The Great Big Book of Families

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

The Great Big Book of Families introduces children to the fact that not all families look the same. Featuring funny artwork and wonderfully accessible text this book celebrates each family in its own unique and wonderful way.



What is a family? Once, it was said to be a father, mother, boy, girl, cat and dog living in a house with a garden. But as times have changed, families have changed too, and now there are almost as many kinds of families as colours of the rainbow.



From a mum and dad or single parent to two mums or two dads, from a mixed-race family to children with different mums and dads, to families with a disabled member. This is a fresh, optimistic look through children's eyes at today's wide variety of family life: from homes, food, ways of celebrating, schools and holidays to getting around, jobs and housework, from extended families, languages and hobbies to pets and family trees.



The Great Big Book of Families is a brilliant introduction for children to all family types great and small.

Excerpt provided by Syndetics

Los of children live with their mummy and daddy, but lots of others live with just their daddy or just their mummy. Some live with their grandma and grandpa. Some people have lots of brothers and sisters... and cousins... and grandmas and grandpas. And even great grandmas and great grandpas. But some people have really small families. You can be a family with just two people. Excerpted from The Great Big Book of Families by Mary Hoffman All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Publishers Weekly Review

In matter-of-fact prose and genial pen-and-ink drawings, Hoffman and Asquith reassure readers about something they may already know intuitively: there's no one right way to be a family. What sets their survey of familyhood apart in this growing genre is the collaborators' expansive take on demographics. They cover not only a wide range of parental and domestic arrangements, but also schooling, homes, consumerism, employment-or lack of it-and psychographics ("In some families everyone shares their feelings.... Sometimes not everyone in the family feels the same way about things"). Asquith's spreads have a lively, encyclopedic feel, with whimsical themed borders (variously clad feet march across the top of the "Transportation" section), occasional asides to the audience ("Is a teddy a pet?" a toy bear wonders), and a recurring cat character adding to the visual fun. "[F]amilies can be big, small, happy, sad, rich, poor, loud, quiet, mad, good-tempered, worried, or happy-go-lucky," writes Hoffman in her wrapup. "Most families are all of these things some of time." It may not be Tolstoyan wisdom, but it's undeniably true. Ages 5-8. (Apr.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

School Library Journal Review

K-Gr 2-With simple language, Hoffman describes almost every imaginable familial configuration, including those with single, same-sex, and foster parents. Asquith expands on the diversity suggested in the text by including mixed-race families and family members with disabilities in her color cartoon illustrations. Hoffman also discusses the differences in jobs, celebrations, clothes, hobbies, and pets found in the various types of homes. As she does so, she alludes to some difficult social issues such as homelessness and unemployment, but suggests that family members help one another through hard times. The artist adds simple clues to make some of these issues accessible to young children. For example, on the page where the parents are unemployed, the child is shown offering a small piggy bank to the concerned mother and father. Although the text is at times serious, the pages are busy and bright, and the format helps the book feel lighthearted and energetic. Todd Parr's The Family Book (Little, Brown, 2003) covers many of the same basic principles but is written for an even younger audience and uses animals to represent different kinds of families. In this book, children are likely to find representation of their own situations, whatever they may be, and assurance that their family is just right.-Donna Cardon, Provo City Library, UT (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Booklist Review

Celebrating diversity and connections, this generously sized picture book celebrates families with a different theme homes, school, jobs, holidays, food, clothes, pets, feelings on each double-page spread. Featured in the beautifully detailed, line-and-watercolor vignettes are nuclear families, single-parent families, adoptive and foster families, and some with two mommies or two daddies. The diversity extends beyond just the makeup of the families, though. The spread about work, for example, shows that in some families, everyone has a job (including kids doing chores). In some, there is a stay-at-home dad; in others, parents work at home, and the picture shows a mom at the computer, kids and pets all around her; and sometimes, parents just can't find work. With the joyful intimacy, sadness is also part of the family portraits, and so is anger, as when a kid fumes while everyone fusses over a new baby. Each illustration is a story in itself, and children will find themselves even as they recognize similarities to those who may seem very different.--Rochman, Hazel Copyright 2010 Booklist

Horn Book Review

While not actually "big" in physical dimension, this overview is vast with purpose: to recognize and validate a range of family configurations. Each two-page spread ("Homes," "Jobs," etc.) features simple, generally upbeat (though occasionally sobering--"Some small families live in big houses...And some people can't find anywhere to live") text. No matter the mood, Asquith's illustrations give every vignette a light touch. (c) Copyright 2011. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Kirkus Book Review

(Picture book. 3-6)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.