A Mother for Choco

We have a just-turned-2-year-old daughter from China. This is absolutely her favorite book. She squeals with delight when Choco finally finds a mommy. She points to Choco's mother and shouts "Mama!" and then points to me and shouts "Liann's Mama!". She picked up on the similarities very quickly. She just adores this book.

We wanted to teach our Korean born son very early about the nature of adopted families. We wished to impress on him from the start that families are people who live together and love each other, not just those who look like each other. There are very, very few toddler friendly books on the topic of inter-racial adoption, and this one is simply excellent. It uses simple language and cute pictures that any young child will enjoy.(It's also a great book to give your children's friends as gifts to help them understand why their buddy looks different.) After three years with this book, I still can't read it out loud to my son without crying at the end! If you're still looking for another book, I also highly suggest "Horace".

The story of Choco, a little yellow bird with big round cheeks, searching for his mother is delightful. Choco asks one animal after another if they are his mother. In despair, he fears he will never find a mother who looks just like him. What Choco finds in his search is that a mom means someone who loves unconditionally. This is a heart-warming tale, encouraging acceptance of differences, and the importance and healing power of love. A great choice for any young adopted child.

A Mother for Choco is a story about a lonely, little bird who goes in search of a mother. He asked all kinds of animals about his mother, but unfortunately, nobody looked just like him. Eventually, he finds someone who is just like a mother to him, even though she doesn't look like Choco, and his is very happy. This book does an excellent job of explaining the touchy subject of foster/adopted children. Since the book uses animals to describe this relationship, children may have a better understanding of this type of situation and be more accepting of it. It may also help foster/adopted children to accept their own situations as well as explain it to others. It is a very easy book to read and it creates a warm, satisfying feeling with its readers. The illustrations adequately depict the story and keep the reader's attention. Younger students especially seem to relate to Choco, whether they are in the same situation or not. They even seem to have a more accepting attitude about this subject and understand that this is something that actually happens. It's an excellent book to use at home or in the classroom; a great discussion piece.

I found this book while looking for something that tells children about the important 'stuff' about adoption. This really tells it all in a way that any child, and adult, can't fail to understand. Choco searches for her mother, assuming that someone who looks like Choco might be the one. Instead, just when he/she has given up, she finds someone who knows what counts, and is happy to bring Choco home. There's a little surprise at the end. I think it's perfect for any adoptive family, especially a blended one.