Florence and Her Fantastic Family Tree

K-Gr 2—A family tree sounds like a pretty simple school assignment, but nothing could be further from the truth for a little girl named Florence. Unlike the other students, Florence doesn't have just a mother, father, and sibling or two; it is much more complicated than that. She has parents, siblings, stepparents, half-brothers, an adopted half-sister, and more. She is overwhelmed by the homework and how to approach it, and whether her tree will fit on the classroom wall. The more worried Florence gets, the larger the tree in her head becomes, even snaking its way into her bedroom windows. Eventually, she embraces the assignment with multiple sheets of paper and lots of colored pencils. She realizes that her family might not be simple or easy to describe, but she loves being in the middle of her "great, big, loud, colorful, fun, crazy family." The next day, a much jollier Florence presents her tree at school. VERDICT There is no normal when it comes to families, and most collections would benefit from having this on hand.—Amy Nolan, St. Joseph P.L., MI

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

"There is no normal when it comes to families, and most collections would benefit from having this on hand."
—School Library Journal

"Author Judy Gilliam has tapped into the blended family that many youngsters can relate to and may feel shy or uncomfortable talking about. This book will help them realize most people have messy families and will help them become more comfortable with their own situations. Laura Addari's sweet illustrations in gentle colors with lots of fun details complete the story. This book belongs in classrooms and homes everywhere."
-Seattle Book Review

"A simple, yet complex story about a blended family, Florence and Her Fantastic Family Tree highlights a very real dilemma faced by many of our young people. The author's use of humor and descriptive language takes you into the heart of Florence, whose worry is how she will fit in. Ultimately embracing the uniqueness of her family, Florence realizes how lucky she is! Florence and Her Fantastic Family Tree elicits a beautiful message of acceptance and will be a wonderful addition to any library."
—Robin Lattazori, assistant superintendent, Cobb County Schools

"One of the most critical responsibilities we have as adults is to show our children how to embrace and love their families by instilling confidence in who they are and the dynamics of their families. No longer should children believe that families have only one dynamic of a single mother and father. Florence and Her Fantastic Family Tree provides a perfect entrée to engage children about the complexities of their families and their families' history. The narratives and pictures bring home the importance of all families in a way that is safe and understandable. A must-read for every family!"
—Philip D. Lanoue, PhD, educational advocate and the 2015 AASA National Superintendent of the Year

"A brilliantly written story from the perspective of a child struggling with a classroom assignment of drawing her very complicated blended family tree. With wonderful humor, this book portrays the sensitivity of a child's being different and the ramifications which emerge in that child's mind. Psychologically, this is a book that promotes acceptance of family as well as feeling different. A must-read for children and families dealing with these issues."
—Mary Evelyn Brown, PhD, clinical psychologist

"A delightful children's book that beautifully describes with humor the complexities of today's families without any biases or criticisms. This book will help all children and their families learn that there is no one perfect kind of family and that people come and go, but they are still part of us. I so hope this book will be the beginning of a series of children's books!"
—Vicki Denmark, PhD, chief architect, Innovation Lab at Cognia(TM) and former assistant superintendent, Fulton County Schools