At school the children are asked to say what makes their family special. The book does a great job at representing all family dynamics. It includes all racial backgrounds, and sexual preferences. All children found something unique and special about their family. The children who live in these diverse families know they are loved and cared for no matter how different their families may be. Qin leng's illustrations added a beautiful depiction of just how unique each family can be. Although the story is simple a lot is told through the illustrations.

Mitten Award, 2017, Short List. Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children's Book Award, 2017, Short List, Children's Picture Book. Best Bets: Recommended Canadian Reads for Children, 2016 Picture Book. Best Children's Books of the Year, 2017 Ages 5 to 9. Best of the Best Books, 2016 Picture Book. Capitol Choices: Noteworthy Books for Children and Teens, 2017 Ages 0-7. First and Best, 2016. Kirkus Book Review Stars, 2016. Rainbow List, 2018 Picture Book.

Author lives in Hudson, Quebec.

English. Originally published in English by Groundwood Books in 2016.

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.