Sheila M. Kelly

There are several reasons I liked this book about family. The first reason is because of the illustrations. Every single illustration in this book was photography. I liked this because the readers can see what families look like, and that families that have two dads for example, do exist in our society. The second thing I liked about this book was the simplicity of the language. "Some families have children born to them. Some adopt." Through this style readers are able to get a understanding show more of an idea like adoption, with little words. Again, the photography enhances the text, and shows the readers a family who has not adopted versus a family who has adopted. Lastly I enjoyed the nonfiction aspect of the book. It was very accurate to todays world. "Some children have one parent. Some have two --a mom and a dad, or two moms and two dads." I think that this book pushes readers to think about different types of families, and broadens their perspective while doing so. In conclusion, I think that the 'big idea' of this book is to teach children that there is no definition of who or what makes up a family. There are different kinds of families, and all of them have love for each other. show less

I really enjoyed this book. I liked this book because it shows that families come in all shapes and sizes. I liked how the book shows images and descriptions of all different kinds of families. I think the author did a great job of incorporating almost every type of family. For example I liked how the book included families that adopted children, families that had two moms or two dads, and even families that only had one parent. The big idea of this book is to show the diversity of families show more and that not every family is the same. show less

This book was simple but cute. It would be great to read to a child that was adopted or to a class to help them understand what adoption is. The book explains that a child given up for adoption might not have anything to do with the parents not wanting the child. Some mothers want their baby but know they can not take care of the child. I think it is important a child given up for adoption knows this. I love that the illustrations are made up of photos of children that have actually been show more adopted and their families. We have talked about adoption in my family before. I have two beautiful baby boys but my last pregnancy had some complications and was pretty scary. I don't think I will give birth to another child but adoption might be in my future. This would be a great book to read to my little boys to help them understand what adoption is. show less

As more and more books about adoption get published, it becomes important to add something worthwhile to the continuing conversation, rather than repeat the same thing over and over again. What Shelly Rotner’s “I’m Adopted!” brings to the table is a sort of visual aid for adoption. The dominating features on each page are the color digital photographs taken by Rotner and partner Sheila M. Kelly and they illustrate the many different faces of adoption and the many people who show more experience it. Among the average, stock images usually used, some photos display “uncommon” adoptions (though more and more common with each passing day) from same-sex couples adopting, to ethnic parents adopting white babies, to families with multiple different ethnicities. The photos aren’t great from an artistic perspective, but they get the job done by showing readers that there is no “right way” a family should look. The text is sparse on each page, but it is simple and to-the-point, just as language should be when parents choose to talk to their children about adoption. The books goes over possible reasons a mother or father might give up a child for adoption and reassures readers that wanting to know these reasons, wanting to know more about where they come from, and wanting to hear the story of their “homecoming” repeated are all perfectly natural desires. Recommended for children of all ages who are adopted or families of adopted children. show less