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Real Sisters Pretend
CCBC Review:
Mia and Tayja—two sisters of different races—are playing a lively game of “Let’s pretend…” imagining themselves as princesses, when Mia, the younger of the two, says, “Let’s pretend we are sisters.” Tayja responds, “No, Mia—we don’t have to pretend that. We are sisters. Real sisters.” Then the two reminisce about when Mia was adopted at age two, their childlike conversation sounding very much like the dialogue they were having while pretending, with “And then…” and “Oh, yeah, and she said…” Their exchange, depicted in dialogue bubbles, is natural in its account of their adoptions and includes details that would stand out to children, such as remembering that the judge let the older sister’s stuffed lion bang the gavel. Watercolor illustrations focus on the two sisters in the present day, rather than their memories, and at the end of the story a complete family portrait shows that the girls have two moms, also of different races. © Cooperative Children's Book CenterIllustrated by Nicole Tadgell
CCBC Age Recommendation: Ages 4-7
Age Range:
PreK-Early Elementary (Ages 4-7)
Format:
Picture book
Subjects:
Adoption
Lesbians
LGBTQ+ Persons
Multiracial Characters/Families
Sisters
Diversity subjects:
Black/African
Brown Skin Unspecified
LGBTQ Family
Publisher:
Tilbury House
Publish Year: 2016
Pages: 32
ISBN: 9780884484417
CCBC Location: Picture Book, Lambert