A well meaning person asked me this one day. Without having read the book, their impression was that I was comparing the adoption of a dog to the adoption of a child.
The answer in short, is of course not!
Roxie’s journey from foster care to her forever home is intended to be a fun children’s book, but can also be used to elicit from children feelings and thoughts about the adoption process, or any change in the family unit.
As clinicians, parents and teachers know, kids tend to talk about their feelings, especially feelings that are new, confusing, scary or just exciting, using characters in books, movies, or perhaps a doll, or even an imaginary friend!
Photo of kid reading the book.
Additionally, as one reviewer who awarded us 5 stars stated “while I am not adopting and my daughter is not adopted, this book provided an opportunity for me to introduce to my daughter the concept of adoption so that she understands not all kids may have come to their family in a different way than she did”.
A child will benefit from this book because:
- They can relate to Roxie and her experiences
- They may gain the awareness that they are not alone, that others may experience their feelings
- A child may experience an enhanced connection to a parent or teacher
- They begin to understand that life’s challenges are to be expected and that having feelings of concern or happiness will be a part of those challenges
If you would like to share your thoughts on this please send a message to Roxie and all of us at Tally Ho, and we appreciate your comments below.