“Looks don’t matter, love does.”
The last line of this children’s book sweetly sums up the message in this delightful new children’s book. People don’t have to match like socks, and it’s OK when kids don’t look like their moms or dads.
I was recently invited to review a new book by a local Texas author named Liza Dora. I don’t often do children’s books reviews, but as an adoptive mom I couldn’t say “no” to this request. It’s surprisingly difficult to find quality books for children that touch on the topic of adoption in a way that is age appropriate and sensitive. This book does a great job of sharing a message in a way that can be understood by young children.
In our family, one of our kids looks nothing like the other three. Interestingly, he’s the only one who looks like me! My biological children inherited strong Filipino genes and favor their dad, whereas our child by adoption has my same green eyes and strongly favors me. Growing up he often heard comments about how he looks nothing like his dad, and this did lead to lots of questions from him. (I once had an airline stewardess ask me if all my kids had the same father! WOW!) We have always been very open with our son about his adoption story, but it is still hard for preschool age and very young kids to understand why some adults place so much emphasis on looks. I wish we would have had a book like this to help emphasize what we were teaching him: a family is based on love, not bloodlines and looks.
The story never mentions adoption specifically, so while it is perfect for adoptive families, it would also be great for blended families. Or any family, really. People Aren’t Socks simply and sweetly illustrates and explains that families come in all shapes and colors, and that’s perfectly fine.
You can find People Aren’t Socks at Amazon:
About the Author: Liza Dora is an author and illustrator living in West Texas with her husband, daughter and their very loud, but sweet English Bulldog. She enjoys writing, reading, running and sewing. In February of 2015, she was diagnosed with a rare ocular cancer and decided to follow her passion for writing. Her first children’s book Is Lena Pretty? was released in April of that same year. Her second book, People Aren’t Socks, will be available 10/01/15. You can find Liza on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and possibly at your local fabric store.
