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We Chose You: A Book About Adoption, Family, and Forever Love
Every Family is Created by God
God forms families in many different ways and sizes, but all are equally important and special.
When adopted son Calvin needs to tell about his family for a class assignment, he discovers his parents were praying for him long before they chose him. Not only that, but God chose them for Calvin. It wasn't by chance and it wasn't an accident. It was according to His plan.
We Chose You was written to communicate to all children, whether birthed or adopted, that they are chosen. That they are secure. That they are loved. This is a message every child needs to hear.
Let this book give you the words to tell your child about your family's unique story.
God forms families in many different ways and sizes, but all are equally important and special.
When adopted son Calvin needs to tell about his family for a class assignment, he discovers his parents were praying for him long before they chose him. Not only that, but God chose them for Calvin. It wasn't by chance and it wasn't an accident. It was according to His plan.
We Chose You was written to communicate to all children, whether birthed or adopted, that they are chosen. That they are secure. That they are loved. This is a message every child needs to hear.
Let this book give you the words to tell your child about your family's unique story.
32 pages, Hardcover
Published April 2, 2019
1 person is currently reading
48 people want to read
About the author
Tony Dungy
107 books189 followersTony Dungy is a #1 New York Times bestselling author whose books include Quiet Strength, Uncommon,The Mentor Leader and Uncommon Marriage. He led the Indianapolis Colts to Super Bowl victory on February 4, 2007, the first such win for an African American head coach. Dungy established another NFL first by becoming the first head coach to lead his teams to the playoffs for ten consecutive years.
Dungy joined the Colts in 2002 after serving as the most successful head coach in Tampa Bay Buccaneers' history. He has also held assistant coaching positions with the University of Minnesota, Pittsburgh Steelers, Kansas City Chiefs, and Minnesota Vikings. Before becoming a coach, Dungy played three seasons in the NFL.
Dungy has been involved in a wide variety of charitable organizations, including All Pro Dad, Abe Brown Ministries, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Athletes in Action, Mentors for Life, Big Brothers Big Sisters, and Boys & Girls Clubs. He also works with Basket of Hope, Impact for Living, the Black Coaches Association National Convention, Indiana Black Expo, the United Way of Central Indiana, and the American Diabetes Association.
He retired from coaching in 2009 and now serves as a studio analyst for NBC's Football Night in America. He and his wife, Lauren, are the parents of ten children.
Connect with Tony at his website (www.coachdungy.com, his blog,Facebook, and Twitter,
Dungy joined the Colts in 2002 after serving as the most successful head coach in Tampa Bay Buccaneers' history. He has also held assistant coaching positions with the University of Minnesota, Pittsburgh Steelers, Kansas City Chiefs, and Minnesota Vikings. Before becoming a coach, Dungy played three seasons in the NFL.
Dungy has been involved in a wide variety of charitable organizations, including All Pro Dad, Abe Brown Ministries, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Athletes in Action, Mentors for Life, Big Brothers Big Sisters, and Boys & Girls Clubs. He also works with Basket of Hope, Impact for Living, the Black Coaches Association National Convention, Indiana Black Expo, the United Way of Central Indiana, and the American Diabetes Association.
He retired from coaching in 2009 and now serves as a studio analyst for NBC's Football Night in America. He and his wife, Lauren, are the parents of ten children.
Connect with Tony at his website (www.coachdungy.com, his blog,Facebook, and Twitter,
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
March 25, 2019
We Chose You: A Book About Adoption, Family, and Forever Love by Tony Dungy and Lauren Dungy. Illustrated by Guy Wolek. Expected publication: 02 April 2019 by Harvest House Publishers. Children’s Fiction. Ebook edition. Grade level:1-4; Age range: 6-9.
Super-cool book about an adopted African American child who needs help from his parents to explain his adoption for a school presentation. Colorful artwork is wonderful. Highly recommend!
Thanks to NetGalley for providing this ebook for review.
Super-cool book about an adopted African American child who needs help from his parents to explain his adoption for a school presentation. Colorful artwork is wonderful. Highly recommend!
Thanks to NetGalley for providing this ebook for review.
October 29, 2022
Great little kids book I received as a gift, helps not only adopted children understand they are loved but lightly touches on family dynamics in a way any child can understand while reading.
