Real Sisters Pretend by Megan Dowd Lambert, Illustrated by Nicole Tadgell. Published by Tilbury House, May 2016.
Told with simple words and playful illustrations, this book touches on the topics of adoption, two moms, and multiracial family life.
Modern families can look very different from the nuclear families of yesteryear, but as Lambert says in the book’s introduction, No matter how a family comes to be, the most important thing is for everyone to feel loved, safe, and cared for. Real Sisters Pretend is a great vehicle for sharing that love and reassurance.
This warm, engaging story, which unfolds entirely through the conversation of two adopted sisters, was inspired by the author’s own daughters, whom she overheard talking about how adoption made them real sisters even though they have different birth parents and do not look alike. I liked how they took care of one another in their pretend-play scenario about climbing a mountain, Lambert says, and I loved how they also took care of one another s feelings as they talked about adoption. Real Sisters Pretend captures these interactions perfectly and movingly.
