For any child curious about the many shapes families take, or for those whose own family feels unique. This book beautifully celebrates diverse forms of love and commitment.
Reach for this book when your child starts noticing that families come in all shapes and sizes, or expresses feeling that their own family is different. Through warm photographs and simple, direct text, this book introduces seventeen real families from across the United States. It showcases a wide variety of family structures including those with divorced parents, stepparents, gay parents, foster children, and multigenerational households. The core emotional message is one of love, belonging, and commitment being the true foundation of family. It’s an excellent, grounding resource for children aged 6-10, providing honest representation that can help them feel seen and build empathy for others.
The book directly and factually addresses topics like divorce, same-sex parents, foster care, and stepparents. The approach is entirely secular and matter-of-fact, presenting these family structures as normal variations of family life. The tone is positive and affirming throughout. The resolution for each family profile is inherently hopeful, as they are all presented as loving, committed, and functional units. It normalizes diversity rather than treating it as a problem.
Ideal Reader
A 7-year-old whose best friend has two moms and is trying to understand what that means. Or a 9-year-old in a newly blended family who feels alone and needs to see other families that look like theirs. It is also perfect for any curious child beginning to understand the social world around them.
Parent Prep
Parents should be aware the book was published in 1990, so the photographs, clothing, and hairstyles will look dated to a modern child. It's a good opportunity to talk about how diverse families have always existed. The text is straightforward, but previewing the profiles, particularly the one featuring two mothers, can help a parent prepare for specific questions. No other prep is needed; it can be read cold. A parent hears their child say something like, "Why does Maria live with her grandma instead of her mom?" or "Am I the only kid who has to go to two different houses?" The trigger is a child's question that reveals a need for a broader, more inclusive definition of family.
Age Experience
A younger child (6-7) will primarily engage with the photographs, understanding the core concept that families can look different but are all based on love. An older child (8-10) can read the text more deeply, grasping the social nuances of divorce, fostering, or cultural identity. They will be able to use the book as a basis for more complex conversations about society and belonging.
What Makes It Special
Unlike many modern illustrated books on the topic, this book's use of real photographs and first-person accounts from 1990 gives it a powerful sense of authenticity and historical weight. It was groundbreaking for its time in its direct, non-judgmental presentation of gay-parented families. It serves not just as a book about family, but as a primary source document showing a snapshot of American life.
Read plot summary
This nonfiction book uses a photo-documentary style to profile seventeen real American families. Each short chapter focuses on one family, using photographs and first-person text to explain their unique structure and daily life. The book covers a wide spectrum of family compositions, including those with divorced and remarried parents, single parents, interracial parents, same-sex parents, foster children, and multigenerational family members living together.
This overview was generated by AI based on the book's content and reviews, and may not capture every nuance.
Discussion Prompts
1
In the book, we meet a family with foster children. How is being a foster sibling different from being a biological or adopted sibling? What stays the same?
2
Many families in the book have special traditions. What is a tradition in our family that shows we love and are committed to each other?
3
Look at the photos of the family with two moms and the family with a single dad. What are some things you think are the same about their daily lives? What might be different?
4
The author chose to use real photographs instead of drawings. How does seeing real people and their homes make you feel while reading?
5
After seeing all these different families, how would you describe what a family is? What do you think is the most important ingredient?
