For each of us our beginnings greatly influence who we become. For adoptees,
particularly those whose beginnings were in another part of the world,
the wondering is even more profound, unknown, and unfamiliar. The questions
such as “Who am I?” and “Where did I come from?” are not easy to articulate
and understand.
We See the Moon, by Carrie A. Kitze, captures the essence where no clear
answers exist. This elegant, read-aloud book is appropriate for readers
of all ages. The text is lovely, sweet, and comfortingly accompanied by
beautiful Jinshan peasant paintings.
This is the story of every adoptee born in another country.
Some of the words reflect the bittersweetness that is the reality of adoption.
As adoptees get older the book can be used to encourage them to talk about
and explore their own thoughts and feelings.
We See the Moon is not a book that will be outgrown. It has been nearly
50 years since my adoption from Korea, but this wonderful book resonated
with me. It caused me to reflect and wonder once again about my own story,
and it also gave me a great deal of comfort and made me smile.
We See the Moon is an important book that should be read by adoption professionals,
adoptive families, friends and family of adoptees, or others who will
benefit from better understanding the experience of adoption.
Susan Soon-keum Cox, Korean adoptee,
Holt Hi-Families Magazine
Vice President Holt International Children’s Services
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Carrie Kitze’s book, "We See the Moon," is astonishing.
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.
This is an unusual book. 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.
Deborah Gray
attachment therapist, author of Attaching in Adoption:
Practical Tools for Today’s Parents and Nurturing Adoptions: Creating Resilience After Neglect and Trauma
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“It is a beautiful book complete with a familiar poem, expanded
in meaning to empower parents and children to talk about adoption issues
and open a lifelong dialog. I can’t wait to share this with my own
children and grandchildren who also need to understand and incorporate
the adoption stories that are now interwoven into the fabric of who we
are and where we are going.”
Jane A. Bown, MSW
adoptive mom, facilitator of Adoption Playshops
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"The book arrived yesterday and last night my nearly 6 year old daughter,
adopted from China at age 15 months, and I read it. In the past, I’ve
tried to have a dialogue about how she feels about her birth family and
the lack of information on them. She has always replied that she never
thinks or wonders about them and is not sad that she knows nothing of
them. I knew this was not true, but I did not know how to get her to verbalize
her feelings.
While reading this wonderfully simple but amazing book, she told me she
misses her birth mother and is sad that she does not know her.
Two-thirds of the way through the book she said “I have a great
idea!” She closed the book and said “Let’s go look for
the moon.” In pajamas we went outside to look for the moon, but
it was too cloudy to see it. I felt terrible, however, the book and the
idea of the moon was so powerful for her that my daughter suggested we
imagine we COULD see the moon...
Tonight we will look again to see if we can see the moon. If not, we will
again imagine we can see it and continue to talk. I thank Carrie for giving
me a tool to open this section of my child’s heart."
Adoptive Mom, Denver, CO
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Your adopted child can be from anywhere ... and you and your family will
be able to relate deeply to this book’s messages. The author uses
simple language to elegantly express tender feelings of enduring curiosity
and loss in adoption, even as it acknowledges the security of the adopted
home. My 6-year-old was relieved to hear words describing how she felt.
She seemed even more gratified as we read it together to know I was hearing
how she feels and it is safe for us to talk about these topics. This book
is amazing in the way it communicates the naturalness of feeling sadness,
and offers a way to find comfort by connecting to birthparents through
the moon, in words children can easily understand. Best of all, it reinforces
an ability to love both sets of parents.
Adoptive Mom, Newport Beach, California
©2003-2009 EMK Press
16 Mt. Bethel Road, #219, Warren, NJ 07059
732-469-7544 • fax 732-469-7861
