Emma's Story

When Emma sets out to make a cookie family with her Grandma, the happy afternoon suddenly turns sad. The cookies are meant to look like her family, but hers is the only one with licorice hair and eyes. She doesn’t look like the others; does that mean she doesn’t belong?

In gentle text, Deborah Hodge tells the story of one small girl’s adoption: the hopes and prayers of her Canadian parents, their trip to the other side of the world, their meeting with the new baby, and the very long ride home to the new family waiting for Emma

Thousands of baby girls from China have been adopted by North American families. Although this lovely book tells the story of one such little girl, it is about much more than the logistics of adoption. It is about the many ways in which we can come together to form a family.“Skillful paintings … realistic, detailed illustrations … The layout balances text and art neatly.”
–Publishers Weekly

“Hodge writes with a quiet tenderness, creating the mood of the story…. Zhang’s soft, but wonderfully detailed illustrations match the mood of the story perfectly… Highly Recommended.”
–CM Magazine

“[A] gentle and warm tale…[with] beautiful paintings that are superbly rendered with incredible detail…. [A]n invaluable adoption tale…”
–Resource Links

“…timely… The softness of Zhang’s paintings, rich in detail, matches the mood of the text… heartwarming…”
–Montreal Review of BooksDeborah Hodge is an award-winning author of many books for children. Emma Comes Home is her first work of fiction. She is a former elementary school teacher and curriculum writer, editor, and instructional designer for the British Columbia Ministry of Education. Deborah Hodge lives in Burnaby, British Columbia.

Song Nan Zhang was born in Shanghai, China and studied at China’s leading art college, the Beijing Central Institute of Fine Arts. He also studied at L’Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris. Song Nan Zhang has illustrated several books for Tundra. He now lives with his wife in Montreal.