Tell Me Again About the Night I Was Born

Book is way too specific for one persons experience (took an airplane, couldn't wake up grandpa, love baseball, etc). Could have been a great domestic adoption book if it was just a little more generic.

Good book but very specific to a certain type of adoption. Also in books like these I wish the color would be ambiguous or books with different race options. Particularly since this is about adoption not a specific character

I should have read more closely before purchasing. This is about infant, domestic adoption. I don't see it being helpful in prepping my niece for the arrival of her cousin who we are adopting internationally and as an older child.

This book is written for families doing infant adoption only. It discusses bringing baby home from the hospital etc... That is not our situation, but irregardless I did not love the prose/ style of the book. Repetition in children's books can be cute and fun if done well, but this book didn't strike any cords for me.

I should have read more closely before purchasing. This is about infant, domestic adoption. I don't see it being helpful in prepping my niece for the arrival of her cousin who we are adopting internationally and as an older child.

This book is written for families doing infant adoption only. It discusses bringing baby home from the hospital etc... That is not our situation, but irregardless I did not love the prose/ style of the book. Repetition in children's books can be cute and fun if done well, but this book didn't strike any cords for me.

I purchased this 'new' board book for $32. I typically would not spend that much on a book, but I wanted something our adopted daughter could keep forever. The book was undoubtedly used. The cover was very damaged on back and the front had some definite wear. I returned 2 days ago and I'm awaiting my refund. This is the first item I have ever needed to return from a purchase through the store.

I first read this book years before we adopted, and even then it brought me to tears. We have several adopted family members in different generations and we adopted internationally. Even though I knew this wouldn't be exactly like our story, I couldn't wait to get this book for my son. Some issues other people mentioned:

1. This story isn't like mine/ours/our child's. This book is very clearly a domestic out-of-state (or at least out of town) adoption story. My response to this is "So?" If a biological parent had a book telling a similar story, it wouldn't match everyone else in the world's birth. It's still a wonderful way to both introduce the idea of adoption as well as talk about all the different ways people can become a family. Our son's bio mother wasn't "too young to care for" him, and we are able to "have a baby", but again, that's not the point of the book.

2. It glosses over the feelings of loss an adoptee has. Maybe it does, but should EVERY single book about adopting for little kids cover this? Since the book is being written about a newborn, what should Curtis add "Even though you were too young to understand, we know that someday you will feel a sense of loss of your biological families and there is nothing wrong with that and we will be sure you stay in touch with her if she chose an open adoption?" It's a book for little kids about Mommies and Daddies being happy to have a baby.

3. I am not sure what the person who was unhappy about the "B-word" (birth? biological? I can't remember) being used would have preferred. Terminology is a matter of personal prefernce for the most part, while we all agree "Real Mom" isn't the best, birth mom, bio mom, natural mom, whatever - we'll use the words our family feels most comfortable with. I thought it was a great way to include the birth parents in the family tree. Your "roots" grow where you're planted, not just where you came from.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who is adopted, is an adoptive parent, or wants to talk to children about adoption.

My husband and I are very disappointed by this book. We are in the process of adopting domestically and have a three year old already (biological). We are doing our best to integrate as much about adoption into her life as possible. We love to read, so naturally finding children's books about adoption was one way for us to share this journey with her. This book does not use positive adoption language, the story is of a child who was adopted as a result of his/her adoptive parents not being able to conceive (this is not us), it talks about his/her birth parent being unable to care for them and thus finding other parents for them. It just comes across as harsh, insensitive and puts a negative light on adoption when it is totally unnecessary to do so. The first few times we read it we talked about taking a sharpie to it and rewriting parts, but every time I read this book I'm more frustrated by the word choice, the way adoption is discussed and how birth parents are portrayed. This book does not show the respect for birth parents that it should and could have been written so much more respectfully and openly. I want to like this book, it's illustrations are beautiful, the general concept is good, but unfortunately the negative adoption language means this one does not have a place in our household library.

This is a heartwarming and sentimental book about adoption that combines wit with candor. This precious little girl asks her mother:

"Tell me again how you got on an airplane with my baby bag and flew to get me."

"Tell me again how you carried me like a china doll all the way home and how you glared at anyone who sneezed."

"Tell me again about the first bottle and how much I liked it."

"Tell me again how you couldn't grow a baby in your tummy, so another woman who was too young to take care of me was growing me."

This book radiates love and reassurance to that wee questioning child. The whimsical, watercolour pictures are crammed with amusing visual aids that will delight both parent and child.

