Lesson: What Groups Do We Belong To?

The book CELEBRATING FAMILIES is a book for kids of all ages. This book shows real photographs of kids and their families and gives a brief explanation of their family. I think this is a great book to use in the classroom because it shows real photographs and gives different examples of all the different kinds of families there are. It does not only give examples of multiracial families but also families that are homeless, LGBT families, families with only one mom or dad, kids who live with their grandmother and also families with divorce. There are not too many books out there that explain all of the different types of families and that is why I really like this one. ( )

Presents brief descriptions of many different kinds of families, both traditional and non-traditional.
Reading Level:

Summary: "Celebrating Families" is a book that showcases different children and their families. It discusses many different family dynamics and family problems, for example, a nuclear family who is homeless, a father who is in jail where his son visits him often, and a foster family.

Review: The central message of "Celebrating Families" is all families are different and unique in many ways, however, all families are equally special. The title of the book, "Celebrating Families," shows that the book embraces and celebrates all family dynamics. Every time the reader turns the page in the book, he/she is introduced to another family that may have problems or different living arrangements from other families. However, the common similarity of each family in the book is that the family loves each other, which is why no matter what type of family a child has, love connects all families. In my opinion, this book was a nice way to inform readers of different types of family dynamics and celebrate each one. This is because each family page described the family's routines, living arrangements or etc. Also, the book helped readers to connect to the families by having a child present their family since this book is aimed toward children who are in the K-2nd grade. ( )

Summary:

This informational picture book explores the real lives of fourteen young children and tells a little expert about the different families and cultures they come from. Every page is about a different child and offers many pictures of that child and their family. All of the families are unique and different in their own way. There are children from all different ethnicities, religions, and cultures. One family lives in the suburbs, while another lives on a farm and another lives in a self-sustaining community of neighbors. There are also foster children, special needs parents, homeless families, one-parent families, two-parent families and same sex parents. This book celebrates the differences of all sorts of families from around the world.

Comments (opinions/arguments):

This book is so fun, happy and inviting just by looking at the front cover. Its bright red cover with many smiling happy faces of children make this book really stick out. I really enjoyed this short picture book because it’s simple, yet offers so much within its pages. I love how each page honors a different child and gives you a little bit of an insight into their family life. The pictures of the families also add so much detail and explanation to the words. I think children will really enjoy this book because they will probably relate to many of the children in different ways and it will show them that all families are different. Regardless that all families are different, it will also show children how happy other children are regardless of where they come from or how they grow up. Each child shares information about their family that they’re proud of. I also love that all of the children in this book come from such unique families and you can see from their smiling faces that they love them. There are children that come from all walks of life. They come from the suburbs, farms, cities and other countries. Some of them are being raised by one parent, two parents, grandparents, foster parents, special needs parents, and even same-sex mothers. ( )