Raising You Alone

by Warren Hanson

Raising You Alone is an essential book for an essential for any single-parent family. With heart and humor, it talks about the quirks and challenges that must be faced every day. A picture book for parents as well as children, this honest engaging story is the perfect way to say, I will always love you.Raising You Alone, allows the reader to experience single parenting through the eyes of the parent. Walking through life's ups and downs, the story takes us through the pain, triumph and unconditional love between a parent and a child. Hanson's heartwarming tale takes you through many day-today situations and his full-color illustrations bring the story to life.

Genres: Parenting, Picture Books, Childrens

28 pages, Hardcover

First published September 30, 2005

Reviews

[Donor Alliance · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an essential book for any single-parent family. With heart and humor, it talks about the quirks and challenges that must be faced every day. A picture book for parents as well as children, this honest, engaging story is the perfect way to say, “I will always love you.” Bunnies are universal and represent any type of single parent family.

[Vannessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly recommend this book to all parents who are single parents, contemplating parenthood or even divorce. If partners only knew what kinds of things single-parents go through then decisions could be made to benefit the child. Excellent sweet book to read to your child in any setting.

[Lysa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book and the pictures in it . It covers a lot to be a kids book . The bunny parent in the pictures could be either the dad or the mom ( it's not gender specific) so it works for both situation of single mom or single dad.
It moved me to tears ...

[Natasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book really touched my heart. I will be recommending it to other single parents that I know.

[Picture Books To Grow - Shoshana Magnet · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have not seen any other book as skillful as this one at dealing with the challenges of being a single parent. Whether you had a child on your own, a parent died, or you have a family dealing with parental abandonment or a wayward parent of any kind, this book speaks to all those situations. This book is beautifully written, but it is on the long side, and might be hard for very young children to tolerate. Sadly, this book is heterosexist and does emphasize the desire for two parents: “There was a dream that I once had of both a mom and dad to raise you as their own.” But this book does so many things and does them so well that I think it’s worth recommending anyway. It speaks to me so deeply. “That happy dream did not come true. But I am happy here with you, and now it looks like I’ll be raising you alone.” The bunnies are never gendered, no pink bow adorns the single parent bunny’s head, and actually one of my sons assumed that all the parents were boy bunnies, pointing to a page where both parent and child bunny are cuddled up watching tv, and asserting that “everyone know that dads watch tv with their kids”. This book speaks to the reality that the children of single parents are more likely to be in the care of others , that single parents can have higher levels of overwhelm, as well as to all the million things that single parents have to worry about: “There will be times when I am worried, or I’m crabby, or I’m tired. There will be times when we will make each other mad. I’ll holler, “I’m just trying to do my job!” You’ll holler, “Well, you’re fired!” It isn’t easy being both a mom and dad.” And yet, the warm prose remind the frustrated child of the less-tended single parent: “But I will be there when it matters – cross my heart, no matter what. If it’s important to be there, I’ll find a way.” This book also recognizes the time that comes for every child to turn towards others when they long for understanding, and gives the child its blessing: “But there are things you’ll want to talk about with someone else, not me. And that’s ok. I guess that what best friends are for.” And it ends heartwarmingly about the centrality of our children to all of us single parents, no matter who else comes on the scene: “It’s you and I who really matter. It’s this family that counts. We are the very best this world has ever known. And so, in spite of how we got here, it’s my pleasure to announce that we’re amazing! – though I’m raising you alone.” The rigid critic in me would reject this book for its imperfections, and yet, 20 years of therapy and some Brene Brown instead makes me so grateful to this book that for delving so deeply into what it means to be a single parent.

[D. · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've been a single parent to a 7-year-old boy since he was 18 months old. This story would be useful for single parents dating and/or looking for new partners, but is probably not as useful for those of us who are ok with sole parenthood.

The majority of the book is fantastic, but at the end the author talks about "dreaming a new dream together" and "until that dream comes true I will be raising you alone." Obviously, the new dream is a new coparent, so this is yet another book for children about growing up in a single parent household that is not relevant to our family.

[Lindsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really good book for a single parent. It says everything that you would ever want to say to your child!

[Gracie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book because my mom raised me alone, so I could relate. The illustrations were great, and the topic was deep!

[Deb Carter · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story about growing up with just one parent and the dream that was not realized but the new dreams that can be dreamed.