We Belong Together: A Book About Adoption and Families Hardcover – Picture Book, November 1, 2007

It's unfortunate to hear harsh criticisms for a great book. Thanks, Todd Parr, for another delightful book!!!I don't think the book paints a victim-savior picture at all. I think it presents a good, simple picture of adoption. Parents have LOVE to give, children have needs that can be lovingly met, and there is a reciprocal relationship between parents and their children where both are very blessed!!! The words and illustrations in this book give a great picture of that reciprocal relationship. All the parents have big smiles as they are shown doing things with their child which is one simple way this book shows that parents are very blessed by their children!A child is an immense blessing to his/her parents and there is a beautiful, reciprocal relationship. I personally think that We Belong Together does a good job of showing this. "We belong together because... you needed a home, and I had one to share. Now we are a family!" (accompanied by a picture of a family playing together and having fun together and obviously the parents have joy from being with their children!)We personally are adopting rather than having more biological children because:A) We do have desires for a bigger family and take delight in being parents.B) Because there is a dire NEED in this world for MILLIONS of children around the world to have a family.It is a FACT that children have needs and that by design, a permanent family is what meets those needs. ALL children are needy! No child can provide for themselves nor have their needs FULLY met without a permanent, healthy family.I DO feel that children without families are in fact victims as well--innocent victims of unfortunate circumstances in this harsh world that led them to be separated from their biological family and now are in need of a permanent family. Definition of a victim: "One who is harmed by or made to suffer from an act, circumstance, agency, or condition." Acknowledging that children will suffer without a family does NOT mean that we see ourselves as rescuers or saviors or people doing a really awesome good deed. Acknowledging that should drive the world to compassion and sacrifice and generosity. . . and if parents are building their family, it's OKAY to let that be part of their decision of whether to pursue adoption or bring more children into the world biologically. Otherwise, there would be a LOT of families NOT adopting if somehow these kids would be OK on their own.I do NOT feel that acknowledging that CHILDREN HAVE NEEDS and that adoption does indeed meet their needs, means that adoptive parents think they are saviors or that children should feel grateful to them. Any parent (with bio or adopted children) who feels that their children are there to meet their own needs, or feel that the child needs to be grateful to them has obviously got it wrong. I personally have never come across any adoptive parent who sees adoption that way (I'm sure there are some out there, but surely a very very slim minority), so I don't know why there is such a fuss about acknowledging that children have REAL NEEDS. People have a heart to meet that need--what's wrong with admitting that?After all, adoption is a mean to provide a FAMILY for a child, NOT to provide a child for a family. If we ever put OUR needs above the needs of a child, we're treading in dangerous waters. Of course that child is a tremendous blessing to the parents and there is much fulfillment and joy in being a parent and it's natural to desire to be a parent, but parents can never put any expectation on a child to meet some sort of "need" of the adult.I don't think this book says to a child--"You're so needy and look what we did for you!" like some of these comments are saying. Instead, it just presents simple facts of life which are true about ANY child (bio, adopted, without a family, or in a family). Any child needs a home, someone to help them grow, someone to kiss boo-boos, to be read to, and to say I LOVE YOU.I also want to address the complaints of some of these comments, that it leaves out the birth parents, or leaves out such-and-such. Uhhh...it's a short children's book. There is no way a simple children's picture book is able to address all the ins and outs of adoption. There are many ways through a child's life to talk about birth parents, grief and loss, why some families have 1 parents and some have 2, and some have 2 moms or 2 dads, and other hard topics. I think it's unfair and unreasonable to expect a short children's book to address all of those issues!This book could definitely provide opportunities for further discussions with your child, though. A child might ask, "Why couldn't my first mom help me 'grow healthy and strong?'" (words from the book) Or, "Why does that girl have two moms?" (also in the book, although if you are not comfortable talking about same-gender parents yet with a very young child, you could easily suggest that maybe that's a single mom and her sister or the grandma.There is also a page that looks like there are two dads, although one of the parents looks like it *could* be either female or male. It took me a long time to notice that it is likely two males. Again, if there are family structures you don't agree with or want to wait to talk about with your child when they're older, you can make adjustments yourself (even take a sharpie and draw a bow in the one's hair if you want!). All of us parents will have to talk at some point with our children about differences in families, whether or not someone agrees with all those differences. You wouldn't have to avoid this book or be forced into any discussions prematurely. . . it leaves room for tweaking it on your own, in my opinion.

Gosh, people just don't seem to "get" this book. When Todd writes "You needed a home, and I had one to share" the implication, for me, is that I NEEDED to share my home. And I did. That's exactly why I adopted. My home sucked without my child; now it is a wonderful place.I think this very much is about what both parties get from adoption, and I love sharing this book with my daughter.And, as an advocate for adoption, I think this book is wonderful too. It very much feeds into the adoptive parent impetus for adoption, which, in most cases, is a selfish need. "I need a child. I need to share my home, my love, my kisses." Thank goodness for those selfish parental needs, because if we waited for people to adopt because God called them to, or because they wanted to save a child, precious few children would ever get adopted, and that is a very very unhappy story.To be a really wonderful, as-good-as-biological-or-better-parent you have to adopt because you have something you HAVE TO share: your love, your kisses, your desire to kiss boo-boos, your desire to make someone a healthy meal. It's all here in this book. AND, the truth is, the child DOES need all those things, and there's no point in hiding it from your child. The child would have gone without ALL of those things had you not adopted him or her. BOTH the parent who adopts and the child who is adopted have GREAT HUGE OVERWHELMING needs: the child is waiting to see if someone will care and give, and the parent is searching and searching for someone to give to. And then, the really lucky bonus for the adoptive parents is that the child gives love back, something most adoptive parents weren't even looking for, and what a wonderful circle that all becomes. Daddy and Baby and me are in a big pile of love on the bed every time we read this book.I think Todd has it perfectly.Thanks Todd. Love it!

The media could not be loaded. This is great for blended families or families that are wanting to adopt! Love the colorful pictures and it’s easy for kids to understand. We have kids ages 3 & 7 and they both love it!

We love this book! We have three kids, two by birth, and we are preparing to bring home two more through adoption from foster care. We bought this book for our current and future kids and we love it! It has lovely, diverse, inclusive illustrations and it is easy to change the words to suit your situation. It is written to address the adopted child ("We belong together because you needed​ a home, and we had room to share"), but we are currently reading it to our kids and changing the words the talk about the adopted kids that will come home soon ("We belong together because your new brother and sister needed a home, and we have room to share."). I'm sure that this book will be a treasured family story for years to come.

Love this book! We had the privilege to adopt our sons from foster care when they were 4 & 8. We were given this book as a gift when our boys moved into our home. It provides simple answers to the questions our 8yo has about why he could not stay with his birth parents. He chooses this book as his bedtime book often and it always leaves him with a big smile.I went on Amazon to buy this book for a friend who is adopting and was surprised to find it had so many negative reviews. I agree that it may not be great for kiddo who was adopted at birth. But for those who are adopting toddlers thru elementary age from foster care...it's a must read in my opinion!!!Thanks Todd for making a great book for those kiddos that come from difficult situations!!

Very lovely book. Just what I'd expect from Todd Parr!