Rating: 
Summary: A wonderful book for encouraging discussion
Review: As a first time adoptive mom, I was always unsure of the best way to
initially bring up the subject of birthparents. Intellectually I KNEW that
it was very important, but when it came time to actually do it, the words
were hard to find. "We See the Moon" was a beautiful beginning for
conversations between me and my daughter. The words are gentle and
peaceful, and each question asked allowed my daughter and I to talk about
those things that too often go unsaid. The first time I read the book, I
wondered if I would be able to read the words to my daughter without crying
Instead of tears, however, a feeling of peace came over me as I listened to
my own daughter begin to ask questions about her birthmom. This book is
honest and frank, and it is a beautiful beginning to show your adopted child
that he or she can ask you anything about where they are from.."We See the Moon" uses peasant paintings for the illustrations. They are
beautiful to examine and each one adds to the soothing tone of the book. I
highly recommend "We See the Moon" to all families touched by adoption.
Reading it aloud to your child is a great way to allow him or her to bring
up those questions that many children are afraid to ask. Amy Eldridge
mom to six, including Anna (a. 1/2000 from China)
Rating:
Summary: Reviewed by Deborah D. Gray, Author of Attaching in Adoption
Review: Carrie Kitze's book, "We See the Moon," is both unusual and astounding. I am using it successfully for children in therapy. Rather than carrying a typical narrative line, the author chooses a fresh approach. She pairs vivid, child-friendly Chinese paintings with child or birthparent voices. Children encounter these jeweled-colored images as they turn pages. They impose their meanings onto the evocative words. It is a springboard for discussion as children incorporate some of the material into their stories. The scenes are magical ones that invite identification with their Chinese heritage. Children are particularly drawn to it. My thanks to the author for providing this resource for children and their families. It makes a lovely gift book for families. It is a must-have for professionals.
Rating:
Summary: Reviewed by Deborah D. Gray, Author of Attaching in Adoption
Review: Carrie Kitze's book, "We See the Moon," is both unusual and astounding. I am using it successfully for children in therapy. Rather than carrying a typical narrative line, the author chooses a fresh approach. She pairs vivid, child-friendly Chinese paintings with child or birthparent voices. Children encounter these jeweled-colored images as they turn pages. They impose their meanings onto the evocative words. It is a springboard for discussion as children incorporate some of the material into their stories. The scenes are magical ones that invite identification with their Chinese heritage. Children are particularly drawn to it. My thanks to the author for providing this resource for children and their families. It makes a lovely gift book for families. It is a must-have for professionals.
Rating:
Summary: Adoptive Family Magazine Review (May/June 2003)
Review: Carrie Kitze's story for children is written from an adopted child's perspective. We See the Moon asks the questions about birthparents that are often unspoken: What do you look like? Where are you now? Do you think of me? In a sea of titles that explain the adoption process rather than how it feels to be adopted, We See the Moon-simple, hopeful, and beautiful-stands alone. We See the Moon's central theme comes from a song: "I see the moon, the moon sees me...Please let the moon that comforts me, comfort the one I love." The heroine of the story uses the moon to connect with the birth family that is always present in her imagination. Brightly colored folk art paintings complement the text. The message that all lives are lived under the same moon is deeply moving. We See the Moon transforms the sadness of separation into a healing experience, finding universes of belonging that soften the void of absent birthparents. Every adoption triad member, child or adult, needs a copy of this timeless story that takes hold of you gently and won't let go. Reviewed by Beth Hall and Gail Steinberg, directors of Pact, An Adoption Alliance.
Rating:
Summary: Korean Quarterly Review by an adult Korean Adoptee
Review: Even as a child, memories of my past from long ago and thousands of miles away would catch me off guard. I might have been playing with Barbie dolls with my friends, and suddenly, I would remember, walking along in a dusty, yellow marketplace with my father, along the busy streets of Seoul. But it was mostly at nighttime, when the world was asleep, that my mind reverted to my childhood, a different childhood, a life that seemed to belong to someone else. Whether we travel in our own quiet spaces of our mind to a place that was once our home or physically trace our paths back to where our lives began, for adoptees, the journey is one that many of us make. Such journeys are the subject of We See the Moon. Author Carrie Kitze beautifully captures the simple, yet haunting thoughts that many adoptees may share. Her writing is fleeting and poetic, like clouds, that float across our minds with questions of one's past: I was born
In a faraway land,
of parents
With faces in the shadows.
Where are you now? For many adoptees, the person who gave birth to us seems like a complete stranger, so different from us in every way. But all the differences in the world are bridged by the metaphor of the moon, which as the title of the book evokes, is constant and comforting. The moon connects us to our past and present, and no matter where we are, we see the same moon. All I need is to look
at the moon in the night sky
and think of you. The simple text leaves wide spaces for thought on each page, and each phrase or question is echoed beautifully by the colorful and mesmerizing Jinshan Peasant Paintings. As described in the book, these paintings were first painted by older women skilled in various folk arts that had been passed down through generations in Jinshan County near Shanghai, China. The primitive looking paintings, in which tempera paint is mixed with chalk, are simple, bright and childlike, each depiction carefully telling its own story. We See the Moon is a book to be shared, to open conversations, and to delicately unfold the questions that many adoptees secretly hold. By creating this beautiful book, Kitze has confirmed for all of us that although the journey to our past feels lonely, it can be shared with loved ones. Her carefully chosen questions and phrases may evoke memories or for others, lead to more unanswered questions. This review first appeared in Korean Quarterly, Winter 2003/2004 www.koreanquarterly.org
Rating:
Summary: Korean Quarterly Review by an adult Korean Adoptee
Review: Even as a child, memories of my past from long ago and thousands of miles away would catch me off guard. I might have been playing with Barbie dolls with my friends, and suddenly, I would remember, walking along in a dusty, yellow marketplace with my father, along the busy streets of Seoul. But it was mostly at nighttime, when the world was asleep, that my mind reverted to my childhood, a different childhood, a life that seemed to belong to someone else. Whether we travel in our own quiet spaces of our mind to a place that was once our home or physically trace our paths back to where our lives began, for adoptees, the journey is one that many of us make. Such journeys are the subject of We See the Moon. Author Carrie Kitze beautifully captures the simple, yet haunting thoughts that many adoptees may share. Her writing is fleeting and poetic, like clouds, that float across our minds with questions of one's past: I was born
In a faraway land,
of parents
With faces in the shadows.
Where are you now? For many adoptees, the person who gave birth to us seems like a complete stranger, so different from us in every way. But all the differences in the world are bridged by the metaphor of the moon, which as the title of the book evokes, is constant and comforting. The moon connects us to our past and present, and no matter where we are, we see the same moon. All I need is to look
at the moon in the night sky
and think of you. The simple text leaves wide spaces for thought on each page, and each phrase or question is echoed beautifully by the colorful and mesmerizing Jinshan Peasant Paintings. As described in the book, these paintings were first painted by older women skilled in various folk arts that had been passed down through generations in Jinshan County near Shanghai, China. The primitive looking paintings, in which tempera paint is mixed with chalk, are simple, bright and childlike, each depiction carefully telling its own story. We See the Moon is a book to be shared, to open conversations, and to delicately unfold the questions that many adoptees secretly hold. By creating this beautiful book, Kitze has confirmed for all of us that although the journey to our past feels lonely, it can be shared with loved ones. Her carefully chosen questions and phrases may evoke memories or for others, lead to more unanswered questions. This review first appeared in Korean Quarterly, Winter 2003/2004 www.koreanquarterly.org
Rating:
Summary: Excellence Personified
Review: Every child at some time wonders about their heritage. Carrie Kitze's book responds to those unanswered questions by reaching out to something that we can all share, regardless of where we are in this world.....The Moon!
Carrie Kitze has managed to reach out and touch our hearts with love...
Rating:
Summary: Heartfelt and Touching
Review: I am anxious to share this book with my daughters who are both adopted from China. The Chinese paintings are lovely! The book is filled with emotions. Carrie has put into words the questions and thoughts our adopted children will be experiencing. "We See the Moon" will help them articulate their inner most thoughts and questions about their birth parents. It will also help the parents begin the discussion about what can be a very hard subject. What an excellent job Carrie has done for us all!
Rating:
Summary: A wonderful way to talk about "China Mom and Dad"
Review: I try to keep up-to-date on new books published about adoption, but I had not heard about "We See the Moon." I came across it while searching for adult books on adoption for my husband, who was adopted from Greece over 40 years ago! I ordered this book, and I was more than pleasantly surprised. It is simple in its text, has beautiful folk art illustrations, and offered the opportunity for dialogue about my daughter's biological parents (she came home from China in January, 2000). The author has written a sensitive, thoughtful book about a subject that can be difficult to approach. This is a "must-have" addition for anyone with an adopted child from China!
Rating:
Summary: "We See the Moon"
Review: Luminous prose and gorgeously illustrated. Kitze's book makes it easy for adoptive parents and their children to raise questions together. A beautiful and inviting exploration of our basic thoughts and feelings.
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