This book affirms strong family love and addresses the feelings of an adoptee. It gives the child a sense of security, explains to her her familial roots, and provides her with the pure pleasure of hearing once again her own personal life story. This story will touch your heart as you experience not only how one child is born and chosen but also how a family is born.

The story is both tender and fun and is a perfect way to start a conversation with a young child about the night she was born and your first days together bonding and connecting your hearts forever. Reading this book will affirm to your child that she is very special indeed, she is truly loved and connects her to her history. I love the book and highly recommend it.

In this charming book, a young girl asks her parents to tell her about the night she was born. It's not only the story of the birth of a child, but also the birth of a family.
As the story of her birth progresses, we come to see that excited parents are heading to the hospital, not to give birth to the baby, but to give birth to a new family through adoption.
The natural and matter-of-fact writing style conveys to children how perfectly normal the process of adoption is. I would recommend this book not only to children who have been adopted, but to any child who wants to have a better understanding of the different ways people become a family.
Curtis, the mother of two, has a good ear for the way a young child will ask a parent to tell a story, filling in all the details themselves as they're still asking the question. The text is nicely complemented by watercolors in vibrant earth tones, which gives a warm feeling. I especially liked the spud-like babies, who look like they came out of a New Yorker cartoon.

Jamie Lee Curtis and Laura Cornell have collaborated once again and authored a marvelous story of love and remembrance. "Tell me again about the night I was born...", a little girl asks and then proceeds to tell her favorite story all by herself. About how her parents were sleeping when the phone call came, how they screamed with joy, took an airplane to the hospital and held hands all the way there. About the first time they saw her and held her and protected her from sneezes on the plane ride home. About her first bottle and diaper change and first night in her new home...about their first night together as a new family. Ms Curtis' simple, gentle, sometimes poignant text is complimented by Ms Cornell's busy, colorful, expressive illustrations and together they tell this story with insight, wisdom and humor. Tell Me Again About the Night I Was Born is a charming picture book, perfect for youngsters 2 and older, about the uniqueness of each and every birth, of both a child and a family. This is a story to be treasured and read again and again.

My husband just came home from walking the dogs to find me and our eleven and a half month old son on the sofa-chair, book open, and me reading through the tears pouring out of my eyes.

It's like that every time. I can't make it through without bawling.

Adoption is so precious, and needs to be treated as such. I believe that "Tell Me Again About the Night I Was Born" does this in spades.

Maybe I'm biased... this is so close to our family's story that tons of pages really touch home. We flew to where our son would be born, we felt small in the hospital, my husband bought our son a baseball, I sing to him songs my mother sang to me... but really, these are human experiences, and I'm grateful to be able to connect.

I'm not going to retell the synopsis--you can read other reviews for that. What I'm going to say is that this is a very sweet, very real story that might help a child realize that there are other families out there just like them, with stories like theirs.

This is an engaging and inspiring book. My daughter loves when we read this one together. Curtis captures very well the magic of that first night and those first few days. She does it so well that any child can appreciate this book, regardless of how their family was put together. This book, naturally, had my daughter asking about the night she was born, over and over. Eventually, she asked me to make a story book for her about the night she was born. She was so inspired by this book! We put together her book with her favorites parts of her first few days, scrapbook style. Now, we read both books together. These magic moments are why we want to become parents to begin with! Thank you, Jamie, for such a wonderful gift.

Being a birthmother I am always on the lookout for books for my birthdaughter. I found this one about a year ago. I picked it up on accident. I keep it here at my house so when my birthdaughter comes over to spend time, she and I can sit down and read it together. I also did buy a copy for her amom so that they could sit down and read it. With her being 6 years old, it is really a nice conversation starter. Some of the events in the book were not applicable in our case, as there was no plane ride to bring her home, but she loves it all the same. The book is simple, easy to read and gives just enough information for the toddler set, and then as the child gets older it is a great kick off to more indepth conversation. I think it really answers the questions that toddlers have about their adoption, and give apars simple language to put it in. I enjoy reading the book with my younger daughter who is 3 and replace some of the words so it refers to my bdaughter and helps me explain to my 3 year old a little about the situation surrounding the adoption.
The only real part that is bothersome is the portrayal of the birthparents. It only mentioned the birthmother and not the bdad. And the wording about the bmom being too young is really kind of insulting and a generalization that all birthmothers are young. In my case I was only 16, but I have known bmoms up to 30 years old. Overall the book is wonderful, and I really would suggest it to anyone in the adoption triad who has young children. It is a great conversation starter.

