Book Review: Children’s Books
The first book, I Love you Like Crazycakes, is in my opinion a must have for your new child. Do not read the Crazycakes book in a store for the first time. I did, and I bawled my eyes out. Not a quiet cry, but the kind where you are half hyperventilating with snot flying all over the place. It’s a very sweet little book, but if you are like me you will cry the first time you read the book. You may need to read it a couple of dozen times before you get your child so you can read it to your child without bawling.
The Crazycakes book is appropriate for very young children and older children - it’s great for the less than a year old crowd and yet GlitterGirl still grabs it every once in a while. It has beautiful pictures, and it tells the story in a very simple manner. It is also a board book, which helps things out a great deal with infants and toddlers. There is no father in the story, but I always add the daddy into the story when I read it.
The next book, When you were born in China, is for older children. I started reading it to GlitterGirl when she was four, I think. It touches on some more serious issues, like how many people live in China, and how old the country is, and even a little bit on the one child policy. It is designed to help the child be proud of China while understanding that not everything is perfect, either. And I think it helped GlitterGirl to read some of what I’d told her in book form, it seemed to help her understand some of it that she had been having a hard time grasping.
And the last book, Just Add One Chinese Sister, is for those who have children who will be a big sister or brother to the child you are waiting for. GlitterGirl loves this book. There are parts of the book written by the mommy, and there are parts of the book written by the big brother. This book helped GlitterGirl have an idea of what would happen ahead of time, but it has also helped her verbalize some of her feelings since we have been home. Before we traveled it was perfect for a springboard for some of our conversations, and after we were home it has also been a great tool to use for me to get conversation going between the two of us about how she feels about her little sister.
August 17th, 2007 at 9:02 am
Great Choices, RQ.
We have read Crazy Cakes MANY times and depending on the day, I can still get choked up. If I forget to add in the daddy to the story, Lily corrects me! The second book is in the closet waiting for Lily to get a bit older. I love the pictures and the information. Thanks for sharing the third book. We’ll get it before number two but with a Nov 2006 LID we have some time on our hands!
Great book week.
August 17th, 2007 at 9:04 am
I am not a regular poster but I do follow this site regularly. I have gained great knowledge from all of you. Thanks!
I also love and have I Love you Like Crazy Cakes. BUT, she recently published a second book, Every Year on Your Birthday! It is also beautifully written and illustrated and I would highly reccommend it. It goes thorugh her first 5 birthdays after coming home. The character is the same as in the first book, she just gets older. The other book I have is Shoey and Dot. It is about a lady bug who comes across a baby who has been recently abandoned. She stays with her through her stay at the orphanage, when she meets her new family, and their trip home. It is very sweet and upbeat and the photos are also beautiful. My daughter loves to point to the babies in the cribs and walkers and talks to them with such a huge smile on her face. It is very colorful and not in the least scary.
A for DVD’s Baby Einsteins Down on the Farm was a HUGE hit for my daughter when she first came home, she was 22 months old. That is how she learned about all of her animals. I havent’ found the other Baby Einsteins to hold her interest as much.
Keep the reviews coming. I find this topic helpful.
August 17th, 2007 at 9:34 am
I love these reviews! I am however going to go broke!!! Keep ‘em coming RQ. Great idea to apss the time and incredibly meaningful as well. Thank you.
11/30/05-SOON!!!
August 17th, 2007 at 9:54 am
Love all these three books…have them too. My four year old absolutely LOVES I love you like crazy cakes. Another population book with my four year old is “The Reb Blanket”…I too notice that a lot of these books are focused on the Mom and child; little with the dad and siblings..but otherwise completely FABULOUS….
Now where are some rumors PLEASE….
November 23, 2005 LID…THANKFULLY NEXT
August 17th, 2007 at 9:55 am
sorry..not a population book..I meant popular book…coffee anyone?…LOL
August 17th, 2007 at 9:59 am
Someone on this site a while back recomended “Waiting for May” by Janet Morgan Stoeke. For anyone with a child who is waiting for their little sister, this is such a great book! It goes through the whole process, from the paper chase, to the trip to China. It’s very realistic. My son really loves it. His favorite page is when the boy’s little sister smiles for the first time and grabs the buttons on his shirt. He keeps the book on the living room table at all times. Not sure if that’ll last for the next 3+ years though :-) Anyway, thanks for all the info on these books! I’m starting a library over here :-)
August 17th, 2007 at 10:03 am
I can’t wait to read “I Love You Like Crazy Cakes” to my daughter.