February 6, 2020
Tony and Lauren are a gift to the world and you should gift this book to any child you know. It should be in every classroom, church and library and especially in the home of every adopted child.
The story is wonderful, the illustrations are gorgeous. Buy it now.
The publisher provided an ARC through Netgalley. I have voluntarily decided to read and review, giving my personal opinions and thoughts
The story is wonderful, the illustrations are gorgeous. Buy it now.
The publisher provided an ARC through Netgalley. I have voluntarily decided to read and review, giving my personal opinions and thoughts
March 19, 2019
Calvin is assigned a project at school to tell his classmates all about his family. He is worried to do so. I wonder what is bothering him?
Mom and Dad sit down with their son and together they thumb through their big red photo album that documents how their special family was conceived. It wasn't formed in the conventional way with Calvin growing in his mommy's tummy, rather it was birthed with lots of prayer, waiting and anticipation. God orchestrated a totally different venue for Calvin's arrival. The couple prayed every day for a baby and Calvin is the one God chose to send for them to keep.
"You chose me," Calvin repeated happily. Those words always made him feel special."
Then a scary thought pops into Calvin's head. "If you chose me what would happen if you change your mind and un-choose me someday?" he asks.
Mom and Dad once again take the time to explain to their beloved adopted son that this will never ever happen. They reaffirm their love and commitment to him and assure him that this family is his forever family.... amen! The parents also reiterate that families are made up of many different types of people and the thread that holds families together is unconditional love.
The illustrations are truly wonderful. They are crisp, clear and expressive. The message is uplifting and positive. This book will be a great read aloud to share at bedtime followed by a discussion about the different styles of families that are present in our world today. I love the fact that the whole family unit is involved in explaining to Calvin their own family dynamics. They make it very clear to him what a blessing he is and how he completes the family that they have longed for. Mom, Dad and their chosen son Calvin, are inseparable and they commit to a happily ever after ending.... a fairytale ending in real time. I highly recommend the book.
Mom and Dad sit down with their son and together they thumb through their big red photo album that documents how their special family was conceived. It wasn't formed in the conventional way with Calvin growing in his mommy's tummy, rather it was birthed with lots of prayer, waiting and anticipation. God orchestrated a totally different venue for Calvin's arrival. The couple prayed every day for a baby and Calvin is the one God chose to send for them to keep.
"You chose me," Calvin repeated happily. Those words always made him feel special."
Then a scary thought pops into Calvin's head. "If you chose me what would happen if you change your mind and un-choose me someday?" he asks.
Mom and Dad once again take the time to explain to their beloved adopted son that this will never ever happen. They reaffirm their love and commitment to him and assure him that this family is his forever family.... amen! The parents also reiterate that families are made up of many different types of people and the thread that holds families together is unconditional love.
The illustrations are truly wonderful. They are crisp, clear and expressive. The message is uplifting and positive. This book will be a great read aloud to share at bedtime followed by a discussion about the different styles of families that are present in our world today. I love the fact that the whole family unit is involved in explaining to Calvin their own family dynamics. They make it very clear to him what a blessing he is and how he completes the family that they have longed for. Mom, Dad and their chosen son Calvin, are inseparable and they commit to a happily ever after ending.... a fairytale ending in real time. I highly recommend the book.
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November 8, 2022I'm not going to rate this book since I am definitely not the target audience for it, but I am also not sure who the target audience is. This is ostensibly a book to reassure adopted children that they are special and that God chose the family who adopted them. But it centered the parents, not the child (much like domestic infant adoption in this country, to the detriment of adoptees).
As a birth mom, I thought it was an odd and kind of rude choice to not even hint at the fact that Calvin has a biological family. The whole focus was on his adoptive parents, who married and wanted a baby, for whom they prayed and searched high and low before they "found him and chose him." Not a whisper about how they found him or where he came from, or who loved him first. Just repetition about how he was chosen. Calvin asks if he might be un-chosen if he misbehaves. His parents tell him no, because God put their family together and that's forever.
