Rice and Beans (Family Snaps)

PreS-Gr 2—These picture books highlight nontraditional families. Rice takes on the subject of adoption, focusing on a young girl who explains that she is very different than her parents: "My hair is black. My eyes are black, too. My mom and dad have red hair. And skin the color of vanilla ice cream." She comes from a place where they eat pork dumplings and "Lots and lots of rice." Now she eats brown beans and "Lots and lots of cornbread." She knows the difference between her birth mom and her forever mom, and on Saturdays she visits Mrs. Chen to learn about her birthplace, which she hopes to visit some day. In Mom's New Friend, a young boy deals with his mother's new boyfriend, Dan. Though the boy is initially reluctant, his mother insists that they all spend a Saturday on a trip in the woods, and the kid eventually learns to accept Dan. In both books, the minimal text provides just enough information to convey the theme that all families, no matter how unconventional, matter, and the bright art will keep readers engaged. The upbeat illustrations of big-headed, wide-eyed, elbowless, and kneeless cartoon characters help ease children into these two common situations. VERDICT Useful assets for children coping with family issues and good additions for counseling sections.—Sandra Welzenbach, Villarreal Elementary School, San Antonio, TX