Sunday, June 1, 2014

Wonderful Book About Differences to Share with Little Ones: "I Love You All the Same" by Donna Keith -- Review and #Giveaway

Disclosure:  I was sent a review copy from the publisher in order to write up an honest review.  All views shared are mine and mine alone.



  • Age Range: 1 - 4 years
  • Board book: 20 pages
  • Publisher: Thomas Nelson; Brdbk edition (May 27, 2014)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0529102048
  • ISBN-13: 978-0529102041
  • Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 7.9 x 0.8 inches

Synopsis:

"Three adorable bear cubs learn that even though they are very different, Mama and Papa love them all the same!
This humorous, rhyming story features three bear siblings who are very different: they don’t look the same or sound the same or eat the same. Brown Bear only wants honey; Polar Bear craves fish; and little Panda Bear snacks only on bamboo shoots. When playing hide-and-seek in the snow, Polar Bear always wins. And little Polar and Panda are always bored while Brown Bear is hibernating. How could they get along in a family when they are so, so different? With gentleness and love, Mama Bear and Papa Bear assure their cubs that even though they are different, they are loved the same, and God put them in the same family for a purpose.
Darling illustrations by Alison Edgson (An Easter Prayer, 2012) add even more sweetness to this comforting message. The book is also a great resource for adoptive families who want to assure their children that whether biological or adopted, each of them is incredibly loved."
Features & Benefits:
  • A perfect way for parents to tell their children how much they love each of them
  • Great purchase for parents and grandparents looking for ways to show siblings how they are each special and unique
  • Good resource to prepare big brothers and sisters for new members (and personalities!) coming into the family
  • Adorable art from Alison Edgson makes this a great purchase for a baby shower, a gift for a new mom, or anytime
  • A great resource for adoptive families
  • Padded Board Book

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My Thoughts:

I know the day will come when the girls will ask why their skin is darker than mine, or that why their friends' skin is another color than theirs.  In today's day and age, there are more and more interracial couples having children. Also, families are blending, and bringing children of all different ethnicity's together when forming a new family.  In my family's case, my husband is from El Salvador, while I was born here in the USA.  Thanks to my French ancestry, I have pale white skin.  My middle brother got my dad's Italian side and is the only one of the three children to tan.  He always had nice tan skin in the summers, while my oldest brother and I looked like we never went outdoors.  And, now both of my girls have been blessed with my husband's Latin skin, and are darker than I am.  They have yet to bring up the question about why their skin is darker than mine, but I know this will come.  When the time comes, I will share a great new board book I received from the folks at Tommy Nelson recently to review, "I Love You All the Same" by Donna Keith, which talks about members of a cub family being different, but still being loved by the parents "all the same."  

I personally thought this storybook was really cute, and written in a way that even the youngest of children would understand.  The cub family is made up of a polar bear, a panda bear and a bear cub.  The polar bear and panda bear are not like the bear cub, Mama bear and Papa bear, but they are reminded that they are all loved the same, no matter their differences.  As you read through this beautifully, yet playfully illustrated board book, children will see the differences of these three siblings, beyond their different backgrounds.  The three siblings eat different foods, make noises differently and even sleep differently.  But, each and every time these differences are brought up, the reader is reminded that it is OK, and that each person is different and unique. And, when it comes to the three siblings in this book, they will always be best friends, and loved just the same by their parents.

The girls are loving this board book right now, and picked up quickly that the three cubs were different and not ones you would consider to be a part of the same family.  But, their uniqueness makes them special, which I continue to remind the girls, who always look at me and smile.

If your children are from a blended family from different backgrounds or from an interracial relationship, they may question why their skin is different than other siblings, or their friends.  This book will make explaining this difference, while also reminding them that they are loved equally, in a easy to understand way.  I love reading this book to the girls, and love watching them flip through the book and talk to each other about the three siblings.  This is one board book worth checking out, and adding to your child's book collection. 


--GIVEAWAY--

Thanks to the kind folks at Tommy Nelson, one lucky reader will win this cute board book to share with their child(ren).  To enter, please complete the entries on the Rafflecopter form below.  Good luck!

About the Author, Donna Keith:

Donna Keith, a former English teacher, began writing stories for her grandchildren after the birth of her fourth grandchild. Her daughter Audrey’s interracial family served as the inspiration for I Love You All the Same. Donna and her husband, Lee, live in Kansas City, Missouri.


Disclosure:  I was sent a review copy from the publisher in order to write up an honest review.  All views shared are mine and mine alone.

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