Lucy's Feet

Rating:
Summary: When sibling fights will stop
Review: Every family with more than one child experiences sibling rivalry.

It's not always the same, however, when one child was adopted and another was born into the family. Sure, you still have the usual "he said," "no, she said" fights, spats over ownership of toys and games--and who gets first dibs on the sofa to read their favorite book.

But this book addresses the special kind of rivalry that arises between a child who looks like her parents and one who is shorter, more plump and has different hair. The second will one day say, "You love her more, because she came from your tummy."

Parents don't, of course, love biological children more than their adopted children. But kids need to hear that--over and over and over again.

This book helps get the message across. Lots of things happen in the story, and I won't give them away.

But this nugget is what your adopted child wants to hear: "I carried you around in my heart for a very long time," Lucy's mom assures her. "And while I waited, I thought...about how it would be when I held you close,...the songs we would sing and the places we would go. Then my heart would start beating very fast, and I would think, 'Now that's my baby kicking...away at my heart'."

When both children understand, that's when the fighting will stop. Alyssa A. Lappen

Rating:
Summary: Is Adoption Bizarre?
Review: Lucy's Feet is one of the few books which goes beyond " adoption day." It captures the subtle attachment rituals which are created over time in an adopted family. I should know. I was adopted at age 5 months. I was surprised to hear anyone describe this book as " bizarre". Lucy's Feet is adorable and " real".

Rating:
Summary: To love Lucy's Feet, you don't need adoption in your life
Review: This is a great book! The pictures and words tell an appealing story that has many levels of meaning, metaphor. My 9 1/2 year old, who is hesitant verbally, and especially so regarding her personal issues, just loved this book. The cover and title caught her eye and she curled up with it right when she handled the slim volume. And she never said a thing about having read it for several days. And, then, a propos of nothing--just like a 9 yr old!-- she initiated a long "deep" very expressive dialog which Lucy's Feet clearly had stirred in her. The meaning of a "real" family. How adopted children are matched to their real families (the ones that they know, not their genetic link). She loved looking at Lucy and noting similarities with herself. She loved Lucy's family and how it is similar (and dissimilar) to her own. If you like this age group, you'll love this book because they will love it