Who's in a Family? (Paperback)

by Robert Skutch (Author), Laura Nienhaus (Illustrator) "A family can be made up in many different ways..." (more)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Beginning with a traditional nuclear family and ending with blank spaces in which the child reader is instructed to "draw a picture of your family," this slight book catalogues multicultural contemporary family units, including those with single parents, lesbian and gay parents, mixed-race couples, grandparents and divorced parents. Kevin and his brother like their kimono-clad grandmother to help them with their jigsaw puzzles, while Ricky lives with two families. "Aunt Amanda and Uncle Stan," pictured riding in a blue convertible with their pets, "don't have any children at all" but are "still a family," says the narrator, because "they say Mouser and Fred are their 'babies.'" Because "animals have families, too," the text describes elephant, lion, chimpanzee and dog families as well as human families. (A human family headed by a mother is "like the chimpanzee family. Mama chimp raises the babies by herself, with the help of any older children she may have.") Nienhaus's lackluster illustrations, the schoolmarmish tone of the text and the comparisons with wild animals all tend to undercut the final definition of a family as "the people who love you the most!" Ages 3-7.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 2?Simple declarative statements move readers from one family configuration to the next, from single children to single parents to same-sex couples. Here and there animal families are juxtaposed with the human, presumably to show that certain situations are natural. For instance, one double-page spread shows a grandmother caring for her two grandsons while their mother is at work. The following page explains that the eldest female is also in charge in elephant families. While this may reassure some youngsters, it could also very well produce more questions than answers. Richly colored although somewhat two-dimensional pencil illustrations show loving families of a variety of races and colors in action. A serviceable, albeit surface, title.?Martha Topol, Northwestern Michigan College, Traverse City, MI
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Tricycle Press; illustrated edition edition (March 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 188367266X
• ISBN-13: 978-1883672669
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 8.3 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #50,019 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars I really don't like this book, August 9, 2006

By	F. Weinstock (Brooklyn, New York) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

As a white single mother of a bi-racial child, I'm always excited to find books that validate our family's composition. The problem with this one is that the main character whose family begins the book is a white girl who lives with her two white parents and sibling, has a dog and white grandparents. So the set-up is that her family is the "regular" kind and others are variations that aren't quite the same and are kind of exotic. I don't read this to my daughter anymore and I plan to throw it away.

50 of 65 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great for Non-traditional Families, June 28, 2000

By	KB (Colorado) - See all my reviews

We searched for months for a book for our son that showed ALL types of families. This one hit the mark. While the illustrations may not be museum quality, the message is clear and understated. We have used this in our Sunday School class and based a Sunday service on the idea that "Families Valued" are not all plain vanilla. An excellent book to validate YOUR family's configuration.

43 of 57 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars builds confidence in child's own family configuration, January 29, 2004

By A Customer

I am a single mother in an area where this is not the norm. This book was wonderful in showing many different types of families to my three year old son. He really enjoyed the book and was especially excited to see photos of his own family in the back of the book. I put the pictures in before we read it and he felt so confident about his own family configuration afterwards. Family has been a very important topic lately as his friends have been asking why my son's family is different. The book is simple and to the point and allows for any additional comments a person might want to add. Thank you to Robert Skutch for writing such a needed book that helps instill family confidence.