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Told from the point of view of an older child anticipating the arrival of her new family, The Best Family in the World is a heartwarming affirmation of an adoptive family.
Carlota lives in a well-kept orphanage; when the director calls her into her office with news that her new family is coming the next day, Carlota makes a wish for “the best family in the world.” That evening, Carlota imagines what the best family might be like – a family of pastry chefs? Pirates? Tiger trainers? Astronauts?
When her new family arrives, Carlota recognizes all her hopes within her ordinary family including some pastries, treasures of a sort, pet cats, and the love of the stars. Carlota now knows that “She has the best family in the world.”
Translated from Spanish, this story captures the excitement and anticipation of a child’s adoption from a perspective not often found in children’s literature – the child’s. Wensell’s colorful illustrations reflect a family that could live almost anywhere; with expressive eyes and inspired scenes, Carlota’s fanciful dreams of her family will stimulate the imagination of the reader.
Teachers/parents could pair this story with Chih-Yuan Chen’s Guji Guji for another unique view of an adoptive family. The story itself follows a predictable sequence, an excellent example to model summarization. As a mentor text, students could create a similarly structured story imagining the best of something else – a vacation, a neighborhood, etc.
Although the gray tones in the cover illustration are not immediately attractive, the picture of Carlota looking to the ceiling leads the reader to begin to wonder. This book is the perfect gift for children awaiting adoption, their waiting siblings, and for any school or public library. Highly recommended.
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The Best Family in the World