Catholic Mommy Brain review

Catholic Mommy Brain
December 10, 2010

Celebrating the gift of adoption
by Anne McClure

We have good friends who are hoping to adopt, so I jumped at the chance to review Red in the Flower Bed by Andrea Nepa.

Andrea, adoptive mother of Leah, wrote this book as a way to explain interracial adoption to kids. It’s a simple story about a seed carried to a faraway garden that eventually blooms where it has been planted and brings a unique beauty to the flowerbed.

This short story is written in rhyme, which did feel a little forced at times. Yet children will appreciate the simplicity, and parents can use each tiny section as an entrance point into the topic.

What I most appreciated about this book was the sweet simplicity of the metaphor and the layered, scrapbook-style illustrations. As I turned the colorful pages, I thought about my friends who have adopted and their joyful experience of building this special bond.

View the trailer and purchase the book at Tribute Books’ website.

OneDesertRose review

OneDesertRose
December 10, 2010

Tribute Books Blog Tour: "Red in the Flower Bed" by Andrea Nepa
by Linda Wagner

The whimsical butterflies and floral layout of the book is definitely eye appealing to children, as well as adults. It portrays the motherly love of the woman giving up the child, as well as enlivening the concept of adoption into a family where the very beauty of differences are complimentary. In fact, the differences are actually accepted as a completion, as in a rainbow. The floral layout is warm and airy, helping to ease the possible pain of rejection. The story is short and poetic, with enough busyness to keep the child’s attention.

The wind could easily be attributed to the Lord God Himself helping her to find a place to be loved and cared for. The floating seed is a gentle reminder of how carefully this child is placed. It’s gently settled into the family where she will grow and flourish, and the childlike craft work reaches the child’s level of understanding.

Had I not known it was a story of interracial adoption, it would be a difficult stretch for a child to comprehend the story on her own. It requires adult interaction with the child to understand, which is a delightful way for adoptive parents to tell the story of their child’s adoption. Very, very creative writing and designing! Highly recommended for parents with adopted children from another race. A pleasure to read and share!

Lord, Make Me A Saint review

Lord, Make Me A Saint
December 9, 2010

Book Review - Red in the Flower Bed
by Jamie Austad

I was asked to give a book review a while ago, I picked Dec 9th, is it already Dec 9th? That sounded so far away back then.

Well, Red in the Flower Bed, by Andrea Nepa, is a sweet and loving look at how through the journey of a seed, shows there is purpose for everything, as the seed finds his home in a new flower garden. The beautiful art pulls you into the story.

Red in the Flower Bed is a wonderful, simple way to explain adoption to children.

Life .. With Books review

Life ... With Books
December 9, 2010

Review: Red in the Flower Bed by Andrea Nepa
by Jenners

Red in The Flower Bed is a children’s book that takes on a difficult topic—interracial adoption—and manages to explain it simply and beautifully. Although I haven’t dealt with this topic personally, I imagine that this type of book would be a godsend to parents who have adopted a child from another ethnicity who are beginning to be ask questions like “Why do I look different from you?” Although the focus is on interracial adoption, I think the book could work for talking to any adopted child.

Using a gardening analogy to illustrate adoption, Nepa’s simple story is easy for any child to understand and relate to their lives. The story starts with a seed dropping from a bright red poppy flower. Unfortunately, the soil is too dry for the seed to grow so the wind takes it “from east to west” until the little seed is dropped into a garden. The other flowers are excited to see what the little seed will grow up to be. When the seed finally blooms, she is a bright red poppy flower. Looking at the other flowers, she sees zinnias, snapdragons, pea blossoms and more. Then a daisy points out how the addition of the red poppy helped to make a complete rainbow in the garden. The story is told in short rhymes and is accompanied by brightly colored and patterned illustrations that look like they were made by layering paper.

I thought the garden analogy was a wonderful way to explain the concept of interracial adoption. It is non-threatening, easy to understand and yet manages to convey several important messages:

• Seeds/children need the right environment in which to grow and finding that environment might require a seed/child to travel to another place.
• Gardens/families can be made up of flowers/people of all colors, shapes and sizes.

Perhaps the best way to appreciate the gentle tone and feel of the book is to share some of its pages.

The wind takes the seed from east to west ...

... until the seed settles in a flower bed.

The poppy (at upper left) settled in her colorful new home.