This is a nice adoption story which little adopted kids will find easy to understand. The questions asked by the little child will stimulate the young readers into asking questions about their own birth and drawing comparisons. The pictures are delightful and whimsical. I like Curtis' simple explanation that the birthmother was too young to take care of the child and needed to find parents for her baby. She avoided confusing the young reader with the "chosen baby" story and that the birthmother gave the baby up because she loved the child. I am an adoptive mother of a four-day-old girl and I too kept my explanations to the fact that our birthmother was not able to take care of the baby. It would have been fun to have had this book when our little girl was young.
Gisela Gasper Fitzgerald, author of ADOPTION: An Open, Semi-Open or Closed Practice?

What a perfect book to begin the birthstory journey! My son has owned this book since he was just a little guy. He is now 11. It tells the tale of the family heading off on a plane to join him on his journey home. It was indeed almost identical to our story and it brings tears that someone has written the perfect book about it! I loved it and will always have it as a gift. Keep in mind that this book does tell the story of an adoption (domestic or other) where they get the call and head to the airport. Such memories for me and a beautiful story to show children it is just another way to come into the world and join your chosen family!

Curtis knows intimately how mystical, special, and magical adoption is. I could read that on every page of this book. And, interestingly, my two-year old son, whom I adopted at birth, can too. He loves this story and routinely brings it to me to read to him. I do not know how the authors figured out how to capture the essence of adoption excitement and write it so succinctly that it appeals to adoptive parents AND their children. Thank you for this gift of a book. Jody Cantrell Dyer, mother and author [...]

I am a mother of two adopted daughters. Reading this book tothem the first time, my eyes welled up and I had a hard time gettingthe words out. Being there for both of my daughters births was awonderful experience and reading this book brought it all back. Myoldest daughter who is four was asking me if she came out of my bellyand I couldn't think of the right way to explain to her aboutadoption. I found this book and it helped to explain what a wonderfulthing adoption is and how much they are loved. Now this book is astory that is read over and over again. I recommend this book to alladoptive parents that want to explain adoption to their youngchildren.

I really enjoyed this book because it is so real. It's fiction but it makes you think it's a true story. Jamie Lee Curtis's books are so good,she basis her books on real life things. I liked the little girl because she was nice. I even enjoyed the dog played along with the girl telling his story of life. The book is basically about a little Chinese girl who is put up for adoption at birth and two people ( a couple) take her home. They kept anyone who sneezed far away. The best part of the book was when the adopted parents rushed to the hospital to get the girl. They called the grandparents but it said they slept like logs. On the picture it showed the grandparents sleeping and they were shaped like logs. The little girl has her own baby book and the dog has one too. The end of the book is them as a family. I think Jamie Lee Curtis has some good writing skills. I think she's cool. I recommend this book to anyone!!!!!!

Initially, I ordered this book for my niece who is just a little more than 2 years old. Adopted by my younger sister in Russia at 10 months, her arrival in our family has been a joyous occurrence. One of the things I love and most look forward to is giving her books, telling her stories, and maybe even writing a book *for her* some day. Meanwhile, Jamie Lee Curtis has created a joyful interlude from her own experience as an adoptive parent. This book oozes love and whimsy, and the illustrations by Laura Cornell are delightful to the eye, yet filled with amusing details which will keep them fresh through at least a million readings;) I can't wait to read this story to my niece...if I can bring myself to part with the book!
A previous reviewer (apparently an unhappy adoptee) spouted opinions full of anger and resentment, alluding to "Jamie Lee's obvious bias against birth mothers." I found that very sad. After all, this is a children's book, and IMHO, it was created as a means of expressing an adoptive parent's joy and love for this child, and told through the eyes of the child, it has a precious quality, reminding us how easy it is to teach a child to love and be loved. This book is a treasure, and while I think it's a special gift for any adopted child, it's warmth and whimsy will prove irresistible to anyone who reads it!

Every child has their own story of the night they were born. For adoptees that story is usually about how they joined their adoptive family. This was a great book! I gave it to my (adoptive) mother as a birthday present and added my own pages to fit my story. SHE LOVED IT!! The book is a great way to illustrate that although the stories may be different the creation of a family is the same.

A well written and at points "Child Silly" story about adoption. It gives the child just enough information at an early age and does not overwhelm them with details that are irrevelant until they've grown older. It tells about how important and loved they were from the time their parents recieved the phone call they were born and explains the exciting trip to pick the child up at the hospital etc. I was adopted and found this to be a wonderful book for any child adopted or not. Every adoption has it's own story behind it and young children only need enough information to know they are Loved and Special no matter how they came into the world and Mrs.Curtis has captured that in her book.
I also recommend you purchase the taped version to go with the book..