I believe the author is a single mother writing about her own experience. For me, as a single mother, it works out well that there isn’t a father in the book.
FTJ
LID 11/23/2005 Next!
August 17th, 2007 at 10:18 am
RQ…
Do you like Shaoey and Dot? I love that book and we have been home a year and I still cry a little every time, even when my husband reads it. Especially when it talks about the sad cry babies have when they are needing their mother to come…uggghhh. My daughter loves the pictures and loves to point out Dot on each page.
Leslie
August 17th, 2007 at 10:24 am
We love “Crazycakes”. My daughter demanded it almost every night for a year, and insisted we buy a copy for “little sister” so she can have her own when she comes to join our family.
Thanks for the tip on “One Chinese Sister”.
August 17th, 2007 at 10:48 am
My son and DIL bought “I Love You Like Crazy Cakes” book for my DD the Christmas they were paperchasing. We all read it and cried buckets of tears. Each year at Christmas I buy books from Amazon for them. Last year one of the books was”When You Were Born In China” plus many more. So many, I will now have to have my DD make a list so that I will be able to tell which ones I have bought. It is wonderful that they have so many for children from China who have been adopted.
August 17th, 2007 at 10:55 am
I love Crazy Cakes too! My girlfriend actually framed the cover of the book, and it hangs in DD’s room!
August 17th, 2007 at 11:11 am
I also bawled the first time I read I Love You Like Crazy Cakes, I also have purchased Every Year On Your Birthday. Thanks for the book reviews.
I’m with Catherinethgreat, where are those rumors?
Lori
11/23/2005 NEXT!!!!
http://www.thestoryofyou.net/kati.html
August 17th, 2007 at 11:20 am
Next in line maybe “Three Names of Me” By Mary Cummings?? It’s a gentle slightly deeper dive into the same territory as CrazyCakes. Definitely a mom-pre-read before sharing, but my 4 year old has connected with it very strongly. Interesting. [RQ, I know you did not ask for suggestions - but you're choices are all among my favorites, and this one I think fits right in.]
August 17th, 2007 at 11:27 am
These are all popular books and I’d be surprised if a lot of people don’t already have them or, at least, have heard about them.
Are there *any* rumours out there *at all*? Even the WAG ones that, unfortunately, prove to be wrong each and every month?
August 17th, 2007 at 12:05 pm
I second “Waiting for May” by Janet Stoeke
For older children, Grace from China By Jacqueline Kolosov.
(Grade 4+) a novel about ninth grader Jess and her mom’s adoption from China (dad passed away before the family got their referral).
I this if there were anything out there rumor-wise, RQ would post…especially how antsy many of us have been lately!
August 17th, 2007 at 12:13 pm
Sorry that I don’t have any rumors . . . .
I second _Shaoey and Dot_ because my four year old can repeat it almost word for word and does whenever I show her a China adoption blog. It has really helped her understand her own adoption journey.
I took a copy of _When I Was Born in China_ with me on both adoption trips and got the caretakers and the orphanage director to sign it and write messages to my daughters. We even got the red footprint of our second daughter in her copy of the book!
For adults, I would recommend _Oracle Bones_ and _China Ghosts_. I think every family currently adopting from China should read _China Ghosts_; it is the most accurate book about China adoption that I have ever read.
I would also recommend some books on domestic adoption. My older daughter absolutely loved _Tell Me Again About The Night I was Born_. We had an adoption journey book made for my daughter that paralleled the daughter’s baby book in the story. We would read the book and my daughter would go get her own book and read it.
Neither of my daughters has liked _Crazy Cakes_ that much even though I can’t get through it without sobbing.
