As with the previous board books in the joyful We are Little Feminists series, this volume uses simple text plus photos of real children and their families to illustrate a theme. Here, readers encounter children and their new siblings from families diverse in many ways. “Change is coming/something new is near,” the text begins, moving on to talk of the changes big and small—and the upcoming fun and joy—for everyone in the families, and reassures readers that the families’ love will grow.
While some of the images show the siblings simply enjoying family time with each other and/or their parent(s), others hint at how the families grew: We see parents who are pregnant; a two-dad family and son holding an ultrasound photo (presumably of their surrogate and sibling-to-be); a mom-dad family at court, smiling in front of a judge (presumably having just completed an adoption). There is also a two-mom family and ones that could be solo-parent families. Sometimes the siblings and parents look alike; other times they don’t.
The “Note for Grownups” at the end says, “In this book you’ll see families growing through adoption, egg or sperm donation, surrogacy, fostering, and families blending.” Not all of those methods are clear from the photos and text—but knowing that some of these families have formed in those ways may offer grown-ups motivation to discuss them, particularly if they are similar to their own or those they know. Backmatter also includes helpful Family Discussion Questions for different ages of children.
An affirming, highly recommended title, and one that adds to the small number of books featuring LGBTQ families welcoming a second or subsequent child.
