Product Description

"Horace is adopted. He is also spotted, and he is loved and cared for by his new mother and father--who are striped. But...Horace feels the need to search out his roots...Keller deals with a sensitive subject in a way that is perceptive but not sentimental."--Publishers Weekly. "A first choice for those families seeking a low-key, reassuring book about adoption--and one that is fun to share as well."--Horn Book.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #357888 in Books
• Published on: 1991-04-26
• Released on: 1991-04-26
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 32 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Horace is adopted. He is also spotted, and he is loved and cared for by his new mother and father--who are striped. But, as is frequently the case with adopted children who are "different" ("My spots are silly. . . and I'm all the wrong colors"), Horace feels the need to search out his roots. And although he does find a brood that resembles him physically, it is not a family that truly loves him. Once again, Keller ( Goodbye, Max ; Henry's Happy Birthday ) deals with a sensitive subject in a way that is perceptive but not sentimental. Her text is suitably straightforward: "We liked your spots, and we wanted you to be our child," says Mama in her customary bedtime story. The bright, boldly colored illustrations feature a lively animal cast and numerous amusing details, such as cat's-paw slippers beside Horace's bed. Youngsters will love Horace as they absorb his subtle message; even parents may find a small lump in their throats. Ages 4-up.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Grade 2-- An adoption fable that has attractive, simple drawings in pen and watercolor; humor; and a graceful incorporation of several complex themes. Leopard-spotted Horace has tiger-striped parents, and he experiences the normal feelings of adopted children who do not look like their parents. Once or twice he wishes for different parents, and he has trouble accepting his looks. He decides to find a family where he belongs, and runs off to the park. There Horace makes friends with a kind family who look just like him, and who invite him to come with them. He realizes he wants to return to his own home and his own parents. Adults should be prepared to explain the part of the story in which Horace is told that he "lost" his first family, a word open to interpretation by preschoolers. Most adoption stories for young children use photos or drawings in a documentary or didactic way. Keller's use of appealing animal characters in a fictional tale is a welcome approach. --Anna Biagioni Hart, Sherwood Regional Library, Alexandria, VA
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

--Horn Book
"A first choice for those families seeking a low-key, reassuring book about adoption..."

Customer Reviews

Loved it!
We are very satisfied with this book and recommend it for adoptive and non adoptive families. It is a story about love!

Helpful conversation starter
Although I was initially hesitant about this book because of the "chosen child" language (Horace is told that he was chosen as an infant), I went ahead and read this with my daughter. It proved to be a breakthrough for us. We have talked about her story with her as long as we've known her, but she never shared with me her feelings about us looking different than each other. Reading this together has opened new avenues of discussing her past and has helped her process feelings and thoughts about her place in our family.

I agree with another reviewer that the use of the word "lost" in relation to the birth family is not ideal, but that also proved to be helpful in launching a conversation about the possible reasons for my daughter's relinquishment and gives me ocassion to assure her that it was and is not her fault.

I find now that my daughter is old enough to express more clearly her thoughts and feelings about having been adopted, books with less-than-ideal adoption language actually help us have some really good conversations. I'd rather her hear that language and those ideas about adoption with me than from others.

Adoption book accessible to even the toddler set
Horace is delightful. It is very simply written and simply and beautifully illustrated. Yet, it's deep. It introduces themes that are central to many, many adoptees' experience in a simple, straight-forward, and even loving way: a sense of loss, feeling different, and the need to understand who they are before/during/beyond their adopted family. Horace's parents are consistently loving and accepting. They tell Horace the truth; they seem to understand his struggle and need to search for something; and they are there loving & accepting him the whole time. The image of the little leopard trying to connect his spots into stripes touched me deeply. I read some of the negative reviews---everyone has a different opinion---but for me, at least, those very negatives were some of the most positive aspects of this gentle, truthful, reassuring read. Thank you.