Whistling for Angela
Daniel is preparing a special gift for his new baby sister, but will it be ready by the time they go to the adoption center?
To show baby Angela how much she is loved by her new family, Daniel wants to whistle for her like the songbirds he loves so much. But will she smile for him? When they arrive at the adoption center and Daniel still hasn’t got the knack of whistling, it’s Jessie, Angela’s birthmother, who knows just what to do.
Whistling for Angela celebrates the familial bonds formed through the act of adoption. Illustrator Peggy Collins’ heartwarming close-ups of the families’ loving interactions create an intimate atmosphere throughout all the emotions of the day. In her author’s note, Robin Heald shares the inspiration for the story, which came directly from her own experiences with adoption. She also explores the increasingly common practice of building connections between all three sides of the adoption triangle: the child, the birth family, and the adoptive family.
Praise for Whistling for Angela
Whistling for Angela is a purely wonderful adoption story by Robin Heald, who was adopted and, who with her own husband, years later, became the adoptive parents of two children. The love passes down the generations of adoptees and shines in this lyrical book.
—Jane Yolen, author of Owl Moon, the How Do Dinosaurs picture books, and 400+ other books
Whistling for Angela
By Robin Heald
Illustrated by Peggy Collins
Picture Book for Ages 5-8
ISBN: 978-1-77278-245-5
List Price: $22.95 CAD / $18.95 USD
Hardcover with dust jacket
Trim size: 9.5 x 11 inches / 24.13 x 27.94 cm
Pages: 40
Publication Date: May 17, 2022
Distributed in the US by Ingram Publisher Services
Rights Available: World ex. North America
Teaching Guide
Teaching/Reading Guide in PDF format features learning activities focused on reading aloud, families, changing roles, bird calls, and drawing birds.
Awards and Honors
School Library Journal “Eight Picture Books That Celebrate the Diversity of Motherhood” Feature
2022 The Children’s Book Council “May: Hot Off the Press” feature
About the Artist
Peggy Collins is an award-winning children’s book author-illustrator with more than 35 titles to her name, including Harley the Hero, A Sky-Blue Bench, Whistling for Angela, In the Snow, and In the Garden. She has also written and illustrated for animated apps teaching math, indigenous history, and education. Peggy lives in Newburgh, Ontario with her two children.
Learn more on her website at www.peggysillustration.com
Reviews
“PreS-Gr 2. A little boy prepares to meet his newly adopted baby sister Angela by learning how to whistle for her. Daniel loves songbirds, but has been struggling to learn how to whistle. When he arrives at the adoption center with his family, his new sister’s birth mom shows him just what to do. This sweet, informative story sheds light on a particular kind of adoption experience. Level appropriate text and bright, welcoming illustrations will engage young readers who will relate to Daniel’s excitement and curiosity. VERDICT: A first purchase for libraries where books about adoption are in demand.”
“Robin Heald skillfully brings the different stories together in this touching picture book.”
“I think it’s an important story to be told, and it echoes the author’s experience when adopting her own daughter.”
“Whistling for Angela is a perfect story to share with families and in the classroom.”