We Belong Together

by Todd Parr

In a kid-friendly, accessible way, this book explores the ways that people can choose to come together to make a family by showing one perspective on the adoption experience. We Belong Together is about sharing your home and sharing your heart to make a family that belongs together. With an understanding of how personal and unique each adoption is, and that not everyone comes to it in the same way, Todd Parr's colorful art explores the meaning of family.

Genres: Adoption, Picture Books, Family, Childrens, Realistic Fiction, Fostering, Cultural

32 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 2007

About the author

Todd Parr is a three-time New York Times-bestselling author and illustrator of more than fifty books for children. He has inspired and empowered children around the world with simple, hopeful, and powerful messages such as “be kind”, “love yourself” and “be who you are,” all set with vibrant images in eye-catching primary colors. His books have received numerous awards and are available in nearly twenty languages. He also is the co-creator of the popular three-time Daytime Emmy©-nominated animated TV series, "ToddWorld" with Gerry Renert of SupperTime Entertainment. Several short films for Sesame Street have also been based on Parr’s work.

Parr devotes time to numerous philanthropic causes supporting pet adoption, children’s hunger, health, and literacy. He is a frequent reader and fundraiser for The Ronald McDonald House and serves on the board of directors for the Virginia Children’s Book Festival. His corporate collaborations include Best Buy, Stouffer’s, and the San Francisco–Marin Food Bank, among others.

A native of Wyoming, Parr currently lives in Berkeley, California.

Reviews

[Andrea Webster · Rating 2 out of 5]

As an adoptive mom, I was SO disappointed in this book! I love The Family Book and It's Okay to be Different and others by Todd Parr, so when I saw that Todd Parr had written a book on adoption, I rushed right down to my bookstore. But, meh, I didn't like the message of this book at all. It is all about the child needing something, and the adoptive parent(s) providing it: "You needed a home... and I had one to share," "You needed someone to say 'I love you'... and we had love to give." For our family, and those that I know, adoption is much more of a 2 way street. We "need" love just as much as our kids do - and they have just as much love to give! So while I like the diversity of the families and the happy message - this isn't a book I would ever want to read to my daughter.

[Laura · Rating 1 out of 5]

I brought this home from the library to read to my son and promptly hid it from him so he wouldn't hear what this book has to say : "you needed a lot of things, and we were able to provide them to you". That is not the message we want to portray to our child. He should not be instructed to feel lucky - we all are.

[Kelly · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't like how he made it seem as if the adopted child was the one who was "saved." Not true!

[Amy Rogers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I gave this book to my daughter, on her Adoption Day.

This is a wonderful book for a child who is adopted from the Foster Care system. The stick figure children all look to be different ages. There is no talk about picking up a baby, or taking a plane to get the child, like there is in so many adoption themed childrens books.

[Aneesa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tear-jerker. This book reminded me about how we wanted to have Ev because we had so much extra love. But then we had her and just produced MORE LOVE. Kind of like pumping breastmilk in the middle of the night.

[Fatima Seraj Alam · Rating 2 out of 5]

Todd Parr normally does these heartwarming books with a message at the end so this book on adoption seemed that it would tug at heartstrings. But adoption isn’t so simple that you need something and the adoptive family has it to give it to you. What about the adoptive family? Why do they adopt? They need something/someone too. This book also puts the burden of debt on children. Like as if they owe something to their families just because they were chosen.

[Kris · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are parts of this that are as wonderful as all Todd Parr’s books, but there were also parts that didn’t sit well. It implies that the children being adopted are the only ones who benefit. “You needed a home, and I had one to share.” I did like that animals were included, and the art is fun as always.

[C · Rating 1 out of 5]

Presents adopted people as damaged goods and adopters as saviors

[Jaime · Rating 2 out of 5]

I would not recommend this for adoptive parents to read with their children. It reads very much like “saving” a child which is not what adoption should be about.

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

We Belong Together is a light-hearted, sad picture book explaining the dynamics of adoption and the becoming of a new family. This book would be a great way to introduce the idea of adoption to children, especially in a family that has a biological child, and is accepting a non-biological one in to their family.

Some of the descriptions in the book, however, are a bit controversial. Todd Parr seems to be describing an adoptive child as one who needs to be rescued and is unloved. Many would say that this is not a positive way to introduce the idea of adoption or orphanage to either an adoptive, orphaned, or even biological child. It does not necessarily send a positive image to children to describe them as unloved or unwanted children.

The idea of this book is pretty great, but there are a few things that could be changed to make it more of a positive book for the children, as well as the adults who are exposing it to their children.

[J. Davis · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am an adoptive parent who usually enjoys Todd Parr's books, but I was SO disappointed in this one. it reads as though adoptive children are damaged goods who were rescued by fost/adopt families. Ouch. Not the message I want my children (or any fostered or adopted children) to internalize! I will never read this book to my kids, and I feel sad knowing that other fost/adopt families will share it with theirs.

Imagine how different this book's message could have been with some re-framing:
'We belong together because...*we needed* someone to share our home' (instead of *you needed* a home and we had one to share)

I know Todd Parr is an animal lover and encourages readers to adopt pets from local shelters when possible. Too bad he did not think about the message on that ubiquitous bumper sticker about pet adoption--"Who rescued who?"--when conceptualizing 'We Belong Together.'

[Xaviera Hanif · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very kid-friendly book that explains to children what adoption is. The text in this children's book is very simple. The illustrations are simple, but each page is filled with bright colors! The illustrations are more like stick figures, but I think it is a good idea to have a simple book like this because the children who are very young and have recently been adopted, this is a great book to ease in the idea of what adoption is and how the process is taken! The language of this book is very short and easy for kids to understand. Even though the illustrations are basically stick figures, the illustrator still made an effort to make the people in the story different colors and with different hair types! I think it was a good touch to include so that it can educate students that people from around the world, including different races, all get adopted! Children are exposed to what a family is thinking about when wanting to adopt a child! This book explains in a simple way all of the adventures the child and their new adopted family are going to go on! I LOVE how the author put at the beginning, "This book is to be read with someone you love. Every family is different, so feel free to change the pronouns in this text to fit your family." I really loved that the author included this in his book because it gives the family and the child a chance to bond with one another and make a connection by using their own names throughout the book!

[Megan Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super cute book about adoption. This book could also be about foster care and mixed families as well. Todd Parr, in his positive and simple, creative ways, has taken a most difficult subject to explain to a child and put a positive spin on it.
Belong Together is about why some families have children from other families become apart of them. The various reasons don’t matter, but the positive ones, like needed someone to play with and someone to be a friend do. It is a lovely book about coming together and inclusion of others. It explains that families change at different times and they can become very different. It explains the good things families do together that make them cohesive and special.
This is a great book for cultural sensitivity or learning about adoption. Adoption can be from country to country and some of our student might be one of those students, ELLs. This book might be a doorway to helping them communicate.

[Hannah Parks · Rating 1 out of 5]

"We Belong Together," is a book about adoption, which portrays the preexisting family has saviors and givers to the adopted child and lists the ways this family has given to their new member.

I was not a fan of this book. It alienates the adopted child by telling them that they have been saved by this family and not including them in the family. It also does not list what the child gives back to the family, making it seem as though adoption is an act of pure charity instead of mutual love. If I had to use this book in my class, I would use it to teach about diverse families along with other books portraying different family structures. Students could then draw a picture of their own family. This could also help students reflect on what family means to them.

[Kara Danford · Rating 3 out of 5]

Genre: Challenges and Issues
Awards: None
Audience: PreK to Kindergarten
A. The topic of this book that could present as a challenge to children is adoption. The book describes the reasons behind why a child was adopted into their family and all the wonderful things that their family had to offer the child.
B. I would defend my selection of this book by explaining to parents that I believe it is important to explain to kids that not all families look the same, but that they are all built with similar values and with love.
C. I think this book would be better used as a mirror book to read to a young child who was adapted. I think it is a great way to explain to them all the wonderful things that can come out of being adopted into a loving family.

[Missy Matula · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a super cute and colorful way to teach young readers about what adoption means and how different the experience is from every family. In an age-appropriate way, this picture book explores what it's like to open up your home and heart to another person and begin the journey of a new family together. I think it's a great book for children to read especially if they are adopted or even if they aren't, it teaches them that every family looks different. Blood doesn't always make you family - love does.

[A Allen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love Todd Parr books but this one really missed the mark for me. It didn't sit right. We do not belong together BECAUSE "you needed a home and I had one to share". Yes, you might've needed a home and I might've had one to share, but we belong together because I love you and want you in my life. As other reviewers have said, this book seems to suggest that children are unloved and have nothing until they were adopted/saved. It doesn't properly convey that everyone involved benefits.

[Meagan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book shows many different ways of being kind and showing love. There are lots of different ways to make a family. It just takes love. Sharing your home, and sharing your heart with others. This is a great book to teach children how to love and show how we care for others. Someone need a home, someone has one to share and now a family starts. This book is short and to the point. It is filled with great amounts of sensitive ways to be a family and truly belong.

[Alana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't entirely agree with how Todd Parr has portrayed a child going through the adoption process. To me, it seems as though it is written as it is the child's fault they are in the position of needing to be adopted and are needing to be rescued or are un-loved. Therefore, this isn't necessarily a positive message to be delivered to children. However, I did like the fun illustrations that were used.

[Suzanne Lorraine Kunz Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this book. The concepts in the book are outstanding! The pictures are fun, but just not my taste. I wish the book was redone with more tranquil, beautiful pictures. If it had prettier illustrations it would be one I'd love to gift. The pictures though might be exactly what other people love. So this is a book I'd definitely get from the library to read!

[Jessica · Rating 1 out of 5]

I did not care for the illustrations of this book. Just two many bright colors that really clashed. I didn't like some of the things the author did here, which was sad because adoption really is such an important thing. There are children who need loving homes and a mom and a dad. Both those people are really, really important in a child's life.

[Evvy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This whole thing is SO stinkin' cute! So refreshing to see a realistic portrayal of adoption and foster care. I couldn't believe the author even included pet adoption!!! And don't even let me get started on the illustrations. They're so adorable and kitschy and unique. I wish this book was longer because it was excellent!

[Philicia Wheatley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book written in a kid friendly way to help children understand how families come together and how people can pick and choose the families that they have sometimes. The story goes a lot deeper by helping you to understand that family is more than who you are, but how you act and love each other.

[Karen Cockerill · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is our second Todd Parr book and we love him already. Such a beautiful book to share as an adoptive family. The artwork is fun and colorful. The storyline just perfect for helping a new family’s to cone together. I think this one will stay with us for years to come...

[Dawnette · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know the book is somewhat controversial, but I saw the parents' desires and needs and being part of the story. They were missing someone before the three formed a family. All kids have needs; it's the nature of all kids.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute book as told by the parent about why the adoptive family belonged together. i.e. "we belong together because you needed someone to help you go healthy and strong, and I had help to give. Now we can grow up together."

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

The only thing that would have made this book better is if it portrayed a single parent adoption.

[Jenna Mills · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very sweet book

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is great for all kids to hear because it has the great message that there are all kinds of families and that you just need love!

We also love the bright colors.

Good for ages 0-7.