Families Are Different by Nina Pellegrini was a very simplistic story that is told from the point of view of a little girl who was adopted from Korea. Though I admit I tend to be attracted to more complex books, sometimes simple is better.

The story is about how she feels about being different than her parents and how there are all types of families in the world. Sometimes, I think that pointing out the way we are the same is very helpful in helping children deal with being different.

One of the things that I remember is feeling lonely. I didn’t really experience that feeling until I was a little older and I remember it clearly. There could be a dozen people in the room, but I felt lonely because they all seemed to be the same. It’s hard for someone who is a part of the mainstream to really understand what it feels like – I really can’t explain it to someone who doesn’t have a frame of reference. Does anyone remember on Sesame Street where they sing “which of these things is not like the other”? It’s that feeling of always being the odd man out.

Here are some possible discussion questions that you could use with this book:

1. At one point the little girl talks about realizing that her parents look different and about how it made her feel angry or sad. This is a good time to ask your child if they ever feel that way.

2. The last part of the book is all about the different kinds of families. It might be fun to have your child think about the different types of families that he knows.

You can purchase this book at any of the major booksellers or borrow it from your local library.

If you would like to comment, but not on this site, please feel free to e-mail me at adoptkoreablog@adoptionmail.com.