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Virginia L. Kroll

Beginnings: How Families Come to Be Hardcover – January 1, 1994

by Virginia L. Kroll (Author), Stacey Schuett (Illustrator)

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Simple stories by the author of Helen the Fish explore all the different ways in which families are made, from traditional nuclear arrangements to foster parenting to adoption.

Reading age

3 - 8 years
Print length

1 pages
Language

English
Grade level

1 - 2
Dimensions

8.25 x 0.5 x 9.25 inches
Publisher

Concept Books
Publication date

January 1, 1994
ISBN-10

0807506028
ISBN-13

978-0807506028
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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Half a dozen thumbnail sketches illustrate various ways to enlarge a family: birth, adoption (open and closed, domestic and foreign), guardianship, single parenthood and so on. Each features a child asking a parent to tell "the story of me," "how you became my now mom," etc. The responses are both loving and reassuring ("I kept thinking how beautifully black braids went with blond buzz cuts," one father tells his handicapped adopted daughter) as well as instructive. Kroll carefully selects children from a variety of backgrounds (urban, suburban, healthy, disabled, white, Asian American, Hispanic, African American), and although the result feels slightly staged, it is respectful and never condescending. Kroll's thoughtful prose is ably matched by Schuett's homey, realistic illustrations, which fairly exude warmth. An agreeable reminder that happy families come in all colors and combinations. Ages 3-9.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3-Families grow in many ways. Conversations between six children and their parents reveal some of the most common scenarios. Ruben's parents knew they wanted a baby, and his mother became pregnant soon after they were married. Katherine Grace came home to her adoptive parents from Korea as an infant; her new brother just arrived from South America. Since his mother's death when he was only four months old, Mark's Uncle Joe has been his dad. Olivia, whose birth parents were teenagers, is adopted by a single woman. Habib's parents decided to adopt a baby on Nia, the fifth night of Kwanzaa that celebrates purpose. Nicole came to her parents and three siblings when she was an older child. Full-color paintings depict families of different ethnic backgrounds in various configurations. The dialogue rings true. These respectful, fictionalized stories are likely to appeal to children who are adopted as well as to those who are not. A good complement to Gretchen Super's What Kind of Family Do You Have? and What Is a Family? (both 21st Century, 1991).
Maria B. Salvadore, District of Columbia Public Library
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Ages 4-8. There's a very nice feeling to this book, which introduces six children who want to know "how they began." Reuben's mother tells him, "Daddy and I were full of love. After we were married for a while, I became pregnant, and I was full of you!" When Reuben was born, his parents sputtered and sparkled "like fireworks." Katherine Grace came from Korea after her parents made a "hundred phone calls, answered a million questions and filled out a zillion papers." Now, Katherine Grace is getting a sibling from South America. Mark comes to live with Uncle Joe after his mother dies. Olivia was adopted by a single mother but still keeps in contact with her birth parents; Habib was also adopted, and his name means beloved. Nicole, a dark-eyed, dark-haired, disabled girl joins three blond, blue-eyed brothers. Each vignette features a conversation between children and parents that has a realistic feel. The acrylic-and-pastel artwork has a sturdy look, but it's also full of life, with a keen eye for details--a stuffed animal, a house with Kwanza candles in the window. The multicultural families represented here show that love has no borders. Ilene Cooper

From Kirkus Reviews

In warmly glowing illustrations and dialogue that exudes familial affection, sketches of six differently composed families. Each begins with a child's question--``Tell me, Mommy, about how I began,'' or, ``Daddy, when I was first born, you were just my Uncle Joe, right?''--leading into what's obviously a comfortable reiteration of a familiar tale: how Ruben ``grew inside, giving me a basketball belly...[and when] you came right out of me...Daddy and I sputtered and sparkled with joy''; how Katherine Grace came from Korea when her birth mother couldn't care for her; how Mark's single mother, before she died, asked her brother to care for her baby; how Olivia's single mom and Habib's parents arranged to adopt babies yet to be born; and how Nicole, who uses a wheelchair, was adopted into a large family at the age of six. Kroll's upbeat, realistic text and Schuett's vibrant acrylic and pastel art combine for a joyous take on the diversity of the contemporary family. (Picture book. 4-9) -- Copyright ©1994, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Concept Books (January 1, 1994)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 1 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0807506028
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0807506028
Reading age ‏ : ‎ 3 - 8 years
Grade level ‏ : ‎ 1 - 2
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 10.4 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 8.25 x 0.5 x 9.25 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #2,074,114 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #944 in Children's Books on Adoption

Customer Reviews:
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Virginia L. Kroll

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Virginia Kroll is the author of over fifty books for children and winner of a 2004 Children's choice award. A former elementary school teacher, she lives in New York with her husband and has raised six children of her own.

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Top reviews from the United States

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Lisa

Very good, although narrow, look at adoption

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on October 24, 2019

Verified Purchase

This is a solidly good book about adoption featuring characters of different ethnicities, different family configurations, and different paths to adoption. The book includes six brief conversations between a child asking some version of "how did we come to be parent and child" and a parent answering in an open, honest, loving, and reassuring way. The illustrations are lovely. The dialogue is believable and flows well. My only quibble is that it's romanticized, focusing almost exclusively on the positive aspects of adoption. The final story is a quasi-exception: the child is adopted from foster care, has a physical disability, was school-aged when adopted, and remembers being "shy at first". On the one hand, those of us who need to tell a more complex story can use this as an opening to do so. On the other hand, those of us who need to tell a more complex story know that after two foster families in five years, being "shy" was not among the biggest challenges.

