Sisters

by Judith Caseley

Kika has just been adopted -- and she's worried. There's so much that's new to her: a different language, new friends to make, and something she's never had before -- a family.

Melissa has a new sister -- and she's excited. There's so much to share with Kika: trips to the playground, afternoons at the library, and birthday parties.

Through each new experience, Kika and Melissa discover that sisterhood can be fun, challenging, and sometimes unpredictable, but always rewarding. Best of all, a sister is a friend for life.

Genres: Picture Books, Adoption

32 pages, Hardcover

First published April 13, 2004

Reviews

[Abigail · Rating 2 out of 5]

Author/illustrator Judith Caseley explores the experience of adoption from two different perspectives - that of the adopted child, and that of her adoptive sister - in this picture-book. Melissa waits at home in the states while her parents travel to another country to get Kika. Once they are together, the two girls must both adjust to one another, and to being something they hadn't been before: sisters...

Although I generally tend to enjoy Caseley's 'slice of life' family stories - this is the sixteenth book I have read from her - something about Sisters just felt a little off to me. The artwork was colorful and cute, the story itself was sweet, and I think that the central narrative structure - shifting back and forth between Melissa and Kika's perspective - is an interesting one. That said, the focus felt rather scattered as a result, and I didn't feel a particularly strong emotional connection to either character. Each girl describes her experiences in first-person mini-chapters, so perhaps it was a case of too much telling and not enough showing. Tastes vary, of course, so others might find the narrative more satisfactory. I'd recommend that picture-book readers looking for stories about adoption take a look at this one and decide for themselves.

[Evelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet story.

[Megan Conroy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was a very cute read about a young girl who gains a sister through her parents adopting her and the adventures that the two sisters go through to begin to understand each other more. Throughout the book, the adopted sister begins by being timid in her relationships and how loud she was. In the end, she begins to come out of her shell and talks to more and more people, enjoying the things she does with her new sister. She also begins to realize what love feels like and what it is like to have a stable home. Overall, I thought this was a cute book about the life of this newly adopted girl and her sister. I do think it could get boring in terms of keeping young new readers entertained.

[Keren]

I thought his book was extremely heartwarming and truthful. It brings two different perspectives in this new situation which allows the reader to be able to connect with the book. The story talks about this little girl being adopted and her experience as she begins to adapt to this new experience. Throughout the story, we learn about her new sisters' perspectives. This book is great to show a different perspective to students and how not everyone thinks or feels the same way.

[Jessie Polson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sisters is about a little girl named Melissa, whose family adopts a little girl named Kika. Kika does not know much about Melissa’s lifestyle, and slowly learns about birthdays, books, cookies, and most importantly friendship. Kika and Melissa become great sisters, and Kika learns love from their bond!

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a cute story about a girl who gets adopted from another country. It goes through the struggle of fitting in with a new family, learning a new language, fighting with your sister, then continuing to love them in the end.

[Kari · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the narrative, “Sisters” by Judith Caseley, a little girl gets adopted by a family and is brought over to the United States from somewhere in Latin America. Kika has never had a family, so being part of a family with a mom, a dad, and a sister is overwhelming in itself. She comes over to a new world with a different language and culture. Trying to fit in is not easy for Kika, that’s where her sister Melissa comes into the picture. She tries to teach her everything she knows, but sooner or later the girls fight and end up not speaking to each other. In the end however, the sisters make up and figure out that a sister is always a true friend. The book teaches children how to get along with others that are different from them and how to share things, like toys or parents. It also shows children how to model for others when they are trying to learn something new.

The book is very appropriate for a classroom because it has large, simple text and very bright pictures to enhance the story for the reader. Another great quality of the book is that it tells the story from the eyes of both sisters. For example, in the book, Kika describes how scared and lonely she feels at school because she has no friends, but on the next page it shows how excited Melissa is to have a sister with her in school that she can show off to the rest of her friends. This can help children learn that sometimes there may be two sides to a story. It can help them learn to be open to different perspectives and learn from each one. It can also teach children about modeling because in the story Melissa shows Kika how to do things she has never done before. This can help children in the classroom when they may be new to something or may have trouble understanding a concept; they could have a friend explain it to them differently or show them how to do it step by step. The author illustrates her books as well and loves using color in them. She likes writing about her personal experiences, but it is unknown if she was adopted or had an adopted sister. She does have a sister and that could have contributed to this work. Sisters, just like any other sibling, don’t always see eye to eye which is realistic. Overall, this book is a great way to introduce adopted siblings or children in a family. It touches on some challenges that may be faced and shows that in the end, family is family no matter what.

[Heather Langendorff · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a childrens book broken up into mini chapeters about a little girl’s parents who adopt a girl named Kika from another country, the two girls learn about being sisters and the strong bond and love that siblings share. I really enjoyed this book, I think that demonstrating how important siblings are is crucial since most sisters and brothers fight a lot. One thing that I really liked about this book is that through each experience- birthday parties, playgrounds, and trips to the library- the girls realize that sisterhood is an amazing thing and can be fun. A good age range for this would be 6-8 because it is a longer children's book and I am not sure that younger children would quite understand the concept. I would certainly have this book in my classroom,I think it is a great learning book about siblings.

[Joanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This picture book tells about Melissa and her newly adopted sibling, Kika, who barely speak the same language but must now become sisters. The story alternates between the first-person viewpoints of each girl, making it easy for readers to relate to both characters and their journey on becoming a family. Through each new experience, Kika and Melissa discover that sisterhood can be fun, challenging, and sometimes unpredictable – but always rewarding.

[Miriam Garcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about a Caucasian family who adopt kika from another country. Kika is a quiet and shy girl who needs to get used to her new life. The two new sisters struggle with their new life but they find ways to get Along. This is an encouraging book to realte to a child whose family has adopted.

[Esther · Rating 2 out of 5]

It doesn't read very well and pretty choppy although it still might reflect some adoptive siblings feelings and relationship.

[Kara Curtin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a cool book about a family that adopts a girl and the process the two sisters go through adjusting.

[Loren · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about a little girl named Melissa and her family adopts a little girl from another country. It's an ok story I just wish it was longer.

[Rita · Rating 3 out of 5]

Adoption story with siblings who look to be about pre-school aged.

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