LoveReading4Kids Says
LoveReading4Kids Says
Written by Rico Hinson-King, a Premier League Young Writer of the Year, Strong and Tough is a uniquely inspiring, reassuring picture book for children dealing with the turmoil of being separated from their siblings while hoping to find a forever family.
Perfectly paired with Nick Sharratt‘s distinctive bright and bold illustrations, it’s based on the ten-year-old author’s personal experiences, suffused in empathy, with a stirringly uplifting ending.
On the face of it, Charlie “looked like every other football-mad boy of his age. But he wasn’t.” When he was very small, Charlie’s birth parents weren’t able to take care of him or his sisters. As a result, all three children were taken to a foster home, with his sisters placed in the care of a different family. While Charlie’s foster home was nice, he missed his sisters, and found the situation incredibly scary. While Charlie’s sense of uncertainty and fear is movingly evoked, his story is underpinned by an uplifting refrain - “Charlie was strong. He was tough”.
With Charlie’s positivity offering hope to children in similar circumstances, Strong and Tough also includes explanations of terms and roles (e.g. foster parents, social workers and judges) that will demystify the adoption process and offer much reassurance.
Joanne Owen
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About
Strong and Tough Synopsis
An empowering adoption story by ten-year-old Premier League Young Writer of the Year Rico Hinson-King, illustrated by the award-winning Nick Sharratt
There is a kid. Let's call him Charlie. On the outside he looks like every other football-mad boy of his age. But he isn't.
A story of hope and resilience, this gentle, inspiring picture book tells the tale of Charlie, a little boy who was taken into care when he was very small. Charlie dreams of finding his forever home to share with his sisters. Sometimes he feels scared. Sometimes he wants to scream and cry (and he does, just a little). But he is strong. He is tough.
Strong and Tough is by the amazingly talented ten-year-old Rico Hinson-King. Rico, like Charlie, found strength and resilience along the journey to find his forever family (and played lots of football along the way!).
Rico is a Junior Premier League footballer with a knack for words too, who wrote his story so that other children going through similar circumstances can feel less alone, and to encourage empathy in others. His moving and powerful words are paired with warm, friendly illustrations by the award-winning Nick Sharratt, who famously illustrated many of Jacqueline Wilson's books including the Tracy Beaker series.
About This Edition
| ISBN: |
9781526648624 |
| Publication date: |
18th August 2022 |
| Author: |
Rico Hinson-King |
| Illustrator: |
Nick Sharratt |
| Publisher: |
Bloomsbury Childrens Books an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing PLC |
| Format: |
Hardback |
| Pagination: |
32 pages |
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Press Reviews
Rico Hinson-King Press Reviews
'A very touching and honest story ... Rico and Nick make a great team!' - Jacqueline Wilson
Author
About Rico Hinson-King
Rico Hinson-King is just 10 years old. As a baby, he was taken into care. He spent years in the care system before finding his 'forever family’. Rico now lives happily with his two dads, sisters and their dog in Cheshire.
He is an avid footballer and has played for Liverpool FC, Manchester United and Manchester City. He is currently in Year 6 and spends his time playing football (mostly) but enjoys all sports. Rico dreams of being a professional footballer one day, like his heroes Raheem Sterling, Phil Foden and Marcus Rashford.
More About Rico Hinson-King
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Strong and Tough is one of the few picture books about fostering and adoption, and one of the only ones written by an adopted child, aimed directly at children. Rico’s (and Charlie’s) story will be incredibly empowering for children to read about experiences they are going through and will also be a powerful tool for encouraging empathy in others.
Bloomsbury Children’s Books are proud to partner with Adoption UK, the leading charity providing support, community and advocacy for all those whose lives involve adoption, including those parenting children who cannot live with their birth families, and adopted people. They connect people, provide support and training and campaign for improvements to adoption policy and practice. Adoption UK provide a strong, supportive community and is the largest voice of adopters in the UK.
What is adoption?
Adoption is the legal process by which a child or a group of siblings who cannot be brought up within their birth family become full, permanent and legal members of their new family. Adopters become the child’s legal parents with the same rights and responsibilities as if the child was born to them.
Most children who become adopted have lived in foster care before their adoption. Foster care is usually temporary guardianship for children whose birth parents cannot look after them. Mostly children are fostered within a foster family rather than in an institution. Their time in foster care can range from days to several years. Less commonly, children stay in a foster family long term.
The majority of adopted children have suffered significant abuse, violence or neglect in their birth families. Adoption gives these children a second chance of stability, permanence, and the love and nurture that all children, just like Rico, need.
However, adoption is not a silver bullet. The trauma suffered in early childhood is carried with children into their adoptive families. Those families need consistent, specialist support to help them give their children the best possible chance of a brighter future.
Around 3,500 children were adopted across the UK in 2021, with a further 3,000 children in foster care, waiting for adoption.
Children with disabilities, children aged four or older and sibling groups are all deemed harder to place – meaning they will be less likely to be adopted. Children from ethnic minorities also wait longer which is why there is a need for more prospective adopters from the black and ethnic minority community.
