A lovely story to help reassure any kids, adopted or with their birth family, that they are loved.
This would be a nice addition to a classroom to help kids understand different kinds of families.

I had the chance to read a preview copy of the book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers.

Tony and Lauren are a gift to the world and you should gift this book to any child you know. It should be in every classroom, church and library and especially in the home of every adopted child.

The story is wonderful, the illustrations are gorgeous. Buy it now.

The publisher provided an ARC through Netgalley. I have voluntarily decided to read and review, giving my personal opinions and thoughts

Calvin comes home from school one day worried. He has been set the task of talking about his family in class tomorrow. He sees his family as very different to those of his friends, because he is adopted. His parents tell him the story of how he became part of their lives and how they chose him, but not like you might choose pyjamas and change your mind!.With the message that God always had the plan for them to become a family, Calvin is reassured.
This was a nice story, and I would recommend it to families with adopted children who were part of the church, where the child/children might be questioning their place in their family. The story is reassuring, with clear bright pictures and a gentle story that tells how special and different every family is, I also liked that the characters were from a BAME background,
The story could prompt discussion about the make up of different families, but also what other plans God might have for you, I would not recommend this book to someone who wasn’t a Christian as the message is very much focussed in a God and how he has a plan for everyone,

I received an eARC of this book from the publishers in exchange for an honest review

We Chose You: A Book About Adoption, Family, and Forever Love by Tony Dungy and Lauren Dungy. Illustrated by Guy Wolek. Expected publication: 02 April 2019 by Harvest House Publishers. Children’s Fiction. Ebook edition. Grade level:1-4; Age range: 6-9.

Super-cool book about an adopted African American child who needs help from his parents to explain his adoption for a school presentation. Colorful artwork is wonderful. Highly recommend!

Thanks to NetGalley for providing this ebook for review.

Calvin is worried about his new school assignment in which he must tell his class about his family. Calvin is adopted and has lots of questions about what exactly that means. With references to the Bible, his parents explain that God creates families in many ways and chose Calvin to be part of the family. They draw a poster about his family and Calvin learns that he will always be part of the family and could never be “un-chosen”.

This story explains a universal truth about love and what makes a family a family. However, it should be noted that the message has been centred around Christianity which may make readers of other faiths less likely to pick this book. I would have liked to have seen a few tweaks to the language for the UK edition. The language is quite US-centric (mom vs. mum) which may make it less relatable for children in the UK.

I am very grateful to the publisher for providing me with an advanced digital copy via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

We didn't choose you because of how you looked, or because of your talents or your behavior. We chose you, and we love you no matter what you do or what you look like.

Did you know we are adopted in the family of God? In adoption, we demonstrate the attributes of God in adoption. His love, his mercy and kindness in adoption. We are chosen. A chosen Race. Being adopted we can have our insecurities, but just as Tony and his wife reassure their adopted son of unconditional love, we can be reassured of God's love for us.

This book is not only for children that are adopted, but a great tool to explain the Gospel. Highly recommend.

A Special Thank you to Harvest House Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review

Calvin is assigned a project at school to tell his classmates all about his family. He is worried to do so. I wonder what is bothering him?

Mom and Dad sit down with their son and together they thumb through their big red photo album that documents how their special family was conceived. It wasn't formed in the conventional way with Calvin growing in his mommy's tummy, rather it was birthed with lots of prayer, waiting and anticipation. God orchestrated a totally different venue for Calvin's arrival. The couple prayed every day for a baby and Calvin is the one God chose to send for them to keep.

"You chose me," Calvin repeated happily. Those words always made him feel special."

Then a scary thought pops into Calvin's head. "If you chose me what would happen if you change your mind and un-choose me someday?" he asks.

Mom and Dad once again take the time to explain to their beloved adopted son that this will never ever happen. They reaffirm their love and commitment to him and assure him that this family is his forever family.... amen! The parents also reiterate that families are made up of many different types of people and the thread that holds families together is unconditional love.

The illustrations are truly wonderful. They are crisp, clear and expressive. The message is uplifting and positive. This book will be a great read aloud to share at bedtime followed by a discussion about the different styles of families that are present in our world today. I love the fact that the whole family unit is involved in explaining to Calvin their own family dynamics. They make it very clear to him what a blessing he is and how he completes the family that they have longed for. Mom, Dad and their chosen son Calvin, are inseparable and they commit to a happily ever after ending.... a fairytale ending in real time. I highly recommend the book.

We Chose You focuses on adoption at a primary level. The book does a good job of explaining the love of a parent for his/her child. As the parent of adopted and biological children I know that there are many difficult questions that arise. This book does a good job of addressing the fact that God makes families through a variety of means and not all families look the same.

A sweet story and I loved the loving reassurance and message of choosing you. Not so keen on the god messages throughout I think will put off a lot like me, would be more inclusive without it.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

This is a wonderful book for children explaining adoption. The parents help the child to understand that he was chosen. God puts families together in different ways, but He still chose for this family to be together. I recommend it especially to parents of adopted children.

Since I was adopted when I was young I can relate to this. I think it’s important to have books about adoption for younger children. I love that the phrase “we chose
You” kept coming up. But since there is mention of god a few times I’m not sure the book is for everyone.

I received an electronic ARC from Harvest House Publishers through NetGalley.
Calvin has a school assignment to share about his family. He asks his dad and mom to talk about how they chose him and their family came to be. The three of them move through regular evening activities discussing their life and choices. He asks the normal questions adopted kids worry about. His parents reassure him in gentle ways.
Religious references throughout and realistic portrayal of a family.
Colorful illustrations bring the text to life.
Read with elementary level children.
Great read aloud for families.

A nice and sweet read about adoption that reassures children in the same situation. Beautiful illustrations.

I know who Tony Dungy is--NFL coach, outspoken Christian--but I didn't know he is the father of 10 children, most of whom are adopted. In We Chose You, which Dungy co-wrote with his wife, Lauren, a mom and dad explain to their son that they chose him, that God makes all kinds of families.



Calvin came home from school worried about his project for the next day, in which he was going to have to tell the class about his family. Calvin's mom and dad explained to him that they had prayed and prayed for him, and that God chose him for them, and chose them for him. Dad reassured him that "Once we became your parents, we all became a family. You can't un-choose family."



It's a simple message, but one that many adoptees struggle with. Mom makes it clear to Calvin that even though he didn't "grow in her tummy," they are just as much a family. I'd be interested to see how the Dungys would address Calvin's questions if he had siblings who were biological children. I have not doubt that they would assure Calvin that of course they love him just as much as their biological children. Since the Dungys have both biological and adopted children, perhaps the next book will cover that territory.



This is a cute book with a great message for any child whose life is touched by adoption.





Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!

Quite often, books about adoption seem trite or preachy. That is not the case with We Chose You. This book does have religious messages within in (plenty of references to God and the Bible) so do note that. However, the overall message is a great one: kids who are adopted are chosen and once they are in their family, that's their family (they can't be un-chosen, as Calvin is worried about).
Calvin has to put together a poster for school showing his family. He's worried because he didn't grow in his mom's belly and wondered if that meant that his family was different or not as real as other kid's family. His parents explain that families can take all different shapes and sizes - lots of girls but no boys, no siblings, living with grandparents or step-parents for example.
This book is great for understanding more about adoption and what makes a family.

This is a well-written picture book about adoption perfect for young kids. I also appreciate that the characters are African American.

A very informative and well illustrated book about the gift of adoption. I could have done without the overt religious messaging but I'm sure it's great for some audiences.