Mango (The Long Haired Ginger Cat) by Grandma Krazy is the story of how Mango Learns She Is Adopted. Mango is a beautiful long-haired cat, but she is very different from her brothers, sisters, and parents. You see, Mango is ginger, while the others are black or white. Sad at being different, she tries to change her appearance to look like the others, but her mom doesn’t understand why. When Mango tells her, Mom sits down and explains that Mango had a different mom. Still, just because Mango didn’t grow inside Mom’s tummy doesn’t mean she loves her any less – some of the best love comes from the heart. It’s okay to be different because love is what makes a family.

Mango (The Long Haired Ginger Cat) Learns She is Adopted by Grandma Krazy is a wonderful, heartwarming story based on Grandma’s real cats. They provide her foster children with lots of emotional support. Although it is a story about cats, Grandma Krazy explains that it’s about children lucky enough to be adopted by loving families. Sadly, that isn’t always the case. This short tale has some lovely illustrations that bring the story to life. It teaches kids about adoption and that it is okay to be different from others. You don’t have to change your identity just to feel you fit in with everyone else. Having worked with birth mothers and adoption for many years, Grandma has seen it all, and this is just one side of the story. Kids (and adults) reading this story will learn that our differences are what make us unique and that it’s not always a bad thing to be adopted. As long as we are surrounded by love, that’s all that counts.

It’s a long title for a short book: Mango the Long-Haired Ginger Cat Learns She is Adopted: It’s OK to be Different Because Love is What Makes a Family. But this big title works for a children’s book and kids immediately get an idea of what it’s all about. Author Grandma Krazy (Lauren Garcia) brilliantly writes and illustrates a children’s book about child adoption that centers on a ginger cat. Mango has always felt different from her siblings who either have black or white fur. It makes her feel self-conscious and it stirs her to ask questions about who she is. It reaches a point where she paints herself all black just to give herself a sense of belonging. But her adoptive mom and dad affectionately explain to her how special she is and why her birth mother had to give her away.

Mango the Long Haired Cat Learns She is Adopted is a sweet little story with great intentions. The story feels genuine as it doesn’t force its sentimentality. It has a warmth that continues from start to finish. Adoptive parents often face that inevitable moment when their adopted child asks about his or her real parents. This tale's premise is not an easy one for a children’s book. But as Grandma Krazy gives it a lighthearted dose of reality, her feline characters become well-defined despite the economy of words. The sincerity of its message works effectively in the way Mango’s mom and dad give answers to her questions on identity. The story becomes even more arresting with the illustrations that go with it. Whether or not you have an adopted family member, this is a highly recommended bedtime story for any household.