The Family Book

The Family Book has brightly colored illustrations and simple drawings of all different kinds of families. Todd Parr points out many ways in which these families are different, interspersed with the ways all families are the same. The book has a repetitive format- two to four two-page spreads pointing out differences in families, followed by one two-paged spread pointing out a similarity. The illustrations are simple and cartoonish, brightly and not necessarily realistically colored. On the last page, the author addresses the reader directly, "There are lots of different ways to be a family. Your family is special no matter what kind it is. Love, Todd." Above all, this books message is inclusive, addressing adoption, same-sex parents, step-parents and children, family size, and distance. Recommended for additional purchase. Suitable for ages 4-8.… (more)

Reviewed by Me for Kids @ TeensReadToo.com

I absolutely love Todd Parr's work, both in his books and his videos. No matter what subject he's writing about, or speaking about, behind it all is the universal theme of diversity and acceptance.

With THE FAMILY BOOK, children and parents learn that families come in all shapes and sizes. Some families are large, some small. Some all look the same, some look different. Some families have children who are adopted, while some families even have two moms or two dads. Regardless of how your family is made up, all families share some of the same things: they like to hug, they like to celebrate together, and sometimes they're even sad together.

What a great way to teach tolerance! The bright, bold illustrations and easy-to-read pages are perfect for both beginning readers and older children, and the story is even better when read aloud with a parent -- or two!

This is another keeper for your collection!… (more)

summary: The family book is self explanatory and very well explained through the title. This book involves and includes every type of family. The Author describes and explains every situation your family could have.

Personal Reaction: I have a divorced family and I enjoyed reading this book, because it includes every type of family so no one is left out.

Classroom extension: drawing pictures of your own family.… (more)

With fun, unusual, and brightly colored illustrations, The Family Book introduces the idea of family, and what it means for families to be different. Parr uses his illustrations to discuss how families include different members-stepparents, stepchildren, adopted children, and families with two moms or two dads. He uses both human and animal figures to help represent families who are messy, clean, far apart, or close by. Among all these differences Parr portrays, he also explains the ways different families are alike: all rely on each other for love and support, help each other in times of need, and celebrate happy times together. This book is perfect to have in an early elementary classroom library (preschool-3rd grade). It is a great book to introduce a discussion about the differences in families in their own classroom. Even though families can be very different from each other, all these differences should be accepted by everyone. Parr does a great job of representing the diversity of families in a fun way for young children to understand.… (more)

Summary-

The title is pretty self explanatory. This book is all about families. It covers all sorts of family types and they situations they may face.

Personal Reaction-

I like this book because it shows all different family types. I grew up in a split home and I had several siblings on both sides. I always felt like I was weird and my family wasn't normal. This book will help children feel more normal.

Extensions:

1) Draw a family tree
2) Discuss different family types that are in the class… (more)

This books talks about all different kinds of families. It also talks about some similarities between families. I like this book because it has a wide range of diverse families. I believe that every student would be able to connect to some family in this book. It is colorful and includes animal families as well as human families. I would read this book with preschool aged children. I would use this in a unit when we talk about our families. It promotes acceptance for all family types and different cultures too.… (more)

The Family Book by Todd Park is self-explanatory. The book discusses the types of families there are, as well as their dynamics. The illustrations are simply drawn and colorful, however they convey the message of what families are about. Families come in different sizes and colors, they can live close or far, some families look alike and others do not. The author dramatized the pictures to show just how different families can be.The most important thing is that your family is special, no matter the circumstances.… (more)

I really enjoyed reading The Family Book. This book was very simple, well illustrated, and provided information about different types of family. This book listed every possible type of family that a child could have. I think this book should be read to every classroom. This book touches on every possibly family and every child in the classroom would feel included. I have cousins who are adopted, cousins with two dads, cousins with one parent, and this book addresses each and every one of them. I think this book is simple enough for all children to understand and it will make each child feel accepted. After reading this book, each child could draw a picture of their family.… (more)

This book describes all the different types of families and situations they face. It talks about the difference and uniqueness of each family no matter what it is made up of, single parent homes, split homes, blended families, same sex parents, multicultural families, siblings, no siblings, step parents whatever the case may be. This book makes them all unique but all equal and important. It helps to show children that they are not alone, or strange or weird.… (more)

From Amazon: There are so many different types of families, and THE FAMILY BOOK celebrates them all in a funny, silly, and reassuring way. Parr includes adopted families, step-families, one-parent families, and families with two parents of the same sex, as well as the traditional nuclear family. His quirky humor and bright, childlike illustrations will make children feel good about their families. Parents and teachers can use this book to encourage children to talk about their families and the different kinds of families that exist.… (more)