Author/Illustrator: Allen Say
Genre: Multicultural Children's Picture Book
Age Group: Elementary
Rating: 5 Stars
Allison is an enlightening story about a young girl who realizes she is adopted once she sees that she looks more like her favorite doll, Mei Mei, than like her parents. The story develops as she acts out due to her sadness, and then later becomes accepting of her situation after adopting a stray cat into the family. This story is, what I believe, to be the perfect story for a child who has also been adopted. It shows the importance of family, and how families are all different. The character of the cat serves as a metaphor for Allison's own situation, and helps her to come into her own as she finds comfort in their similarities.
The images in this book are realistic in style, and take up the entire page. They are outlined by a bold white border, helping the images to pop at the reader. The colors are light and at times transparent in their painterly style. The book is organized with text on the left and illustrations on the right, keeping the story consistent and great for younger readers. Not only would this book be great for an adopted child to read, it would also be a great read-aloud in a classroom setting. This way, students could understand where their peers may be coming from, and better understand the emotions that are involved in adoption and family.
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