Me and My Family Tree

Me

by Joan Sweeney, Annette Cable (Illustrator)

Following the successful model of Me on the Map , Sweeney demystifies an abstract concept by presenting it from a child's point of view. In Me and My Family Tree , a young girl uses simple language, her own childlike drawings, and diagrams to explain how the members of her family are related to each other and to her. Clear, colorful, detailed artwork and a fill-in family tree in the back help make the parts of the family--from
siblings to grandparents to cousins--
understandable to very young readers.

Genres: Picture Books, Family, History, Childrens, Nonfiction, Parenting

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

Reviews

[The SAHM TBR · Rating 1 out of 5]

Warning to my Christian Parent friends⚠️ this book contains woke agenda. It shows a picture of two men with children. Also, many of the characters are made to look androgynous.

[Mikaela Wong]

“Me and My Family Tree,” by Joan Sweeney, is about a young girl explaining her family tree. It goes on about who is related to whom and how everyone connects to each other. Throughout the book, she visually shows us the family tree she is making. She slowly adds the pictures to her drawing of the tree and starts to connect all the images together as she explains who is related to whom. She begins with herself and works up her family tree, allowing us, the readers, to understand the connections between each other. This correlates with the theme of families because it demonstrates how a family can all relate to each other. it shows us who parents are who and who siblings are who. It is a great way to understand your ancestry. This picturebook correlates with the picture book “Watercress” by Andrea Wang because, in both books, they got to learn about their families. In “Watercress,” the main character got to learn about her mother's past and her culture, and in “Me and My Family Tree,” the main character got to dive deeper into the connections of each person in her family.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tracing our origins through our family tree can be fun and can also help us see how we ended up looking the way we do. in this updated version of a book originally published in 1999, a young girl charts out all her family members, starting with herself and her brother and moving backward. Although there is some diversity represented here between the two branches of her family, I wish the author had included some family members who chose to remain single or two married male uncles or two female relatives married to one another. By expanding the concept of a family tree in that fashion, readers would not come away with the idea that it's only those who give birth to children who are a part of that tree. Despite the book's usefulness, the author and publisher missed an opportunity here to challenge assumptions about what makes a family.

[Cindy Mitchell *Kiss the Book* · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me and My Family Tree by Joan Sweeney, illustrated by Emma Trithart. PICTURE BOOK/ NON-FICTION. Dragonfly Books, 2018. $8. 9781524768515

BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K, EL (K-3) – ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

One child is drawing their family tree. She explains how her grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles, and cousins are all related by using a family tree.

This is a cute way to show kids how to know how their family is related to them. I think this motivates the reader to think about their own family tree. This is a great introduction for kids to learn more about their family.

SLM
https://kissthebookjr.blogspot.com/20...

[Jesse · Rating 2 out of 5]

There's technically nothing wrong with this, but I didn't like it very much. In its defense, I've yet to find a picture book about genealogy that I've really liked. This one covers all the bases: there's a fictional kid creating her family tree using her fictional family. She colors circles for each person and arranges them on her family tree. Except why it's called a family tree is never explained. The family members and their connections are told, the circles are glued on the tree, but the family/tree connection is just never made. This would be a good introduction to the idea, but be prepared for additional discussion on the organization, as well as your own genealogy.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

The illustrations are great, and the concept is there, but the execution is confusing for the targeted age group. This is a book that will confuse my 4 year old niece, and while my 7 year old nephew will understand it, the language is too simplistic for him and will likely turn him off because he’ll see it as a “baby” book.

[Read Ribbet · Rating 3 out of 5]

A third book in the ME concept book series. In this book family relationships and terminology are explained as the main character develops her family tree. The text uses the technical terms and presents them in a way that is very accessible for young readers.

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

“Me and My Family Tree” was great in regards to diversity and illustrations. However, the story got a bit old because it was a list of people on her family tree. An additional story would have made it much better. Overall, it was ok.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a clever way to introduce genealogy to children at a young age. They will begin to associate their relatives with others having been their parents and have a better understanding of their family.

[Maki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as well written as Me on the Map or some of the other Me series books. This book doesn’t really explain the families we have now, but a beginning of an explanation of how the family tree works. Doesn’t include step families that most families have today.

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great book to introduce family connections. Simple language explains how families are related.

[Jana · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a pretty good picture book aimed at primary-aged children who are curious about their roots. A little girl is making a family tree, and as she creates each part, she explains who these people are and why they belong in the picture. I like the way the illustrations consistently show common physical traits throughout the book. For example, the narrator’s brother has an upturned mouth and so does her father, and you can see a bit of a resemblance in the father’s father, her grandfather. This might be a good book to share with children before starting a genealogy project.

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was a cute picture book simply explaining a family tree.

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my favorite preschool nonfiction series and I am thrilled that they re-illustrated them. Highly recommended for ages 4-6.

[KaitandMaddie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I guess we will be making a family tree now, because the girls are so interested in the concept now. It is a solid how to book.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very basic introduction to family trees.

[Jody Kyburz · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was expecting something more than a brief and simplistic explanation...perhaps more stories or personality. My take on it. I'm donating this to our public library.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a nice introduction to family history for young children. Very simple text and pictures.

[Mother Goose Librarian]

Follow a young girl as she creates a family tree.

[Rebecca Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a book to use to introduce family trees and have a math lesson. The teacher can read this book to the students and have them count how many siblings, aunts, uncles, etc. that are listed on each page. Then the students can create their own family trees using construction paper. After they decorate their trees, they will create a list of the members in their families. The teacher can then help the students make a classroom graph of their family members. For homework the students can bring in pictures of themselves and their families. Then the teacher can make a classroom family tree on a bullitin board.

[Alicia Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was recommended in a homeschool history resource we use. my first grader can read it without difficulty. He seems to enjoy it. Nothing exciting. Certainly covers the material in a clear way. There is a slight sense of Asian stereotype in the book. The narrator of the story, a child, has an Aunt Sally that is married to an Uncle Lee, who is obviously Asian. The artistic representation of the family members on the train predominately white people with wide-open eyes and then there are these two Asian people with little minus signs for eyes. It's not offensive, but I certainly noticed it.

[Diressa Belcher · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book because children are exposed to families from all over the world. Children are also able to ask, "Where did I come from?" and "Who do I look like?" The book is a great resource for families and schools because it allows children to learn about diverse families. The book's illustrations are beautiful because they incorporate cultural diversity.

The book can be used as a science lesson in order to create a family tree.

Citation:

Sweeney, Joan. (1999). Me and My Family Tree. New York: Crown Publishers.

Genre:

Fiction

[Sophia Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book can be a great segway into student's very own family tree projects. It simply tells who all is in the family tree, how they are related and each of their titles. It also encompasses a blank family tree in the back for students to use.

[Jasmin Garcia · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a great book for introducing diverse families and family backgrounds. The end of text example is great for beginning of the year activities to get to know each other or for general family history.

[Tika · Rating 3 out of 5]

this also can be a reference for learning about family and knowing how to make a family tree in childrens' way

[zomgliyah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awesome book to introduce the complex subject of family to children. Wonderful illustrations!

[Sagan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sagan read this several times himself, then we used it as a guide for making our own family tree and for asking and answering questions about people he knows.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This cute book provides a simple introduction to family history. It isn't groundbreaking, by any means, but the concept is clearly conveyed in a way kids will enjoy.

[The Brothers · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very basic explanation of how you are related to people in your close family tree.

Nice illustrations. Has a blank page for setting up your own family tree.

[Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

A super simple description of a family tree. Nothing awesome, but still enjoyable. The first grader read it to me, and I read it to the Kindergartner.