944934135
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 8.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.3 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,007,578 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The True Meaning of Adoption, December 24, 1999

By	Gail Duberchin (Schaumburg, IL USA) - See all my reviews

This whimsical book leads the reader from a discussion of how an adopted child has two birthdays to the more serious topic of what it means to be adopted. Beth waits and waits for her "real" birthday, the day she was adopted, but her mother explains that everyone has only one birthday, and that birthdays aren't really that important. What matters is how people feel about one another. Beth's mother says, "I don't love you because you're adopted. I love you because you're Beth." Beth responds by creating a heart-shaped card for her mother. Her picture is on one half, her mother's on the other. Beth says, "Together we make a heart. Together we make a family. Every day. That's what being adopted means." The light verse and simple vocabulary will engage young pre-readers and older readers will enjoy and identify with the story. The open exchanges between Beth and her mother can be a starting point to encourage dialogue between children, parents and members of the extended family.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A truly gentle, heartwarming picture book!, February 27, 2000

By A Customer

From an Illinois Parent -- The author's poetic style and the illustrator's pink-toned pictures portray a wonderful affection between parent and child. I highly recommend this lovely adoption story.