Let's Talk About It: Adoption

by Fred Rogers

Fred Rogers opens the door for adopted children and their parents to safely talk about their good and sometimes not-so-good feelings in a book about the joy of belonging and the love that unites families.?Rogers? unaffected delivery has a way of making scary things unscary, which should help parents as much as kids.? -- The Bulletin of the Center for Children?s Books ?The premise of this book?that it is good for families to talk about feelings?is a welcome one to apply to the subject of adoption.? -- School Library Journal

Genres: Adoption, Nonfiction, Childrens, Picture Books, Family

32 pages, Paperback

First published May 9, 1995

About the author

Fred McFeely Rogers was an American educator, minister, songwriter, and television host. Rogers was the host of the television show Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, in production from 1968 to 2001. Rogers was also an ordained Presbyterian minister.

Reviews

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Candid, honest, warm. Just what you'd expect from Mr. Rogers.

[Brianna Williford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rogers, F. Judkis, J. (Photographer). (1994). Let’s Talk about It: Adoption. New York City: Penguin Putnam Books for Young Readers.
Fred Rogers (Mr. Rogers) wrote this book to talk about adoption. He discusses the changes for kids who get adopted, as well as for children who are already in the home. I liked the idea of using a book specifically about adoption because that is a complicated part of the system where many children end up. It shows different kinds of families and might help fostered children understand how other forms of adoption work. I also liked that this book used real pictures instead of drawings or paintings because none of the other books I found did that.

[Maura Fenelon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a great starting point to get a conversation going about adoption and to help adopted children feel a little more comfortable. It's a non-fiction book that talks about being a family and the way families should be centered around love. I would place this book in a first or second grade classroom, and use it to help students become comfortable with the idea of adoption as a way for families to grow. This book would be especially useful in classrooms that have adopted children in it as a way of showing those children that being adopted is perfectly normal and their family can be bound together by love just like a family with no adopted children.

[Daniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Despite not being written for me, it's a Mr. Rogers book, and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to hear his voice in my head.

[Michaela Kadavy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love the racial diversity in pictures to represent all kinds of families. True Rogers fashion of normalizing feelings and projecting safety.

[Kelly DiBenedetto · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book encourages open communication within families about adoption and the many different ways a family can be structured. Rogers offers a place for parents and children to have a conversation about topics that may arise in an honest and gentle way.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is exactly as good as you would expect from Mr. Rogers. The photographs are dated, but the text really isn't.

[Marisa Moorman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Let's Talk About It: Adoption is a realistic fiction book by Fred Rogers with photographs by Jim Judkis. This books main focus is about adoption and how you should discuss it within your family. This book begins with an explanation about needing to be in a family and includes pictures of children from different backgrounds. I like this book because it is simple and I think it is a very age- appropriate way to discuss adoption with young children. I do think that there could be more about the process of adoption but I also think that if there was more added then this book would be more appropriate for older children. The way this book is structured now has a style and language that is perfect for explaining the process of adoption to little kids. I think that this book did a great job with including different cultures and having a variety of characters. I think a lot of students can relate to the pictures in this book because they are of real people and their families. Some of the families include adopting a child that is outside of their race while some include a child that was adopted but is the same race as their family. I like that this book is something children can relate to and has modern illustrations to convey its message.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Title / Author / Publication Date:
Adoption / Rogers, Fred / 1994

Genre: Nonfiction

Format: Picture Book – print

Plot summary:
Discusses what it means to be part of a family and examines some feelings that adopted children may have.

Review citation:
PreS-K The premise of this book that it is good for families to talk about feelings is a welcome one to apply to the subject of adoption. Rogers presents a simple look at three adoptive families. He includes a brief but reassuring reference to the birthparents and the reasons for their decision. Clear, full-color photos show happy, sad, and angry children and adults; the text suggests that such emotions occur in all families, and states that "being angry doesn't mean that love goes away." This is an improvement over the relentlessly nice family in Valentina Wasson's The Chosen Baby (HarperCollins, 1977). Unfortunately, the first photograph, showing rows of babies in a nursery, is reminiscent of the unreal ``chosen child'' stories that have made some adoptees feel pressured to continue being wonderful enough to be chosen from the line-up. In Betty Jean Lifton's Tell Me a Real Adoption Story (Knopf, 1994), illustrations show the adoptive parents meeting the pregnant birthmother, giving a more complete and grounded story. Maxine Rosenberg's Being Adopted (Lothrop, 1984) provides more depth and clarity than Rogers does, but (like almost all of the better adoption titles) is for older children. (School Library Journal, vol 41, issue 6, p104)

Section source used to find the material: Schimmel, N., & Love, S. (1997). Books on adoption for young children: Looking at language. School Library Journal, 43(7), 32.

Recommended age: Ages 3-6

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good way to introduce young children to the basic issues of adoption.

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mr Rogers always came through with difficult topics and talked to kids with compassion and understanding. This is a great book.

[Terry]

Borrow it. It's a book you'll likely only read a few times.

See our full review.