I also highly recommend all the Grace Lin books for their gorgeous illustrations. _Red is a Dragon_ has been a huge favorite for four years now; we’ve on our second copy! _The Ugly Vegetables_ is also very good as is _Fortune Cookie Fortunes_. I’ve taken all three of these to school to read to their classes and they’ve been well-received. With the last book, of course you also bring fortune cookies to pass out.
August 17th, 2007 at 12:24 pm
I just wanted to say thanks to all of you and RQ for all the great suggestions. We are LID 05/25/07 so we have a LONG wait ahead of us (unless we find our baby on the waiting child list), but we are doing a unit on China with my 6 year old this year and I am planning on adding alot of info about the adoption journey, so these books are definitely going on my list of things to purchase for this unit.
Thanks!
Michelle
http://www.waitingformolly.blogspot.com
August 17th, 2007 at 12:47 pm
We are waiting on LOA for our son in Jiangxi. He is about 3 months younger than our 2.5 year old daughter from China. I would love to find a book that is not gender specific or with a focus on a brother from China if that is even possible; any suggestions?
August 17th, 2007 at 12:48 pm
My daughter (19 months) likes Crazy Cakes, but its still a bit too wordy for her to sit patiently through, so I kind of just describe it without really reading it at this point. She adores the photo album I put together that starts with her referral picture and pictures taken with the camera I sent to China and goes through our first Christmas together. Its her own story and she loves pointing out all the featured players (mama, nana, binky…).
One book I like is Mama’s wish/Daughter’s Wish, which is really for single moms, but tells the story from both perspectives. Its too old for my daughter now, but its really sweet.
August 17th, 2007 at 1:08 pm
Thanks for all your book reviews. I have a lot of reading ahead of me (adoption attachment/adopting a toddler) and apparently some good old-fashioned boo-hooing too (crazycakes). Your insight is much appreciated.
August 17th, 2007 at 2:12 pm
Hello RQ–thank you so very much for this site as you are our sole source of information in this long wait.
I have a question about the three attachment books. I already have _Adoption Parenting_ but do not have the others you mentioned. My other attachment reading has consisted of websites such as “China-Attach” and “Forever Family”. Do the other two books have much more pertinent information to add? I am just wondering if I should add them to my library or if they would pretty much repeat what I’ve read already.
A bit help to me was reading _ The Attachment Parenting Handbook_ by Dr. Sears and _Raising Adopted Children_ by Melina.
I am also really looking forward to reading _Siblings without Rivalry_ as we are waiting for daughter #2 (LID March 7, 06)
I’m having difficulty figuring out how to log into my LID group here on this website–I’m a little lost!!! Any suggestions???
Thank you so much again.
August 17th, 2007 at 3:24 pm
Hi Tuckersocks,
If you go onto the Forum part of the site (linked from here at the top right hand side of the Blog posts). And under General Discussions there is a LID request thread. If you add your name and LID date to that thread RQ will add you to your LID room when she gets chance. Hope that helps :-)
Love
Gertiesquidge
DTC ~10th August 2007~
http://offtochinaoneday.blogspot.com/
August 17th, 2007 at 3:48 pm
Thanks for the recommendations, found a few new books to check out.
CtheG, “The Red Blanket” is also a longtime favorite of my 8-year-old–probably largely because, as in our family, it’s about a single mom adopting from China. Only problem is she now wants me to “make” a red blanket for her new baby/toddler sister. I am not handy with a needle and so will be red-blanket shopping online soon I’m sure. ;o)
Happy reading, all!
August 17th, 2007 at 3:51 pm
Perfect thread, and it’s about time I started reading and doing my homework, I’m now going shopping for books….. can’t wait to read Crazy Cakes. I kept thinking that there is plenty of time, what with the ever increasing wait, but suddenly, I feel now is the time to start.
Thanks for these recommendations….. looking forward to this immensely.
August 17th, 2007 at 4:30 pm
I still can’t read “I love you like crazy cakes” without crying…my daughter can’t figure out why this book makes mommy so sad!