This book does a wonderful job of different paths to adoption, which is very useful in helping both adopted and non-adopted children understand that there's always a story behind the word "adopted", and every family's story is different. It features single-mom and single-dad families. It features domestic and international adoption, open and closed, and by relatives, acquaintances, and strangers. It omits the grief and the loss entirely. So by all means, read this with your children. Just don't let this be the only book about adoption that you read with your children.

For those of you who might find it helpful to have more details about the specific situations presented, here is a summary. Ruben was born to and remained with a birth mother and a birth father. Katherine was born in another country to a mother who "couldn't take care of her" before being adopted by her mom and dad as an infant. Mark was born to a single mother who was "very sick"; when she died, her brother adopted Mark (aged 4 months). Olivia was born to a young woman and her boyfriend who were "too young to care for a baby properly" and choose someone they knew, a single woman, to adopt the baby; the adoptive mom remains in touch with the birth mom. Habib's parents decided during Kwanzaa that they wanted to adopt, and the adoptive mom's doctor "had another patient who was pregnant, who felt she was too young and too poor to keep her child," and had asked the doctor to help her find an adoptive family; the adoptive dad makes no mention of knowing anything about or staying in touch with the birth parents. Nicole was adopted as an older, school-aged child ("done with kindergarten"); she "lived with [her] birth mother for two months. Then two foster families cared for you after that." Nicole's adoptive parents saw her profile in "the Blue Books, where children who need new homes are pictured." The adoptive dad says that they "loaded you and your wheelchair" into their new van, but no other details are provided. Nicole remembers being shy at first but eventually feeling comfortable with her new family.

Helpful

CuriousMe

This book would be great if you are only looking to introduce slightly different ...

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on October 22, 2014

Verified Purchase

This book would be great if you are only looking to introduce slightly different types of families to your children. The stories are sweet and well-written, unfortunately, they were mostly about kids who get adopted as infants, with only one kindergarten aged adoption of a handicap child. It does use many different types of parents... natural birth parents, an uncle who's sister who was a single mom, a single school teacher, parents who couldn't conceive, and a full family who took in the handicap kindergartner. However, more diversity in the ages of the children would have let the book speak to a wider audience of kids.

I am entering into foster care parenting and was hoping to find a book for a foster care friend who is looking to adopt. Since most children adopted are not babies, the book probably won't work for our needs... even though it mentions a child being adopted out of foster care. I'll keep looking... and if you have suggestions, I'd love to hear them.

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Jill Cuppernell

Great book for any child!

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on November 13, 2012

Verified Purchase

My daughter had me read this book to her while we waited before an appointment and she was extremely curious about the different families. She so wanted to take the book home with her after her appointment, so I told her I would find it online and order it for her. It's easily one of her favorites and one of mine.

One person found this helpful

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Elisabeth

I love and cherish this book

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on July 12, 2016

By way of background, I was adopted at one week old by my parents. They always made it clear to me that I was a child of adoption (I never had that moment of, "wait! I was adopted??" that you hear about in movies). This book was one of the tools that my parents used to help me understand where I came from, and who I was. As I grew up, I found it helpful to understand not only my family, but other non-traditional families as well. To this day, I love and cherish this book. I have fond memories of my parents reading it to me as a child. I hope other families can find the same. To respond to the critical reviews, yes the book is mostly about children of different races and abilities adopted as babies, but it only contains half a dozen stories. It may not depict your story perfectly (I didn't really see mine perfectly depicted either), but it is a great springboard to use to talk to your children about their personal scenarios. I recommend, every day, always.

Helpful

Midwest Reader

My favorite adoption picture book

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on April 12, 2016

Beginnings tells the story of 6 children. Each child’s story (a mini-chapter of 2-3 pages) is titled with that child’s name, Ruben, Katherine Grace, etc.

The stories are written in 3rd person as a conversation between each child and his or her parents, with each child asking the story of their beginning. One is biological, one is foster to adopt, one is international adoption, one is domestic adoption, one is a family member adopting his nephew when his sister dies, and one is domestic adoption by a single woman. There are a variety of races and cultures represented (some the same within a family, and some biracial). All the explanations are simple for a child to understand, and presented in a matter of fact yet positive way, but not in a syrupy sweet way as in other books I’ve read.

Of all the adoption picture books we have, this is my favorite. The others are too specific, and therefore don't mirror our family's adoption story.

One person found this helpful

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Daniel J. Largent

Beginnings: How Families Came to Be

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on April 19, 2000

I really enjoyed using this with a second grade class becauseitexplores the diversity of modern families. It is a positive book thatshould be used in a family unit. END

5 people found this helpful

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Kindle Customer

Absolutely Wonderful

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on July 29, 2000

Being a Single Adoptive Mom-to-be awaiting a child from China, I absolutely loved how this book explored the broader meaning "Family". It provides explanations in terms that a child can comprehend, that single-parent families and cross-cultural families are normal and loving environments. Thank you, Virginia Kroll, for a wonderful synopsis of the 21st Century Family!

7 people found this helpful

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Beginnings: How Families Come to Be Hardcover – January 1, 1994

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