Whistling for Angela

Peggy Collins’ illustrations bring to life Daniel’s family story about welcoming Angela into the flock. Written by Robin Heald, Whistling for Angela is a lovely story about adoption.

When Daniel is getting ready to meet his new sister for the first time, he needs to have a very special gift for her. Since he loves birds, he wants to whistle for her but that’s more difficult then he imagined. He works incredibly hard but it’s only with the help of Angela’s birth mother that he gets it and can finally welcome Angela with a song.

Robin Heald draws from her own family to gift readers with this beautiful story about family. We know that families come in all different shapes and sizes and it is so refreshing to finally have some stories available to readers that focus on adoption as a way to create a family. Maybe it’s because there are a few people in my life who have welcomed children in unconventional ways but I am more cognizant of the need for more families to be recognized in stories. In this story, readers meet Angela’s birth mother and Robin Heald shows how the act of adoption bonds families together, birth families with adoptive families and their children. 

Peggy Collin’s illustrations are bold and beautiful. She includes many bold close ups of the characters inviting readers to share in the joy and the sadness of the adoption process. The eyes are so full of emotion, adding an unspoken layer to the story and making it standout against all of the other books on the shelves.