First of all, we meet Max, who is part of a large family in which all four children are adopted. He explains that they are a 'forever family', and that they all know they are very much loved. He also tells us that there are lots of famous people who were also adopted, and the rest of the book is devoted to them. Each of the nineteen people is given a two page spread, one of text about their lives, and, facing that, a richly-coloured and evocative painting of the person. The mix is variegated in many ways. There are different races portrayed (Nelson Mandela, Langston Hughes, Princess Xianzi of the Quing Dynasty, etc.), artists and musicians (Marilyn Monroe, John Lennon, Edgar Allan Poe, etc.), people from history (Aristotle, the American Indian Crazy Horse, George Washington Carver, etc.) and sports personalities ( Fatima Whitbread). The emphasis is on the accomplishments of all these people and the fact that being adopted in no way affects one's life chances. An American bias in the book is inevitable given that the author and illustrator are both Americans, but they have chosen well, and all the choices are interesting. Max ends the book by telling us that everyone 'can make a difference in the world' and that he and his siblings have a wide spectrum of choices in what to do with their lives. The book is available from all bookshops, from Amazon, and from the publisher at www.jkp.com.