“I love this book so much. I like that it shows Fam’s story! I like the photos and the way it’s put together. I like that the two Sandhills cranes, Mom and Dad, cared for both eggs and didn’t just throw Fam’s egg in the lake! Of course, I already knew the story, but I just thought I add that in there!

Oh, and one more thing: thank you for making me famous cause so many people are gonna read this book!”– yours truly, the one and only Isla June Cizmar                                                                                    She-Who-Named-Fam, Kansas City, KS 

My students were captivated by the wonderfully real story of Fam, a Canada goose raised by a sandhill crane family. They instantly connected with the stunning photographs of local wildlife. The book masterfully blends narrative and factual content, telling the heartwarming story of Fam while offering rich, accessible information about nature. Equally inspiring was how the authors discovered this remarkable tale through close observation – inspiring my students to make observations of their own!

“Fam, the Remarkable Story of a Canada Goose Adopted by Sandhill Cranes” is a story of animal behaviors that provoke human emotions. As I’ve presented the book out loud, kids and adults light up and share their feelings of joy, sadness, wonder, and triumph as they follow the true adventures of birds that bend boundaries. With beautiful pictures that complement the written story, everyone will connect to this surprising tale.

“As a professional family social scientist and grandmother of eight, I am always on the
lookout for interesting, entertaining children’s literature that also enhances my
grandkids’ understanding of nature and humanity and prepares them for life on planet
Earth. Fam: The Remarkable Story of a Canada Goose Adopted by Sand Hill Cranes
meets my high bar requirements.

Because Fam is a true-life story it captured my grandkids attention from the start with
its real time photography of this special family that was formed when a Canada goose
egg hatched in the nest of two adult sandhill cranes. Fortunately for us all, this event
happened on the lake shore of the home of a couple that closely observes nature as a
daily practice.

This author couple were made to tell this story. Marty Harding is a gifted writer who was
adopted as a child and tells this story of acceptance and belonging with special
sensitivity and insight. Gary Noren is a dedicated teacher and nature photographer who
artistically captured the day-to-day, season to season, evolution of this unique family.
Her words tell this touching and delightful story in a way all children of all ages can
easily understand and take to heart. My test groups of grandkids, 11-4 years old, were
fascinated by the child friendly words and vivid photography that illustrated the true
nature of this fascinating family story.

I had the great pleasure of hearing about this story on social media as it was unfolding
on the shores of Green Lake in Minnesota. I endorsed the wide reaching telling of it. I
am so pleased it is available in book form for caring adults to share with curious
children. It has a special message for children who are adopted or have been fostered.
It has a message for all of us, to care for and nurture what nature has placed before us.”

Gretchen M. Stein, Ph.D.
Distinguished Alumni, College of Education and Human Development
University of Minnesota