When a teacher asks her class to think about what makes their families special, the answers are all different, but the same in one important way ...
When a teacher asks the children in her class to think about what makes their families special, the answers are all different in many ways — but the same in the one way that matters most of all.
One child is worried that her family is just too different to explain, but listens as her classmates talk about what makes their families special. One is raised by a grandmother, and another has two dads. One has many stepsiblings, and another has a new baby in the family.
As her classmates describe who they live with and who loves them — family of every shape, size and every kind of relation — the child realizes that as long as her family is full of caring people, it is special.
A warm and whimsical look at many types of families, written by award-winning author Sara O’Leary, with quirky and sweet illustrations by Qin Leng.
Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.1
With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.2
Retell stories, including key details, and demonstrate understanding of their central message or lesson.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.6
Identify who is telling the story at various points in a text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.9
Compare and contrast the adventures and experiences of characters in stories.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.6
Acknowledge differences in the points of view of characters, including by speaking in a different voice for each character when reading dialogue aloud.
When a teacher asks her class to think about what makes their families special, the answers are all different, but the same in one important way ...
When a teacher asks the children in her class to think about what makes their families special, the answers are all different in many ways — but the same in the one way that matters most of all.
One child is worried that her family is just too different to explain, but listens as her classmates talk about what makes their families special. One is raised by a grandmother, and another has two dads. One has many stepsiblings, and another has a new baby in the family.
As her classmates describe who they live with and who loves them — family of every shape, size and every kind of relation — the child realizes that as long as her family is full of caring people, it is special.
A warm and whimsical look at many types of families, written by award-winning author Sara O’Leary, with quirky and sweet illustrations by Qin Leng.
Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.1
With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.2
Retell stories, including key details, and demonstrate understanding of their central message or lesson.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.6
Identify who is telling the story at various points in a text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.9
Compare and contrast the adventures and experiences of characters in stories.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.6
Acknowledge differences in the points of view of characters, including by speaking in a different voice for each character when reading dialogue aloud.
| Published By | Groundwood Books Ltd — Sep 1, 2016 |
| Specifications | 32 pages | 8.5 in x 9.5 in |
| Keywords | School Library Journal starred review; picture book; |
|
Supporting Resources
(select item to download) |
Teacher's Guide |
| Written By |
SARA O'LEARY, an author of books for children and adults, has won the Vicky Metcalf Award for Literature for Young People. Her notable picture books include A Family Is a Family Is a Family (USBBY Outstanding International Books) and A Kid Is a Kid Is a Kid (TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award finalist), both illustrated by Qin Leng, and The Little Book of the Little Brontës, illustrated by Briony May Smith, praised by SLJ for its “exquisitely crafted text.” Sara lives in Bridgewater, NS. |
| Illustrated by |
QIN LENG is a highly acclaimed illustrator and author of picture books. Her work appears in the award-winning Who We Are series by Sara O’Leary; Trèfle by Nadine Robert (Governor General Award); Hana Hashimoto, Sixth Violin by Chieri Uegaki (APALA Award, Governor General’s Award finalist); and When I Found Grandma by Saumiya Balasubramaniam (Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award finalist); among others. Qin has received many awards for her animated short films and art. She lives in Toronto, ON. |
| Written By |
|
SARA O'LEARY, an author of books for children and adults, has won the Vicky Metcalf Award for Literature for Young People. Her notable picture books include A Family Is a Family Is a Family (USBBY Outstanding International Books) and A Kid Is a Kid Is a Kid (TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award finalist), both illustrated by Qin Leng, and The Little Book of the Little Brontës, illustrated by Briony May Smith, praised by SLJ for its “exquisitely crafted text.” Sara lives in Bridgewater, NS. |
| Illustrated by |
|
QIN LENG is a highly acclaimed illustrator and author of picture books. Her work appears in the award-winning Who We Are series by Sara O’Leary; Trèfle by Nadine Robert (Governor General Award); Hana Hashimoto, Sixth Violin by Chieri Uegaki (APALA Award, Governor General’s Award finalist); and When I Found Grandma by Saumiya Balasubramaniam (Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award finalist); among others. Qin has received many awards for her animated short films and art. She lives in Toronto, ON. |
| Audience | ages 4 to 7 / grades K to 2 |
| Reading Levels |
Lexile AD500L
Guided Reading K Reading Recovery 18 |
| Key Text Features | speech bubbles |
| Common Core |
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.6
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.9 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.6 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.2 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.1 |
Commended, Toronto Public Library's First and Best List, 2016
Commended, CBC Best Books of 2016, 2016
Commended, USBBY's Outstanding International Books List, 2017
Commended, OLA Best Bets Top Ten, 2016
Short-listed, Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children's Book Award, 2017
Commended, Bank Street College of Education Best Children's Books of the Year, 2017
“The broad diversity of family constellations is refreshing . . . A-plus fabulous.” —Kirkus, starred review
“Leng's drawings of domestic life are, like O'Leary's writing, winsome but never sentimental. Together they offer a straightforward, optimistic view of everyday modern life.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review
“A sweet and tender tale that shows that families are composed of love regardless of how they may be configured.” —School Library Journal, starred review
[R]aucous and relatable.
” —LitHub