About

My family doesn’t look like your family, and that’s ok.
We are all one big family after all!

How do we encourage conversations about family in a way that’s reflective and inclusive of the diverse society we live in?

Single parent, blended family, same sex couples, fostered, live-in grandparents, carers…it’s time we expand the image of families in children’s stories.

Written by Tenielle Stoltenkamp and illustrated by Go Suga, My family doesn’t look like your family blends counting and inclusive questions with bold illustrations crafted to represent diverse families of all shapes and forms.

Our aim is for every child to see their own family on the pages of this book and to know that - even though every family looks and does things differently - we all have a place we belong.

The Inspiration

For two years I spent my Friday mornings hanging out with an incredible young girl who I met through The Pyjama Foundation. The Pyjama Foundation pairs children in foster care with volunteer ‘Pyjama Angels’ to read, play educational games and, in our case, dance and sing - a lot.

Whenever I searched for new books to read together, I was struck by the number of children’s books that depicted one-dimensional, traditional families. I knew this wasn’t the reality for my dear young friend and her siblings. It wasn’t my reality growing up. And it wouldn’t be the reality for the children of so many of my closest friends and their families.

My wish for my angel, and for all of the wonderfully diverse little people around me, is that they see themselves represented in the stories that we tell, and that they grow up knowing they belong in a unique family or community of their own, filled with as much love as any other.

Book Details

First published in Australia in 2019 by There There Co.
Copyright © 2019 Tenielle Stoltenkamp
Illustrated by Go Suga.
Design and layout by 40/40 Creative.

ISBN: 978-0-6484497-1-3
Audience: Children, ideal for ages 4-7
Themes: Family, Diversity, Acceptance, Belonging, Counting.
Format: Hardcover
Language: English
Number of Pages: 28pp inner + 4pp cover (32 total)
Published: 21st January 2019
Publisher: There There Co.
Country of Publication: AU
Dimensions (cm): L25.6 x W27.6 x H0.9