All Families Are Different

by Sol Gordon, Vivien Cohen

Is there such a thing as a "normal" family? Is one family better than another? Of course the answer to these questions is no, but children are often led to believe otherwise. Young people need to understand and appreciate that when it comes to families, they are all different!One of the world's most influential and loved authors of educational children's books, Dr. Sol Gordon has created an uplifting book for young people age four and older who are curious about just what it means to be part of a family. Some children, he explains, live with both parents, while others live with one or with step- or foster parents. Nowadays, we also find children being reared by aunts, uncles, or grandparents, as well as same-sex couples. The variety of possibilities is rich in its diversity. Separations, divorce, abuse, neglect, and sibling rivalries are an unfortunate part of life, but, Gordon emphasizes, they are not the child's fault.While the many illustrations show a variety of family situations to stimulate awareness and acceptance, the text places importance on children knowing they are loved by their family members-whomever they may be-and that no one's family is perfect. But children can play a very special and important role in making their home a happier "It's up to you to be the best person you can be and doing well in school will help you to be a better adult, or parent, when you grow up," Gordon says.

Genres: Nonfiction, Picture Books

50 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2000

Reviews

[Marisa Moorman · Rating 4 out of 5]

All Families Are Different is realistic nonfiction book by Sol Gordon and illustrated by Vivien Cohen. This book describes in detail how families are not made up how they use to be and how every family is unique in their own way. I think that this book is appropriate for older students because of the length of the text on most of the pages. This book is very long, and has more than a paragraph on each page so I would not recommend it for young students. Even though the illustrations in this book are in black and white, I still think that add a lot to the text. This book lists different types of families and scenarios that they might fall under. Some of these include " both parents leave home each day to be at their jobs" or " you live with one parent most of the time." The part of this book I like the most is when it describes how families can have different religions. I think that this is a very important subject and children will be able to relate to some of the religions mentioned in this book such as Judaism, Christianity, and Hinduism. This book does a great job at representing different cultures and backgrounds. It talks about how families might be from other countries and how they might not all have the same financial status. This book is very detailed and describes almost every family dynamic. It talks about how some parents might have gone to college while others might not have. So, this is another aspect that children might be able to relate to. I really like how detailed this book is and how it covers almost every family scenario.

[Brooke Lewis]

All Families are different is an informational text equipped with facts and descriptions on virtually every type of family imagineable. The book uses authentic characters and situations to provoke thought amongst children. However, the book is a lengthy picture book that lacks attention grabbers. I personally, would use this book to introduce a few types of families a day, and read it to a class in segments. The language used is simple and relatable to elementary ages children. As far as plot goes, the book lacks the traditional story line or problem solution format. Instead it is a highly informative source of literature. The characters come in all shapes, sizes and colors and are very emotional and may help children feel empathetic towards one another. The book intorduces families of different values without steretyping or making one cultural group "bad" or more troubled. All races are shown in a wide array of emotions and scenarios. There is no dialogue in the book representing cultural languages. I think the book may have been more engaging with some dialogue. The illustrations are realistic, black and white drawings that are relevant to the informative text on each page. The illustrations bring out the emotions that come with every situation described. The author, Sol Gordon, does not necessarily belong to all the groups he describes but I beleive he is credible none the less. He was an educator and psychologist who authored over 30 books.

[Kendra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great concept and a good way to show how modern families are living. I love the illustrations, but there needs to be a little more on non traditional families. One picture to represent each group is not enough to show all modern families. This book will spark conversation between parent and child. I like how it does not put any family above another and it shows how even if your family is different you are still special. Children who come from nontraditional families will really enjoy this book. Those who come from traditional families can learn a lot in this book. I like how it talks about such complex ideas, but in such a natural way. The text could have been more generic and said "parents" instead of "mom and dad" since this book is trying to show diversity and parents are not always just mom and dad.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Non-Fiction. This book can be used to get to know your students better. It shows the different types of families. It normalizes all types of families without shaming one or the other.