A Family Is a Family Is a Family

By Sara O'Leary and Qin Leng

When a teacher asks her class to think about what makes their families special, the answers are all different, but the same in one important way ...

When a teacher asks the children in her class to think about what makes their families special, the answers are all different in many ways — but the same in the one way that matters most of all.

One child is worried that her family is just too different to explain, but listens as her classmates talk about what makes their families special. One is raised by a grandmother, and another has two dads. One has many stepsiblings, and another has a new baby in the family.

As her classmates describe who they live with and who loves them — family of every shape, size and every kind of relation — the child realizes that as long as her family is full of caring people, it is special.

A warm and whimsical look at many types of families, written by award-winning author Sara O’Leary, with quirky and sweet illustrations by Qin Leng.

Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.1
With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.2
Retell stories, including key details, and demonstrate understanding of their central message or lesson.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.6
Identify who is telling the story at various points in a text.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.9
Compare and contrast the adventures and experiences of characters in stories.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.6
Acknowledge differences in the points of view of characters, including by speaking in a different voice for each character when reading dialogue aloud.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Groundwood Books
• Release date: Jul 10, 2020
• ISBN: 9781773063959

Sara O'Leary

SARA O'LEARY is a writer of fiction for both adults and children. Her highly acclaimed picture books include Percy’s Museum, illustrated by Carmen Mok; Night Walk, illustrated by Ellie Arscott; A Family Is a Family Is a Family, illustrated by Qin Leng (USBBY Outstanding International Books); and Maud and Grand-Maud, illustrated by Kenard Pak. She has also written This Is Sadie (adapted for the stage for New York City Children’s Theater) and the award-winning series of Henry books, all illustrated by Julie Morstad. Sara writes for children’s animation and teaches at Concordia University in Montreal.

Reviews for A Family Is a Family Is a Family

[jennybeast · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Yes, good diversity. Some funny dialogue. (None of my children are imaginary)

[abigailadams26 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Author Sara O'Leary and illustrator Qin Leng team up in this delightful Canadian picture-book, which explores all of the different kinds of families that exist. The narrator, participating in a class discussion of family, is afraid that their own might be considered weird, but after listening to the other pupils, realizes that families come in every size and configuration. Families with same-sex parents, adoptive and foster families, biracial families, families of color, families where the grandparent is the guardian, families where the parent is disabled - in the end, "a family is a family is a family..."A sweet, happy, upbeat celebration of family, A Family Is a Family Is a Family has a little something for every child, and offers some gentle reassurance that while every family is different, they all have great value. I have enjoyed other books from both O'Leary (I Am Sadie) and Leng (Dear Baobab, The Better Tree Fort), so I was not surprised to find this one so charming. The narrative is simple but effective, while the artwork is immensely expressive. Together, they capture the simultaneously extraordinary and everyday nature of being in a family unit. Recommended to picture-book readers looking for titles that celebrate diverse families.

[salsabrarian · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Cheerful, celebratory and perfectly voiced like a child. This would be perfect for read-alouds with preschool and older.