Rebecca's Journey Home

Sugerman, Brynn. Rebecca's Journey Home. Minneapolis: Kar-Ben Publishing, 2006


Rebecca’s Journey Home, is a heartwarming tale of family and love that crosses cultural barriers and knows no cultural bounds. It’s centered around the idea of a family welcoming a new member. The book describes how a Jewish family, the Steins, are preparing for the arrival of their newly adopted daughter, Le Thi Hong, from Vietnam. Her American name would be Rebecca. The Steins are really excited for their newest member to arrive. The family had prepared for Rebecca’s arrival by having Shabbat every Friday night during the previous year to bless their children and Rebecca. Mrs. Stein and Rebecca finally arrive home and the family was very excited. They then celebrated their first Shabbat dinner together with Rebecca.
Sugerman explores positive and interesting situations regarding the Jewish faith. The family dynamics of a Jewish family involved with adoption will interest the reader. The story reflects how our society is becoming more diversified, even within the family. Even though this story was successful in the aspect of diversity, some of the illustrations were stereotypical representations of the people from Vietnam. Even though this story provides many accurate insights into different cultures, some of the illustrations could be regarded as stereotypical images of the Vietnamese. This Sydney Taylor Award winning book, would be a great addition to any child’s reading collection.