[.ca] Zachary's New Home: A Story For Foster & Adopted Children (ISBN 0945354274)

THOUGHTFUL CHILDREN'S BOOK ABOUT A TOUGH TOPIC:
As a foster mother and author of books for foster children, it is wonderful to see good quality books available for foster children! The writing is easy to understand and deals with some being in foster care and then being adopted. The illustrations are charming--I like how animals are used because they are appropriate for the whimsy of children, plus they do not peg the reader into thinking about whether the book's subjects are "black" or "white," etc. Children will be able to relate to this book, and they will find comfort in its story. -Cynthia Miller Lovell, author of The Star: A story to help young children understand foster care, and Questions & Activities for The Star: A handbook for foster parents

Great Story, Not So Great Book:
Read all the other reviews for the story context. It is a good story HOWEVER it is all black and white. This book could of been so much better with a little imagination and color. I was extremely disappointed to find the pictures gray, dull and lifeless. This book would be so much better with colorful pictures and text.

Fabulous for adopting a child through the foster care system:
This book clearly explains the child coming into foster care and then being adopted. Great for children who were adopted though the foster care system.

Difficult subject, well dealt with:
The story of the little kitten, who's daddy disappears, and Mummy is bad to him, is well written and non judgemental. The kitten is taken away from his birth mother and fostered, then adopted into a family of Swans, who love him. The book tells about the kitten's confusion and feelings of loss, and has a happy ending when the adoptive parents re-state their love for him. This book is relevant for children who have been removed from a birth parent's home, not for children adopted after being orphaned or abandoned, and the picture of the scary Mum will probably introduce the wrong message about their birth parents.

A useful book:
This book is helpful in letting kids know that they are not the only ones that have been through abuse, neglect, foster care, and adoption. I would have preferred color illustrations, but it is nice that it covers the emotions of both the child and the parents. Zachary's New Home is helpful in starting discussions with your child about feelings they are experiencing. Christine Mitchell, author and illustrator of Welcome Home, Forever Child: A Celebration of Children Adopted as Toddlers, Preschoolers, and Beyond