Maybe Calvin's fear of his parents un-choosing him comes from the trauma he suffered being separated from his birth mom as a baby. That's probably a little heavy for a picture book, yes, but it's also the reality for adopted kids, and they deserve to have these feelings reflected and validated in the books that are read to them. Calvin's parents could have reassured him that it's okay to have sad feelings about adoption, too. Since this is a Christian book, they could have encouraged him to pray about those sad feelings. But the parents' feelings are the focus of this book. So disappointing.
As a birth mom, I thought it was an odd and kind of rude choice to not even hint at the fact that Calvin has a biological family. The whole focus was on his adoptive parents, who married and wanted a baby, for whom they prayed and searched high and low before they "found him and chose him." Not a whisper about how they found him or where he came from, or who loved him first. Just repetition about how he was chosen. Calvin asks if he might be un-chosen if he misbehaves. His parents tell him no, because God put their family together and that's forever.
Maybe Calvin's fear of his parents un-choosing him comes from the trauma he suffered being separated from his birth mom as a baby. That's probably a little heavy for a picture book, yes, but it's also the reality for adopted kids, and they deserve to have these feelings reflected and validated in the books that are read to them. Calvin's parents could have reassured him that it's okay to have sad feelings about adoption, too. Since this is a Christian book, they could have encouraged him to pray about those sad feelings. But the parents' feelings are the focus of this book. So disappointing.
July 1, 2019
Calvin comes home from school one day worried. He has been set the task of talking about his family in class tomorrow. He sees his family as very different to those of his friends, because he is adopted. His parents tell him the story of how he became part of their lives and how they chose him, but not like you might choose pyjamas and change your mind!.With the message that God always had the plan for them to become a family, Calvin is reassured.
This was a nice story, and I would recommend it to families with adopted children who were part of the church, where the child/children might be questioning their place in their family. The story is reassuring, with clear bright pictures and a gentle story that tells how special and different every family is, I also liked that the characters were from a BAME background,
The story could prompt discussion about the make up of different families, but also what other plans God might have for you, I would not recommend this book to someone who wasn’t a Christian as the message is very much focussed in a God and how he has a plan for everyone,
I received an eARC of this book from the publishers in exchange for an honest review
This was a nice story, and I would recommend it to families with adopted children who were part of the church, where the child/children might be questioning their place in their family. The story is reassuring, with clear bright pictures and a gentle story that tells how special and different every family is, I also liked that the characters were from a BAME background,
The story could prompt discussion about the make up of different families, but also what other plans God might have for you, I would not recommend this book to someone who wasn’t a Christian as the message is very much focussed in a God and how he has a plan for everyone,
I received an eARC of this book from the publishers in exchange for an honest review
March 25, 2019
Calvin is worried about his new school assignment in which he must tell his class about his family. Calvin is adopted and has lots of questions about what exactly that means. With references to the Bible, his parents explain that God creates families in many ways and chose Calvin to be part of the family. They draw a poster about his family and Calvin learns that he will always be part of the family and could never be “un-chosen”.
This story explains a universal truth about love and what makes a family a family. However, it should be noted that the message has been centred around Christianity which may make readers of other faiths less likely to pick this book. I would have liked to have seen a few tweaks to the language for the UK edition. The language is quite US-centric (mom vs. mum) which may make it less relatable for children in the UK.
I am very grateful to the publisher for providing me with an advanced digital copy via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.
This story explains a universal truth about love and what makes a family a family. However, it should be noted that the message has been centred around Christianity which may make readers of other faiths less likely to pick this book. I would have liked to have seen a few tweaks to the language for the UK edition. The language is quite US-centric (mom vs. mum) which may make it less relatable for children in the UK.
I am very grateful to the publisher for providing me with an advanced digital copy via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.
March 20, 2019
We didn't choose you because of how you looked, or because of your talents or your behavior. We chose you, and we love you no matter what you do or what you look like.
Did you know we are adopted in the family of God? In adoption, we demonstrate the attributes of God in adoption. His love, his mercy and kindness in adoption. We are chosen. A chosen Race. Being adopted we can have our insecurities, but just as Tony and his wife reassure their adopted son of unconditional love, we can be reassured of God's love for us.
This book is not only for children that are adopted, but a great tool to explain the Gospel. Highly recommend.
A Special Thank you to Harvest House Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.
Did you know we are adopted in the family of God? In adoption, we demonstrate the attributes of God in adoption. His love, his mercy and kindness in adoption. We are chosen. A chosen Race. Being adopted we can have our insecurities, but just as Tony and his wife reassure their adopted son of unconditional love, we can be reassured of God's love for us.
This book is not only for children that are adopted, but a great tool to explain the Gospel. Highly recommend.
A Special Thank you to Harvest House Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.
May 10, 2024
I enjoy this book. It was gifted to me. The story is about a young boy who has to present a project about himself and his family. He is sad and feels as though he is different. He expresses to his family that he does not feel comfortable doing the assignment being that he is adopted. His family expresses their unconditional love for him. This pushes him to take pride in his unique family. This will be something that I would use to teach my students that everyone has different families. It gave examples of children being raised by their aunts, grandmas, etc. This is good to have so that children who were adopted into a family do not feel left out. Students will learn from their peers about their upbringings.
February 19, 2019
I received an electronic ARC from Harvest House Publishers through NetGalley.
Calvin has a school assignment to share about his family. He asks his dad and mom to talk about how they chose him and their family came to be. The three of them move through regular evening activities discussing their life and choices. He asks the normal questions adopted kids worry about. His parents reassure him in gentle ways.
Religious references throughout and realistic portrayal of a family.
Colorful illustrations bring the text to life.
Read with elementary level children.
Great read aloud for families.
Calvin has a school assignment to share about his family. He asks his dad and mom to talk about how they chose him and their family came to be. The three of them move through regular evening activities discussing their life and choices. He asks the normal questions adopted kids worry about. His parents reassure him in gentle ways.
Religious references throughout and realistic portrayal of a family.
Colorful illustrations bring the text to life.
Read with elementary level children.
Great read aloud for families.
May 8, 2019
I worked in the adoption realm for many years. One of our biggest struggles was always in helping the adopted child understand in an age-appropriate way what adoption meant. This answers that struggle. It is the most beautiful way I've found to help teach an adopted child about the way God makes each family different and how loved, chosen, and precious they are to their family. I highly recommend this book and am thankful to have received an Advanced Reader Copy to share my honest opinion with you.
April 19, 2019
This is such a sweet read! I love the big and bright illustrations this book has to offer. It is so nice to see a book address some of those difficult feelings children may go through when they are adopted or feel like the outcast. I love how it brings in that all families are different but, no matter how they are created they are special. How wonderful it must feel to be chosen and this book highlights this blessing. A great read for every family.
April 29, 2019
This book delivers the important message for children- whether they are born or adopted into a family- that every child is special and chosen. I love the illustrations and the representation of family in this story. All of the Dungys’ books feature diverse characters and teach valuable lessons about developing good character. As a parent and teacher, I highly recommend this book.
September 9, 2019
A book about adoption from a Christian perspective. The parents explain how every family is created by God and families are special no matter how they were created. I was hoping to see a same sex couple as one of the examples of a family but sadly it was missing from this book. This would be a great book for Christian adoptive parents to read to their children.
March 2, 2019
This is a wonderful book for children explaining adoption. The parents help the child to understand that he was chosen. God puts families together in different ways, but He still chose for this family to be together. I recommend it especially to parents of adopted children.
May 15, 2022
I really liked the illustrations and moral of this story... however I've giving it only a 2 star review because of the god aspect. It's not my thing and it made me cringe a bit while reading this. BUT someone else will appreciate that, so that's good.
February 19, 2019
A nice and sweet read about adoption that reassures children in the same situation. Beautiful illustrations.
July 21, 2019
I know several families who would really enjoy this book. It sounds like the author spent time with real adoptive families. I thought the message was very sweet, too.
January 5, 2020
A sweet story for any family, especially those who have adopted or are looking to adopt.
January 14, 2020
Very sweet book about adoption and family.
Read
January 29, 2020religious belief, not preachy
January 13, 2026
Does a good job showing a loving family who adopted their son. Probably not great for Storytime (mentions God multiple times).
March 10, 2019
A sweet story and I loved the loving reassurance and message of choosing you. Not so keen on the god messages throughout I think will put off a lot like me, would be more inclusive without it.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews