Sam's Sister

Rating:
Summary: A moving tale about coping with separation
Review: Juliet Bond (a professional social worker in the foster care and adoption field for over 10 years), draws upon her personal experience and professional expertise in Sam's Sister, a picture book story about adjusting to the difficult reality of having to give up a child for adoption. A young girl learns from her mother that her mother is about to give birth to a baby she cannot afford to take care of -- but another loving couple will look after him, and the girl will always be his sister. A moving tale about coping with separation and adjusting to sometimes difficult realities, Dawn W. Majewski's superb artwork is a perfect enhancement to this outstanding and highly recommended title.

Rating:
Summary: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED READING!
Review: Sam's Sister is a work of beauty. The author and the illustrator have done an impeccable job of representing the emotional aspects of open adoption from a child's perspective.

The U.S. has seen a steady rise in open adoptions in the last two decades. Many feel that its process-birthparents, adoptive parents, and children in an ongoing relationship-has improved adoption overall by promoting healthier emotional experiences for the families involved. Yet, open adoption continues to be somewhat mysterious to the general population. If open adoption is a challenge for adults to understand, what about the children involved? This question is eloquently tackled in Sam's Sister.

Rosa, the 5-year-old central character in the book, recognizes that her single mom is behaving differently. She worries, and when unable to get a smile from her, wonders if her mother is sick or has stopped loving her.

Her mother eventually tells Rosa that she has a new baby growing in her tummy, and when he's born, she won't be able to take care of him. She explains, in language that a child can understand, many of the reasons that birthmothers relinquish their newborn infants: There just isn't enough money or energy to provide the support and care a new baby needs. "Right now I couldn't provide those things for two children, even with your help," she tells Rosa.

While other stories might stop here, Sam's Sister is just beginning. Rosa's mom assures her that both she and the baby in her mother's tummy are loved. Rosa helps in making the open-adoption plan and meets the chosen parents for her soon-to-be baby brother. Her desire to maintain a relationship with her new brother is validated by everyone, and the adoptive parents encourage her involvement on many levels. When Sam is finally born, Rosa is able to visit him, reaffirming that she will always be Sam's sister.

This wonderful story is told with a clear, honest approach that avoids fantasy. The book will be an effective tool in helping young children understand the experiences and feelings that surround adoption.

Rating:
Summary: Outstanding!
Review: This beautiful little book is bound to bring comfort to many mothers and children out there struggling to come to terms with the decision to place a child for adoption. Written love and compassion, this book tells the story of a beautiful little girl, Rosa, who struggles to understand why her mother's new baby isn't going to be living with them. Ms. Bond writes straight from the heart with an understand and compassion that is truly remarkable, and Ms. Majewski's illustrations compliment the story beautifully. In this busy and sometimes impersonal world, a little gem like this book is truly something to be treasured.

Rating:
Summary: Outstanding!
Review: This beautiful little book is bound to bring comfort to many mothers and children out there struggling to come to terms with the decision to place a child for adoption. Written love and compassion, this book tells the story of a beautiful little girl, Rosa, who struggles to understand why her mother's new baby isn't going to be living with them. Ms. Bond writes straight from the heart with an understand and compassion that is truly remarkable, and Ms. Majewski's illustrations compliment the story beautifully. In this busy and sometimes impersonal world, a little gem like this book is truly something to be treasured.

Rating:
Summary: An adoption plan a child can understand
Review: This book helps expecting birthparents explain to their older child at home why they need to make an adoption plan. I recommend this book to all that are making an adoption plan, with an older child at home. I loved the compassionate approach Ms. Bond has taken in making a complex subject simplistic to a child's understanding. The illustrations are realistic and appropriate to the tone of the book.

Rating:
Summary: Sam's Sister a Great Choice!
Review: This is an excellent tale for families on both sides of the adoption fence. Sam's Sister shows an endearing and insightful little girl's viewpoint and questions she has, about her younger sibling who will be adopted to another family. This is a side of adoption rarely seen in children's literature, and has been written in a very tender manner.