My Final Recommendation

I think this book is a wonderful way to introduce the concept of adoption to young children who are curious about adoption or why they may look different from their family members. The message of the book is simple but powerful: children need to find the right place to grow and flourish. The analogy of a poppy seed growing up in a colorful garden with many different types of flowers further illustrates the idea of diversity in families. The gentle tone and soothing color palette of the book help make the ideas and concepts non-threatening and easy to understand. If you or someone you know is looking for a children’s book to help start a discussion about adoption, I think this book would be a wonderful starting point.

Apple Cider Mill review

Apple Cider Mill
December 9, 2010

Red in the Flower Bed
by Bethany Hudson

A few weeks ago, I was approached by Tribute Books to review an upcoming release, Red in the Flower Bed.

Written by Andrea Nepa, the mother of an adopted Vietnamese daughter, this metaphoric rhyming tale spins the story of a little poppy seed that makes its way on the wind “from east to west” until it finds “the place that’s best” for it to be planted and grow. Poppy may not match the other flowers in the garden, but all together, they form a beautiful family.

While I must admit that the rhyme was at times a bit forced (though no more so than so than many other children’s books I’ve read and enjoyed; let’s be honest folks: rhyme schemes are tough!), the story was lovely. I appreciated that the metaphor was organic and never contrived. The sweet illustrations are colorful, imaginative, and engaging. I think this book would be a wonderful gift for anyone who has an adopted family member or who is considering adoption.

Red in the Flower Bed is scheduled for sales beginning Monday, December 12th. Pick up a copy for an adoptive parent or adopted child this Christmas!

You can purchase through Amazon or directly from Tribute.

Congratulations on a lovely addition to this important niche of children’s lit, Andrea! And thanks to Tribute for letting me help spread the word.

Image Source: Cover and photograph of Andrea Nepa and daughter, Leah, provided by Tribute Books for this review.

A Fanatic's Book Blog review

A Fanatic's Book Blog
December 8, 2010

Blog Tour - Book Review Red in the Flower Bed
by Jessica Torres

Red in the Flower Bed is a beautifully imagined story about interracial adoption. It's sweet and lilting prose captures a child's attention, while the stunning illustrations capture their imagination. Honestly, I do believe that this book would be perfect for any child who has gone through an adoption. Especially if they question why they may not look like their other family members.

The simple analogy of a child to a seed is fantastic. Just as the seed needs to move on to another patch of ground to fully grow, Andrea Nepa shows that sometimes a child must move on to a new family to fully grow. Red in the Flower Bed is an age-appropriate look at a tough topic for children, and is sure to open the floor for more discussion. I believe every child could benefit from this book even, since at the soul of it is the message of acceptance. Andrea Nepa shows children that everyone is beautiful, and fits in just where they are.

With beautiful illustrations and a sweet storyline, I'd definitely recommend Red in the Flower Bed to all families out there. Share it with your children and discuss. You can even read the first 10 pages of the book for free, right here.

Eskimo Kisses and Air Hugs review

Eskimo Kisses and Air Hugs
December 7, 2010

Red in the Flower Bed by Andrea Nepa - Book Review
by Kara Flathouse

Red in the Flower Bed is a sweet children’s book about a seed that finally finds its home in a garden far away. The colorful illustrations and rhyming verses make this book not only fun to read, but capture the audiences of both young and old.

The simplicity of the story opens up the door to discussions on how the seed felt being so far from home, but so loved by its new garden family. Which can then lead to the topic of Interracial adoption, which is what the author Andrea Nepa wrote the story about.

Andrea Nepa is the mother of an adopted Vietnamese daughter named Leah. In 2001, Adoptions from the Heart assisted with the international adoption. Andrea dedicated her book to her daughter: "For my dear Leah, whose journey in her young life has already taken her to far away and unexpected places." In 2006, Leah was diagnosed with cancer. She is currently in remission. Andrea lives with Leah and her husband, David, in Haddonfield, New Jersey. She is a registered dietitian for the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

Theirs is a beautiful story, one that is shared by many families across the country. I believe the story of Red in the Flower Bed is a beautiful way to introduce children to adoption, as well as a meaningful story for those families who find themselves like the garden in the story.

It would also make a great Christmas gift! You can look here to see about purchasing it.

Thank you to Andrea Nepa and Tribute Books for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book!