Maureen
August 17th, 2007 at 4:57 pm
RQ - thanks for the laugh! I could totally relate to the bawling your eyes out and flying snot!! I think I read this book more than 10 times and I still get choked up (mostly at the end of the book when they talk about the birth mother) - omg, just typing this is making me all teary eyed!!!!! :-)
AT
August 17th, 2007 at 4:59 pm
LOL. I read I Love You like Crazy Cakes the first time in the bookstore, too - not pretty. In fact I have been reading it for over a year now (while waiting for dd#1) and still can barely get through it without sniffling. I also like Shaoey and Dot.
August 17th, 2007 at 5:26 pm
_Seeds of Love_ is great for siblings who will not be traveling to China to get their new sibling. We used it with our first daughter (both before and after the adoption trip) to help her understand what was happening.
Also second _Mama’s Wish/Daughter’s Wish_. My first daughter esp. likes this book, which warms my heart no end.
What a sweet book!
For boys from China, hum, well, there is _Cleversticks_ about a Chinese boy who teaches his pre-K how to use chopsticks. Not really adoption related, but my daughter loves it.
Also _An American Face_ by Jan Czech, about an older Asian (I think Chinese) boy who is finalizing his American adoption.
Monkey King books and videos are good for boys, with all the action and acrobatics.
I think that you could use _When I Was Born in China_ with a boy as well. It’s pretty general.
Also a must have for transracial families - _The Colors of Us_ by Karen Katz. She relates skin color to food and makes it great fun to identify your particular skin color.
August 17th, 2007 at 6:48 pm
Funny, I was quite not so crazy about Crazy Cakes, but I really loved the video version of it, narrated by Mia Farrow.
August 17th, 2007 at 8:57 pm
My dd hates Crazy Cakes. I think it is far too glossed over for her logical, matter of fact tastes. It is a pretty book and a favourite among mothers but my dd wanted to know why there was nothing about the baby’s first family and life before adoption.
One of her favourites is Before I Met You by Doris Landry - very down to earth…. very frank. I guess different books will suit different kids but I think all parents should be aware of books like Crazy Cakes being more for the parent than the child. My opinion has changed as my dd has set me straight, lol. She is now 7 and I used to love reading Crazy Cakes (and shed a few tears too) and other such books until she pointed out how they made her feel (invalidated, misunderstood etc).
Pav
LID 11/22 NEXT!!
August 17th, 2007 at 9:46 pm
Oh, CrazyCakes is def. more for the younger crowd than the older crowd. GlitterGirl still likes it every once in a while, but she’s really too old for it now and we only read it when she chooses it. And we have the other books that address all of the other stuff that Crazycakes doesn’t address.
I wouldn’t say it’s for the parents and not the kids though, as it gives the right amount of info for little bitty ones. But for older ones they do need a whole lot more.
August 18th, 2007 at 2:30 am
For all you who have yet to travel, I brought “WHEN YOU WERE BORN IN CHINA” along with me on Gotcha day and when we visited the oprhanage. We had the director and the nannies and all the other important people not only sign the book but write a little message to Mia. We then had our guide translate the messages and we then pasted the translated messages on the opposite page. It will be something special for Mia when she is older.
If you dont know about “WHEN YOU WERE BORN IN CHINA” it is really for older kids who can understand the adoption process. We chose to take that book to be signed because we thought it would mean more to Mia because in the book it talks about the care givers and foster families and all the reasons for abandonment and this book is signed by those actual key players in her early life before she was a part of our family. I think it is very special.
Christy :)
August 18th, 2007 at 5:27 am
I am looking for a book to read to my 3 year old daughter. I thought Crazy Cakes would be an option, but my daughter has been in foster care. How do others deal with that while reading these kind of books to their children? Do you explain that her story was different? Or do you have another book where a foster mothher cares for the child before being adopted?
August 20th, 2007 at 4:08 pm
I was laughing as I read your review of “I love you like Crazy Cakes.” Our daughter has been home for 3 years and a few months and I just now can get to the end of the book without crying. There are still tears at the end, but I can read through them.
I also found a Spanish translation. The Spanish tittle is “Te quiero niña bonita. ISBN-10: 8484880540 and ISBN-13: 978-8484880547