In the Wide, Wild World: A Celebration of All Types of Families, Love, and Belonging

*Please note: This story celebrates and includes many different family structures, including adoptive, foster, blended, single-parent, LGBTQ+, interracial, and multigenerational families. If you are looking for a book that reflects and celebrates the diversity of families in today's world, this story was written with that purpose in mind.

In the wide, wild world, if you look around,
Families of every kind can be found.
Big ones and small ones, all colors too.
Each one is special, with love shining through.

What does a family look like? The answer is everything.

From moms and dads, to two moms or two dads, from adoptive, foster, and blended families to grandparents raising little ones, this tender, lyrical picture book celebrates the many ways a family can be made.

Through beautifully imagined animal families, children discover a giraffe baby raised by zebra parents, lion cubs with two loving mothers, penguin dads guiding their chick, and a kitten finding her forever home. Each story gently reflects real family experiences including adoption, fostering, blended families, same sex parents, and multigenerational care.

Some families begin with birth. Some with adoption or fostering. Some are formed when lives come together and grow into something new.

Every one of them is real. Every one of them is enough.

Written in warm, rhyming verse, perfect for bedtime, read aloud storytime, and classroom learning, In the Wide, Wild World helps children understand belonging, acceptance, and love in a way they can see and feel.

This inclusive children’s book supports social emotional learning and helps kids recognize that families can look different while still being full of love, safety, and connection.

You belong. You are loved.

And you are the heart of your own family. Because in this wide, wild world, love is what makes a family.

Perfect for children ages 2 to 8, this book is ideal for:

-Adoptive, foster, and kinship families
-LGBTQ+ families with two moms or two dads
-Blended families and stepfamilies
-Grandparents raising grandchildren
-Teachers, librarians, and counselors building inclusive classrooms
-Parents looking for books about diversity, belonging, and acceptance