Tag what is a family?

Ribbit Rabbit

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Ribbit Rabbit
Philip Ardagh and Gareth Conway
Scholastic

Bob is a frog and the rest of his family are rabbits so Bob does things rather differently from the others.

He’s smaller than the others, far greener, his manner of eating is slurping whereas the rabbits chew, and his diet is insects – carrots bring him out in spots. When it comes to hopping, they’re all good but Bob out hops all the rest; he also out swims them and at lily pad leaping the rabbits are no competition at all.
However, if any of the woodland creatures bully Bob, they have to face up to his entire family.

Certainly not something to be recommended.

The combination of Philip Ardagh’s bouncy rhyming text, which is the perfect fit for the movements of his characters and Gareth Conway’s splendidly expressive illustrations make a thought-provoking, funny, heart-warming story of family, difference, acceptance and love. It’s a book that is rich in potential for Foundation stage/ KS1 discussion after a class read aloud. 
Definitely one to add to your collection be it family bookshelves or a class library.

You Are Loved

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You Are Loved
Margaret O’Hair, Sofia Sanchez and Sofia Cardoso
Scholastic

There are many ways to be a family; none is absolutely perfect but love is the vital element in every family. That message comes through loud and clear in this book, which was inspired by Sofia Sanchez whose parents, a father from Mexico and a mother from California, adopted her as a baby from an orphanage in Ukraine.

Really families are more than just those you see every day, or those related to you, perhaps you consider close friends, teachers and neighbours as part of your family too; they are certainly important.

Whether you are born into a family, chosen by your family or your family is chosen by you, its members will be special to you. They will make you feel special too and ‘strong’; they’ll tell you ‘You are enough’ and most crucially, ‘You are loved.’

Each family is different and that message is extended in Sofia Cardoso’s illustrations of diverse families, some of which are interracial..

Look closely at her scenes and you may notice some characters in more than one of them.
The book closes with a note from the mother of Sofia Sanchez.

An excellent choice for inclusion in a KS1 classroom collection.

My Friends and Me

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My Friends and Me
Stephanie Stansbie and Katy Halford
Little Tiger

Families come in many different forms; this book celebrates that diversity. It’s narrated by a cheerful child who introduces, matter-of-fact style, families belonging to several friends.

There’s Kate who has two dads, best friend Harry with just his multi-talented mum

and Olivia with two sisters, two mums and a little brother. Then comes Lily with two homes, one belonging to her dad, the other to her mum.

Some friends are especially good for sleepovers: one lives in an enormous mansion, another in a caravan and a third, on a boat.

Hannah on the other hand, lives with her foster mum (among others in the household) Then there’s Ned’s mum who turns out to be not the man people originally thought but a super-surfer all the same.

In fact each of the families is a happy one and love is the key, not least in the narrator’s own, for we discover that this young child lives with granny and grandpops who are the ‘coolest grown-ups’.

The up-beat tone of the narrator is reflected in Katy Halford’s bright, cheery illustrations that have lots of amusing details such as ‘Frank’ the goldfish and Harry’s toy bear Bon-Bon.

Presenting as it does both traditional and non-traditional family units, this book would be especially helpful for teachers exploring families as a theme ; and of course it’s worth pointing out that every family is in some ways, different from every other one.