Review of The Journey to Max: An Adoption Story
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The Children’s Book Review
The Journey to Max: An Adoption Story
Written by Christopher and Alejandro Garcia-Halenar
Illustrated by Lea Embeli
Ages 4-8 | 32 Pages
Publisher: XanMax Books (2021) | ISBN: 978-1-7326044-3-8
What to Expect: Pride, LGBTQ+ themes, families, adoption, new baby.
Xander and his two dads know that their family is special, beautiful, and wonderful—but they also feel like there’s something missing. Xander has no one to sit with him in the back seat of the car, and no one to play with him and all his toys. They know they need to find Max—but where will they find him? They search from coast to coast for a baby brother to adopt, and just when it seems that Max is nowhere to be found—there he is! Now Xander’s family is complete, and Max is surrounded by love.
From single-parent families to families with LGBTQ+ parents, to only children and families with four or five siblings, families today look very different from the oft-depicted heteronormative couple with 2.5 children. While each family is unique, it can be easy for kids to feel marginalized if they don’t see their own family situation reflected in the books they read and the shows they watch. The Journey to Max is a particularly beautiful story because it both normalizes and celebrates the many ways we craft our families—which is not through blood alone, but through love, care, and sharing. Punctuating the story with moments of humor, the soft watercolor illustrations do a great job of depicting the ups and downs of family life, making this an easy story for readers to relate to.
This is a great read for families of all shapes and sizes!
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About the Author
Chris and Alex Garcia-Halenar are the proud fathers of their two sons, Xander and Max. They are firm believers that every child is unique and should be celebrated.
Chris, Alex, Xander, Max, and their dog, Shelby, live in the land of sunshine, dreams, and hurricanes called South Florida where they enjoy each with equal measure.
Their additional works include the award-winning books: Xander’s Story, which tells how their dream of having a child became a reality through the gift of surrogacy; and, The Adventures of Little Miss Crazy Hair – The Girl with Curl, inspired by and written for their niece, Vivian.
For more information, visit https://www.xanmaxbooks.com/.
Dedicated Reviews allow authors and illustrators to gain prompt visibility for their work. This is a sponsored, non-biased review of The Journey to Max: An Adoption Story, by Chris and Alex Garcia-Halenar. Learn more about getting a book review …
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