Families Belong

by Dan Saks, Brooke Smart (Illustrations)

A rhyming, light-hearted celebration of families being - and belonging - together.

Families belong
Together like a puzzle
Different-sized people
One big snuggle

This deliciously warm board book is an appreciation of the unconditional love and comfort shared within a family. Through a handful of specific yet universal scenarios, from singing songs together to sharing food together, from dancing together to lying still together, this book invites the youngest readers to celebrate what it means for a family to be truly together.

Genres: Picture Books, LGBT, Family, Childrens, Love, Juvenile, Cultural

26 pages, Board book

Published September 1, 2020

Reviews

[Kerri · Rating 2 out of 5]

The illustrations are cute but the writing is jarring. I can't get behind children's books that sometimes have a rhyme scheme and sometimes don't, and then have these crazy slant rhymes and are just all over the place writing-wise. It makes it hard to read. My tiny human lost interest very quickly.

[Shaye Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

I grabbed up this cute little board book about things families do together:

Families relax
On blankets in the grass
Listening to the wind
Not saying anything

This is apparently the first in a series of three, so I’ll look forward to seeing the remainder of this series. The art was created with watercolor and gouache and edited in Photoshop.

For more children's literature, middle grade literature, and YA literature reviews, feel free to visit my personal blog at The Miller Memo!

[Chrisanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I discovered this when the illustrator had a series on women displayed at my local library. I highly recommend checking the display out if it comes to a place near you. This was a different style, but still largely fun.

[Salena Palacio · Rating 3 out of 5]

I chose this book because of the illustrations. The topics for this book are different family structures and love. This story is about the love shared within families. Families are show doing everyday things such as sharing food, enjoying quiet moments together or just appreciating the joy of family life. This is appropriate for children ages 2 to 4 years old. In my classroom I would introduce this story by discussing with students what activities they enjoy doing with their families. After I would ask students how they feel when they do activities with their families. I would also discuss the different types of families and emphasize that all families belong together.

[Cara · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely board book sharing the message that families work together and support each other in a variety of situations, no matter what the family looks like.
Based on a song from the podcast Noodle Loaf, this book has a great rhythm and fills in the missing piece of the title, “together,” at the end of every stanza in the book. The watercolor and gouache illustrations are wonderfully done, depicting families of every age, color, and size in everyday situations. Storytime providers and caregivers can share this relatable title with groups or one-on-one.

[Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is very cute and i like that is has some poems/music in it! Thats something that not many books on my list have to i was happy to include one that did. I think having something like that in a book is good to have especially when reading to the class to get more student engagement. It has some things in it that every family can relate to, like eating dinner together, which i like because its not too specific, most of the kids will have done that with their family. Very good book i think is good for 2nd to 3rd grade.

[Kelli Koeppen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved loved loved this board book! Great moral to the story, especially in a time when families don't do much together. This book brought me back to my childhood when being a family and being together for meals and some activities was important. Illustrations are on-point and beautiful and add a lot to the diversity that was not seen when I was a child. Definitely would aim this for a older young kiddos. Great read!

[Teresa Alpizar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Contemporary realistic fiction
Kindergarten-1st grade
This short picture book explains how all families may look and function differently but they all still belong with each other. There is a sense of community and love throughout this book which makes it very fun and heartwarming. I also loved how the illustrator included different colors, sizes, and details to create diverse families in the book!

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has fun modern-looking illustrations, with text about things families might do together (sing, relax, laugh, cry). I liked that a variety of family types were shown, and the overall message of the book.

It makes sense that it is based on a song, because it had a lot of sentence fragments.

[Regina Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a sweet little book about how families come in many varieties and how it differs for each person. I would use this book in a kindergarten classroom to introduce the concept of family to the students. I would then follow it up by discussing what our families look like and seeing how it differs around the class. Overall I really enjoyed this book.

[Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is so cute. It speaks of many different things families do. It includes everyone, which makes the message even more powerful for young readers.

The repetition and flow make it a great read-aloud, especially for early elementary classrooms or at home. It’s an excellent choice for starting conversations about diversity, acceptance, and what it really means to belong.

[Jillian · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like the idea of this, and it would be great for a baby shower gift, but I worry about the message it sends that families belong together - because do they always? Is that the reality for all kids? I know the audience is preschool, but I'm still unsure if that message is fully universal.

[Shauna Ludlow Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first in a series of three by this author/illustrator. Can’t wait for the next two!

Dolly Parton loved this book so much that she bought 400,000 for her literacy foundation.

Families should be encouraged and celebrated.

[Kassidy McCusker]

This book is about families celebrating the unconditional love and comfort they have for each other. This book can be used in the classroom to teach young students how the love between parent and child is unmatched.

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a bad book at all, but not my favorite. The blurb on the back describes it well, “Share in the silliness, the calm, the coziness, and the love of being together with your family.” Missing an emotion connection I expected to feel. Colorful illustrations.

[Kris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love the inclusivity, and the art is appealing for the most part, but the rhythm and rhyme scheme are a mess. This sometimes rhymes, never has a rhythm, and should just have been written as a regular prose book.

[Keriann's Picture Book Library · Rating 2 out of 5]

The illustrations are lovely but rhymes are very stilted. I much prefer the orignal song.

[Pinky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Families are there for each other through the good times and the bad times.

[Audrey Deel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful illustrations, sweet message.

[Elizabeth]

The words are nice and all, but the part I liked best was the Old English Sheepdog.

[Sarah McNeely · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for anyone! It’s cute and the illustrations are beautiful. I would say this is a giftable book,

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don't love this one as much as the other two books in the series, but still pretty good.

[Josephine Bivins · Rating 2 out of 5]

another ok one

[Henry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've lost count of the number of times we've read this book over the past few weeks. I love the simple yet effective text and we always find something new to point out on each page.

[Tiffany]

Note to self: given to Riley for baby's birth, May 2023

[TJE · Rating 3 out of 5]

cute

[Kristi Drake · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love the pictures. I thought the story a little to easy.

[Tara Byrd · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a quick read about things that families do together.

[Michael Medlen · Rating 1 out of 5]

families are great for the occasional get together, but usually are reserved for grieving mother's who recognize their divorce is going to leave them destitute...

[Andréa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss.