An ABC of Families

A beautiful ABC book about families! An ABC of Families focuses on the different types of people that can make up families to lineage to traditions. For each letter/word, there is an additional description clarifying it. Adorable illustrations round out this wonderful, inclusive book! This would probably be best for preschool-kindergarten aged children as they would be able to identify/place the themes better than younger children.

Thank you Quarto Publishing Group – Frances Lincoln Children's Books and NetGalley for providing this ARC.

Review to come January 18th on blog/goodreads.

I received this book from the publisher/Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.

I just LOVE ABC books and especially special kinds. Not just your standard ABCs with animals or fruit, but instead doing it with jobs, or in this case families.

Right from the bat though I have to mention that I was very confused by my digital copy and I was wondering if this is how the book would be in physical. What is wrong? Well, each two page spread begins on the left side with the explanation on what the word means, but you don't get the letter along with the word on the right page. I was terribly confused the first time and thought I missed a page, then I looked to the right page and there was the letter and the word. Why would you do it this way? Is this how it is going to be on the physical copy? Because I sincerely hope not. It just makes mores sense to give us the letter/the word and then the explanation. In the end I decided to just do the right page first so I would have a clue what the left page was about. 

Something else that I always think is a shame is when review copies have sharp and perfect text but the images are blurry and not that good. It is just a shame. It takes away from the fun. It takes away a bit of my love. 

But all in all, I really enjoyed the book especially when I got in the right flow of reading x page first and then y. I loved the words that they picked and the variety that is in them. From adoption to dads and moms. But also what family can mean, like joy. I even learned a new one, nuclear family. That is a first I ever heard about that one. Then again, I live in the Netherlands, but I also never seen the word pop up in any English book I read. The art was blurry but I did like the style and how colourful it was. It definitely brought a smile on my face.

Very nice quick nonfiction read. Presents the alphabet with family terms explained, alongside colorful images. The book encourages children to realize that other families might look different than their own and should inspire acceptance.

An ABC of Families, written by Abbey Williams, is a cute, educational alphabet book focused around the myriad varieties of family a child might have. Each letter, standing for words like Grandparent, Lineage, or Sibling, is accompanied by some explanatory text defining these family-themed words. The illustrations by Paulina Morgan are endearing with a bright, happy color palette and simple, rounded shapes, and the genuine diversity among the people represented is fantastic. I also loved the fact that the explanations and definitions were so focused on how families may differ from the mom-dad-children nuclear family idea, including things like step- or half-siblings, surrogate pregnancy, adoption, single parent families, and the note that marriage can be between people of any gender, and that "if hugs and kisses are not how you show love," you (the young reader) can say no thank you and show love how YOU want to. On that note, though, I do wish there had been a little more care paid to nonbinary or gender-non-conforming family members - for example, the definition of "sibling" is "brothers or sisters," rather than defining it in a way that includes siblings who might go by "sibling," not by a gendered term. Given that this book is otherwise so thoughtful about inclusivity and diverse representation, this feels like an oversight rather than a deliberate choice, but it's unfortunate. Still, it's mostly a sweet book, celebrating and explaining many different kinds of being a family, and a charming read-aloud with young kids!


Thanks to NetGalley and Frances Lincoln Children's Books for the advance review copy!

This story book is so cleverly done explaining all kinds families a child can have.

I love how simple ABCs have been illustrated with all those cheerful tiny, colourful details.

I love how minimal the words are in describing families.

Multicultural representation, LGBTQIAP introduction well made I say.

Thank you authors and the publisher for the advance reading copy.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an electronic copy to read and review.

This book is a celebration of family - big, small, blended, extended, and more. The pictures are so diverse and colourful kids are sure to love looking through this book so many times. I cannot wait to add a copy to my classroom library!

I received an electronic ARC from Quarto Publishing Group – Frances Lincoln Children's Books through NetGalley.
An inclusive look at families for toddlers and preschoolers. This is one to be read to babies from a very young age to plant the seeds of how diverse families can be. Williams uses the alphabet to express acceptance and inclusion for families - no matter what they look like or where they are from. I particularly like her X when she affirms kids have the right to say no and express their own opinions.
An excellent baby gift and one for preschools to have as well.

I really enjoyed this ABC book! I love how many things related to families they managed to put in, and some I thought were really clever and I hadn't even thought about! Tradition is a good example of that! It's pretty inclusive to different family types, and that for example with the mom and dad parts it says that "some families even have no ... at all". Would really recommend this!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book.

I think it is so cleverly done, explaining all the different types of families a child can have.

My parents separated when I was very young, and I have a blended family with half siblings and step siblings - the only book I can remember reading that was similar to my life as a child was The Suitcase Kid by Jacqueline Wilson when I was a bit older, but I wish that there was something like this when I was younger!

Definitely recommend to educate all children on the fact that there is no ‘standard’ family, and that all families, no matter how different are normal.

Loved this. Minus is being for Americans and I’m British.

It’s a very clever, little book, like the double page for every letter.
Under the letter is one word and a brief definition.
On the opposite page is a detailed explanation of what that means.
From the things you would expect, D for Dad, M for Mom to L for Lineage and E for Extended Family, with U for Unconditional Love and Y for You. H for Home.

Every family types and family members are included here, I like the illustrations that celebrate inclusiveness and all diversity.
I think this is great way to educate little ones about family dynamics and to embrace this.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC copy in exchange for a review.

I understand this title will be published as a board book and I am not sure it’s the right format for this. I am a believer that children should be exposed to different kinds of families from a very young age, in the context of a story, but this is, as the title suggests, an ABC book, nonfiction. Board book age is usually 0-3, and to me this is a book for children age 4+, so a regular nonfiction format would have worked just as well.

Format aside. It’s a very clever, comprehensive book, with a double page for every letter. Under the letter is one word and a brief definition. On the opposite page is a more detailed explanation of what that means.
From the things you would expect, D for Dad, M for Mom to L for Lineage and E for Extended Family, with U for Unconditional Love and Y for You.

All family types and family members are included here, with illustrations that celebrate inclusiveness and diversity.

An ABC of Families sounds like a basic ABC book but it ends up as so much more. With a simple ABC idea, it explores pregnancy, surrogacy, LGBTQ parenting, step families, and so much more. I loved how the author took the simple idea of the alphabet and applied it to introduce awareness and acceptance in children. Fabulous book. And the illustrations are simply drool-worthy!!!! This is a book that must be kept in all school libraries, rather than still teaching the age-old "father and mother make a complete family" tripe.

Thoroughly enjoyed this book that included all dynamics of families. It was full of inclusion and acceptance. My young readers enjoyed learning about different types of families and how they differ from ours. The graphics were phenomenal. Simple yet appealing.

I read this to my nibling and we both really enjoyed this book about different types of families!

Bright colors kept their attention focused, and I really appreciated the variety of topics covered, the multiple types of diversity in every image, and the mention of the importance of consent for physical affection.

Some words seemed too complicated for a toddler to immediately understand, making this a book to both read and discuss. I would also have liked some recognition for family members outside the gender binary.

I really enjoyed this book and thought that the illustrations were lovely.

The book is easy to follow and understand and it is a great way to talk about how some families might be different from your own and the different dynamics – after all not every family will be the same and this helps explain that

I love the different ABC books that are available and this is another great topic that has been chosen and it stands out from the normal ABCs on animals or food varieties – it is 4.5 stars from me for this one, rounded up to 5 stars for Goodreads and Amazon – highly recommended and a special read!

This is one of my favourite children’s books. Having read ABCs of equality with my toddler last year I KNEW that I had to include this in our reading regime. Bright fun illustrations that are inclusive and diverse pair so beautifully with the alphabet of families and what they can look like.

Thank you NetGalley and Frances Lincoln Children's Books for the digital advance reading copy of this book.

This was a great ABC book about the different types of families you can have; I really enjoyed the small description on the opposite page that explains the word for that letter.

We don't all grow up with the 1950's version of the nuclear family and this book does a great job of explaining that family is made up of the people you love and the people who love you.

I can really appreciate that a book like this is coming soon to market! An ABC of Families covers all the different kinds of families there are and members of the families. We have a blended family and its not always easy to explain to kids our family dynamic but this book definitely helps! This book is perfect for all families though! the age group for this board book is 2-5 but I would honestly say even a 7 or 8 year old could appreciate the information. All in all wonderful information, fantastic eye grabbing illustrations and I whole heartedly reccomend an ABC of Families!

This is such a beautiful, diverse book to demonstrate all different types of families to children. I really like how the pictures relate to the words and share visions of all different types of families, from blended families, to step-parents, families with one parent, and families with two moms or dads. The only thing that I felt was missing was any mention of non-binary people as everyone was referred to as male or female.

Overall this was a very cute book that I think would be great for lots of ages of children as there are simple sentences and pictures as well as a more complicated description.

An ABC of Families by Abbey Williams showcases all types of families in an easy to understand format for young children. It is set up in a two page spread in alphabetical order. For example, A is for adoption - "you didn't come from me, but you were made from me." A more detailed explanation is on the opposite page for those who need more detail or older children.

By using this format with a short summary or a longer overview it is an accessible book for a wider age range. The illustrations are colorful and represent inclusion showing various types of skin colors and physical abilities.

