This colorful story of how a boy from Guatemala came to be part of
a family in the United States is a tool to introduce the topic of
adoption to adopted and non-adopted children alike. Justin Walling
chose to illustrate the family using birds of various colors,
providing a platform for understanding the similarities and
differences embedded in multi-cultural families. Although not a
simple story, the steady and repetitive theme of what makes a
family and what children need is very simple, fundamental and true.
Songlike in its delivery, the words are softly rhymed and often
repeated. September 21, 2011 Press Release: How do you introduce
the topic of adoption to your adopted son and his non-adopted
siblings? Kelly Dougherty and Justin Walling had just that question
and have answered it in The Story of Che, a children's book based
on their own family's story of how a boy from Guatemala came to be
part of a family in the United States. With personal clarity of how
differently families can form, and deep exploration into the
ever-pressing issue of how a child might interpret comments from
outside the home, Dougherty and Walling chose to literally
illustrate exactly how their family came to be. "We are living in a
world where families come in all shapes, numbers, and colors," says
Dougherty. "Often those familial colors are monochromatic, but more
and more today we are seeing something beyond that, something a
little less simple. The Story of Che addresses that." Using birds
of various and brilliant colors, Justin Walling's illustrations
provide the platform for understanding the similarities and
differences involved in multi-cultural or interracial families.
Kelly Dougherty's artful writing follows a steady and rhythmic
theme centering on what makes a family and what all children need,
creating a tale that is simple, fundamental and true. Kirkus Indie
says, "There is much to like in this story...Its structure and
repetitive stanzas give it a songlike character. The art is
charming and the message is heartwarming..." The Story of Che opens
with a lady bird building a nest. Surprised to find it empty after
her hard work, she begins to search for her baby bird. The vibrant
images capture her journey from Charleston to Guatemala and back,
drawing the reader into the story as the echo of "I'll be his mama,
I'll help him fly" continues with each new bird entering the nest.
"Whether a bird is red, green, black or pink, it is a bird all the
same - still in need of love; still in need of food; still in need
of understanding," says Dougherty. Dougherty is author of Sleeping
with Steinbeck, a work of creative non-fiction that chronicles a
cross-country journey with her dog. Justin Walling is the owner of
Charleston Architectural Glass. Fringe Squirrel Press is the
publisher of The Story of Che.
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