This book is about Emmanuel who is born and raised at least in the beginning of his life in Haiti by his grandmother. But his grandmother is sick, and she dreams of him being adopted by an American family. This does happen and he goes to live in Washington state. Throughout all these things he experiences, different things that are first for him. His grandmother instills in him that his name means God is with us. This is a religious book and that is obvious and a repeated refrain within the book. It’s not too preachy, but the goodness within the book is prevalent. My main complaint with this book is it is long. It’s very long and very wordy. In our current times the story is important but at the same time I think there are more successful books without religion and a shorter easier to tell story.

In this sweet book for children, author Karen Kingsbury’s son shares his personal story of adoption from Haiti and God’s hand on his life before and since. With a simple, well written format, beautiful illustrations, and Creole words to discover on every page, this is a story for families to enjoy and learn from together. Whether you have experienced adoption yourself or would just like to know more, this is a timeless resource worth having in your library.
*I received a complimentary copy of this e-book from the publisher through NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.