Wonderful way to celebrate a daughter

books:


	• Every Year on Your Birthday Rose A. Lewis Little, Brown Young Readers, 2007 - 32 pages average customer review:based on 13 reviews view larger image
	for more information click here

highly recommended

Just O.K.

This book is o.k., but the story gets a little too personal at times. It seems to be more of a story for the author's friends and relatives than the general public. My daughter also seems to lose interest pretty quickly in the story.

A beautiful story about adoption

Reviewed by Olivia Alejandre (age 4) for Reader Views (1/08)

Mom's review / summary:

A must for all families who adopted from China, and probably for other adopted kids, too. This book beautifully presents the wonders of adoption and respect of the culture and background of the child's birthplace. The clothes, the artwork, and the story all seem to be in tune with Chinese culture.

For other families, it's a wonderful way to explain the joys of adoption. We want to make sure our daughter has a respect for various backgrounds and family structures, so this helped us talk about an important topic with a cute story. But, since she can't directly relate to it (with friends or family), it's not a book that she wants to read over and over again. I can imagine, though, that a family who has adopted would love reading this on a regular basis.

She did ask about the six girls in the orphanage and why there weren't any boys, so I had a tough time explaining that without saying anything that a four-year-old couldn't handle. It's a good discussion to have with an older child, but I'm not comfortable going into all the reasons with someone of Olivia's age.

Some quotes from Olivia's discussion with Mommy about the book, "Every Year on Your Birthday"

"That's the pretend moon on the water."

[Mom]: "I was waiting for you to come out of my tummy."
"And, you hoped that I was a girl. And, I was a girl."

"She's two!"

"When babies have just been born, they look very small. Every part of their body looks very small."

"The baby and bear are the same size. And, the baby is way bigger than the bear."

"The face on the girl is pretty, and so is the dress, and the white shoes."

"Those babies look the same age."

"Some puppies are small and some puppies are really big, like that white dog that lives near Grandpa's house."

"That's the prettiest boat. I thought it was a big floatie but it was a boat."

"Look, she's way bigger now."

[Mom]: "What do you think about adopting babies?"
"Nice. If someone adopts a baby, that daddy and mommy have to find another baby so they can have their own baby."

for more information click here

Courtesy of Kids @ Teens Read Too

In Rose Lewis's follow-up to I Love You Like Crazy Cakes, readers watch as her real life daughter, Alexandra Mae-Ming Lewis, celebrates her first birthdays.

After being adopted from China, Alexandra comes home with her new mother to America. There are a number of relatives who come to visit, bringing presents and wanting to catch a glimpse of the new arrival.

From her first birthday surrounded by friends and family, to her fifth birthday spent watching the dragon boat festival, we watch as Alexandra explores the world around her, and even becomes a US citizen.

And each year, on her birthday, her mother thinks about the place that her daughter left behind, and even the mother who gave birth to her -- and gives thanks for the joy and love that she has been blessed with.

Once again, Jane Dyer's beautiful illustrations perfectly illustrate Rose and Alexandra's story, which is sure to delight both children and parents alike.

Reviewed by: Jennifer Wardrip, aka "The Genius"

for more information click here

Wonderful way to celebrate a daughter

I bought this book for a friend who has adopted a little girl. Both she and her 3 year old daughter love this book and read it over and over (not just on her birthday). Really sweet and true to life.

Another favorite in our collection

We bought this for our dauther's 4th birthday and she LOVES it. I thought it could be too advanced compared to one of our other favorites, "Crazy Cakes." This is a different kind of story, but one well worth sharing. Our girls, 4 & 7, enjoy all of the connections to Chinese culture and traditions, as well as watching the baby grow into a young girl as they have. They easily see themselves and their "story" in the main character. Parents likewise will not be disappointed with this story. Lewis came up with another that pulls at the heartstrings, especially for the lucky parents of Chinese daughters.

for more information click here

reviews: page 1, 2, 3

In I Love You Like Crazy Cakes, Rose Lewis and Jane Dyer told the heartfelt story of one woman's adoption a baby girl from China. These sentiments are brought to life again in this touching portrait of birthday celebrations and unforgettable moments between a mother and her little girl: from joyous hugs for a new puppy, to quiet nights gazing at the stars remembering a faraway family. Capturing the richness of both Chinese and American cultures, Every Year on Your Birthday is a poignant tribute to the growing bond of love only a parent and child can know.

for more information click here

hot