I think we can all agree with the sentiment shared in I - that family is important. This book helps showcase that families come in different formats, but however they look they are designed to help nurture children and can bring J for Joy!

I was provided a free advance reader copy from Frances Lincoln Children's Books in exchange for my honest review on Net Galley. The opinions shared in this review are my own.

I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

An ABC of Families is an amazing children's picture book depicting the letters of the alphabet and something relating to families in each letter. The subjects covered within this book are things such as Mums (2, 1 or non), Dads (again 2, 1 or non), pregnancy, blended family, adoption, fostering, extended family, more than one baby in a pregnancy, homes and much more.
The illustrations are really cute and interesting and some of the pages have a question to discuss with the child/children reading the book such as who is in your family? How many grandparents do you have and do you have any special names for them etc.
This is the best book in this series so far that I have read and is a great book to use as a resource for children struggling to understand family history, dynamics, who've been fostered or adopted etc.

I thought Abbey William's book, An ABC of Families, was adorable. The simple ABC format and the sweet descriptions are perfect for little readers. I thought the diversity represented in the pictures was also brilliantly done. Any family type can find themselves represented in this book.

Loved this! So inclusive, such positive illustrations and words. Love multi-abilities illustrations. Love the diversity! Just adore this book!

This book about all kinds of families has the most vibrant and engaging illustrations! The text celebrates all kinds of families, those formed by adoption, straight or gay couples, single parent families and those that are blended. Plus other kinds of families are included too. There are foster families and extended families for example. All are presented as equally loving and valid options.

This title also includes concepts about family. There are entries on traditions, joy, unconditional love and more.

Having worked in adoption, I am mildly critical of the entry for “A.” I would have preferred a description other than that of a child being “given” to the adoptive parents. Why not say something about the birth parents making a plan for their child’s adoption? They feel excluded here.

All in all, this book provides a good look at the many ways that adults and children come together. It will help children to broaden their concept of what a family is.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.

This book is a great at explaining on a child friendly level about all the different types of families that are out there. It has adorable illustrations and is filled with bright colors. This would be a wonderful book to add to any unit on families. For example in my classroom, we would read this story and then compare our families. So I would have students identify how their families are the same and how they are different. A wonderful, adorable read!

First I loved the illustrations on this one. It is such a colorful book and so ideal for children. I love how this covers a variety of “family” topics from mom to pregnancy. There is something unique for each letter of the alphabet and it creates a story made for every child. It is very inclusive and finds ways to showcase the different aspects of families.

Highly recommend for young children. My four year old read this with me and loved the pictures.

I really enjoyed this and I think my daughter did too. I like the message behind it that not every family is the same and there are many ways to make a family. I will for sure be getting this to add to her library.

This book is an adorably illustrated, inclusive introduction to all kinds of diverse, modern families, for kids! Not only is it cute to flip through, but it will help start important conversations with kids and normalize all kinds of different parent, sibling, and other family scenarios.

A brilliant book showcasing how families exist in so many different forms. It was written in a very concise manner making it easy for children to read and understand. It also presented opportunities for children and adults to discuss some of the letters, such as E for Extended Family, where it asks the reader to ponder who is in their extended family.

I think the author covered all types of families that exist in society today. It is a fantastic way to teach children to celebrate how wonderfully diverse our society has grown to be.

The vibrant illustrations bring joy and celebration. The colours pop and the illustrated characters are cheerful and friendly.

I received an electronic ARC from Quarto Publishing Group – Frances Lincoln Children's Books through NetGalley.

I enjoyed this ABC book! I liked that it included so many different types of families. I do wish that the book didn't gender "mom" and "dad." It felt out of place when the rest of the book was so diverse. I think this is a great book for little ones!

I loved this book! Such sweet descriptions of what it means to be a family, different types of families, and members of a family. It's pretty inclusive and a great way to introduce different types of families.

An ABC of Families is a sweetly and whimsically illustrated ABC primer on diverse families written and illustrated for the youngest readers. Due out 23rd Feb 2021 from Quarto on their Frances Lincoln Children's imprint, it's 52 pages and will be available in boardbook format.
This is an adorable ABC book with an age-appropriate amount of info, presented in a non-judgemental, multi-ethnic, representative manner. It's colorful and fun and will appeal to babies and young kids. I feel certain small readers will enjoy finding families here which remind them of their own or their friends' families. Representation is so important and seeing these loving families represented positively and non-critically is normalizing and healthy. The book includes blended families, grandparents, love, and lots of wholesome fun pictures of kids and their grownups.

I enjoyed it very much and recommend it. This would make a great selection for kindergarten classroom or public library, gift giving, home library, and similar. It would also be fine and appropriate for doctor's offices, public/municipal/social service areas and the like.

Lovely little book and well worth a look. Five stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.