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Dasher Gets AdoptedBy Julie Hatley; illustrated by Shay Jones Shine Publications. $14.95.
 Parents should be wary of pet adoption as a metaphor for humans. Kids know that pets can be bought, sold, and given away. They need constant reassurance that adopting a child is a permanent, legal arrangement. Surprisingly, Dasher Gets Adopted, by Julie Hartley, shows that the pet metaphor can-if properly handled-provide sensitive insights into a child's fears and questions about being adopted.
Dasher, a retired racing greyhound, is full of worries about what is happening to her when she is moved from a busy kennel to a quiet adoptive home. She is frustrated by new expectations, confused by unfamiliar surroundings, and scared of causing accidents that might upset her new family. When she runs away in a panic, her family gently retrieves her and offers unconditional reassurance and love. She comes to understand that her new home is a safe, happy place and that her new family will not abandon her.
In a child-friendly way, Dasher shows how trust and confidence build gradually in a new family through the experience of daily living. It gives kids permission to own their feelings and worries. Dasher can help parents open discussions about how it feels to be adopted, fostered, moved into blended families, or subjected to other life situations over which they had no control.
--Allison Branscombe, an adoptive mother and community activist from Sacramento, California.
©Copyright 2002 Adoptive Families magazine. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. Back To Book Reviews |
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