All Our Families Are Awesome

A group of children decide that they want to play families but they aren’t sure where to start. The children all share what families look like and assumptions they have about families based on their own. It’s through this that they realize that all their families are different as they have various questions for one another like why they don’t look like their parents, or if they miss their mom. As the children answer the other’s questions, the children accept the answers and move on.

What I Liked: All Our Families are Awesome does a great job of highlighting how accepting children are of differences in families when their questions are answered. This book is great for showing all the variations in families that exist, and the many ways in which families come together such as adoption, etc. This is a good book to use if children begin showing curiosity about the differences in families or for children who are a part of different family structures to normalize the experience for them.

The illustrations throughout this book go along well with the text to give visual representations to the various forms that families take. This book shoes families with various siblings, families with one parent, children who are living with their grandparents, who go between multiple homes, or who live with step siblings.

Final Verdict: All Our Families are Awesome is a fantastic book to introduce children of the different families that exist and to begin conversations of what their families are like. Children ages 4 and up will enjoy listening to this story and having the questions that they have answered. This book allows children to be curious and encourages that curiosity as the children answer their questions in simple manners.

A group of kids gather on the street and decide to play families. As they try to decide who plays what role, they learn that families are very diverse. There are mixed families, extended families, adopted children and more. They each share their experiences and learn about their friends.
What I Liked: This had a great message that is easy to understand for younger kids. Families come in all shapes and sizes and it is important to show that all families are full of love. The kids share their own stories and it is good to see their friends be so accepting - though kids often are very accepting. It is adults who have difficulty sometimes!
What left me wanting more: I was not a fan of the illustrations. I did think they were on the beach for a while in the sand. They are simple, but they do reflect the diversity of the group and add to the story.
Final Verdict: An easy to understand and helpful book for young kids who are still learning about how families work. It could be useful if they are facing something unfamiliar such as divorce or new step-siblings. I would recommend it.