This book includes so much about the adoption story, yet it is simple enough for young children to understand. The illustrations are great fun for the parents and will keep this book as one of your child's favorites as they grow older and can understand the humor. No adoption story is going to echo your exact experience, but it is important that your child understand that there are as many different adoption stories as there are people in the world. We adopted our daughter through domestic adoption, but I am sure to read my daughter stories about international adoptions, too. Only reading to her about domestic adoptions would be like telling her the only country that exists in the world in the United States. The common thread here is adoption.

Like other adoption books, this is a good story and nice book, but doesn't fit our particular situation. After reading this and several other adoption stories, including "Over the Moon," I had the idea to offer adoptive parents a way to tell their personal story of adoption - not someone else's.

I just launched my website which enables parents to create a custom, hard-cover book about the journey of their child's adoption, whether domestic or international.

The site is myadoptionstorybook.com

Yes, you can view this post as a plug for what I'm selling. Or perhaps, as what I intend it to be - offering a valuable resource for telling the story of adoption to your child. From the other comments stating "It doesn't fit our story," I think it can be of help to a number of families.

- Keith Miller

When we adopted our daughter, we struggled with what to tell her and how to explain, in a healthy way, that, while we're her parents, she also has biological parents. We looked at dozens of books and were, frankly, disappointed in one way or another. When I read this book, I was delighted! It so closely described our experience, excitement, and ecstasy. Jamie Lee Curtis does a fantastic job of presenting a potentially difficult topic in a way that is fun for children and easy for them to understand. Laura Cornell's illustrations are delightful.

We read "Tell Me Again..." a lot. We talk about it, make jokes, laugh (and, for me, reading it often brings tears of joy and gratitude to my eyes). Last week my daughter told me the names of her favorite books (all include either princesses, mice, purple dinosaurs, or a group of Australian singing / dancing men). When I asked her what she thought was my favorite book, she left the room, returned, smiling, holding out this book! We curled up together on the couch and read it together, again. She's right. This is my favorite children's book and it is one I'll keep for myself for many years to come.

Wow, Jamie Curtis is so eloquent, fluent and engaging in her writing that my kids make me read her book to them over and over again. This woman truly does have a knack for children's writing and based on my children's response to this book I plan on purchasing all of the other books she has published.

I was skeptical about yet another book by a celebrity. However, this is a genuinely heartwarming book for both adopted and non-adopted families alike. I like how all the characters are pictorially represented as being messy and imperfect, unidealized, just like real people.

This book is a revelation for adopted kids! It recounts (from the kids perspective) how a little girl came to be a part of her new family. Warm and engaging, it is a wonderul way to illustrate the importace of family.
Another great children's book by the dynamite duo of Jamie Lee Curtis, Laura Cornell.

My seven-year-old daughter brought this book home from school just today; hers to keep from a selection offered to kids who were participating in National Turn Off the TV Week. I had heard of the book and it was "on my list" to share with our two children. I cried when I found she had chosen it all on her own. What an incredible joy to read! We've shared "her" story with her a hundred times. We have often gone together to the very spot in the hospital where we first laid eyes on her and held her in our arms. We have always focused on all the unique and positive ways there are to make families... this book is a celebration of just that!!

I cannot tell you the importance of this book when my daughter was little. We read this many times to her. She had it memorized! It made her feel like all the other kids with a story to tell of her birth. Our story is very similar to the one in the book. We brought her home the day she was born. One day our daughter "read" her book to a family friend. The lady was moved to tears. Our daughter is now turning 18 and getting ready for college. She's the most well adjusted teenager we know. Thank you Jamie. I'll always be grateful for your wonderful book.

My daughter always likes to hear my story about the day she was born and when I saw this book on the store I just had to get it. I couldn't wait to read it to my daughter and interject my very own story. What a wonderful way to talk about the love of life with the love of our lives...our chidren! Thanks Jamie Lee!

Tell Me Again... is my favorite storybook about adoption. The little girl whose voice we hear is a happy and proud teller of her own adoption tale, and her parents' essences come through loud, clear and wonderfully human. The illustrations provide kids with zillions of fun things to detect, and everyone finishes the story with a smile on their face. My only complaint: I couldn't find it in hardback. Since this book will be read a hundred times you need a sturdy version.

This book has great illustrations and is a heartwarming adoption tale. Though our son was adopted domestically and was 10 months old, our family can still relate to the exciting time in our lives when we first became a family. It's one of our favorites.