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REVIEW: Adopting our 2 Dads

May 25, 2014

Having two years ago purchased Panzini’s and Karmer’s previous book Some people have two Dads we, as a family, were keen to read their new book and excited to be asked to review it.

Adopting our two dads

Laid out in the same way as the previous books with the same simple, affective illustrations our 7 and 9 year old kids recognised it immediately. So sat comfortably in the lounge on a Sunday afternoon, with us Dads squashed between them both on the large sofa, we opened it up and began to read.

As I read it out loud the kids kept looking at each other with big smiles on their faces as they recognised their life in the pages. The roles of the two dads, one at work and one at home rang true for our kids and they were enthralled as each page was turned.

Both kids pointed at the pictures, again relating them to us. Their voices punctured my reading with small gasps of recognition and the reading was often interrupted as it opened up discussions about their adoption social workers and their journeys to us. All the points touched on in this family book were things that our two had either already experienced or would be facing in the coming months.

When we had come to the end of the book Katy, herself only being a matter of weeks away from her day with the Judge, was keen to share her views. She told us that she thought the book was brilliant, she mentioned that the part about meeting the judge and the picture with it had helped her feel a little less worried about her soon to arrive Celebration day. She also mentioned that she felt it would be a good book to have in schools so that other children could understand what it was like to be adopted and she requested a copy to show her school friends. When I asked Bradley what he thought about the book, he stuck both his two thumbs up and with his huge smile on his face said “I loved it Dad”.

As adoptive father’s, with the end now clearly in sight for the adoption process of our daughter, we were very pleased with it. As with Some people have two Dads, this book is easy to read, beautifully illustrated and explains the process on a level that all children can understand.

The fact that it is laid out in the same way as the previous publications helps children that already know the series of books to feel comfortable in picking it up and having a read as a bond of trust has already been built between reader and author.

For new readers, whether it be a parent or child, the books simple lay out, bright illustrations and easy to read wording makes it an ideal instrument to start the conversation with any child on a subject that is now increasingly becoming accepted in society.

Anything that helps educate children, reassure them and open up communication has to be welcomed and shared. So if you have recently started the adoption process, if you have a child placed with you or you are a professional involved in the adoption of children, we as a family, would highly recommend that this book becomes a welcome part of the package, whether it be a way of easing a child’s worries or a tool at schools and libraries to educate other people, it has to be a good thing to have.

This simple, beautiful book not only shows that same sex couples make ideal parents but it also gives a glimpse into the adoption process and shows that maybe isn’t as difficult to talk about and understand as you might have first thought.

Review by: Syd Spencer

The book is now available on amazon.com and amazon.co.uk

To watch a video of a reading the book, CLICK HERE:

 

 

 

 

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