July
11
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We Are Family: 10 Picture Books About Adoption by Wendy Falconer Gassaway
One of my greatest joys as a parent is reading aloud to my children. The way they lean into me as they look at the pictures, the surprise, laughter, or wonder we share as a story unfolds–it’s blissful, which is not something you can always say about parenting. My kids, adopted at 6 and 8 from an Eastern European orphanage, still love to have me read picture books to them. This list contains only stories they really liked, and asked to hear over and over.
My list is heavy on international adoption and light on domestic adoption and foster care because of my family’s makeup, but my kids also like hearing about different types of adoptive families–it reinforces that there isn’t one “right” way to make a family. These would also be great additions to an elementary school library–all kids need to see themselves represented in literature.
Tell Me Again About the Night I Was Born by Jamie Lee Curtis, illustrated by Laura Cornell
The multi-talented Ms. Curtis has written a delightfully goofy story of a child’s birth and placement. The child has obviously heard many times the story about the parents’ dash to the plane, and it honestly covers why the parents were adopting as well as why the birth mother chose to place her child.
Stellaluna by Janell Cannon
I hesitated a bit to introduce this modern classic to my kids, since Stellaluna is reunited with her original family, something unlikely to happen to my kids until they are adults, if ever. But the open-hearted love the bat’s foster family of birds shows to her, and her obvious ability to love and be loved by two families, convinced me.
When I Met You by Adrienne Ehlert Bashista, illustrated by Christine Sykes
This book super awesomely talks about both orphanages and birth mothers. I love the questions and comments the books on this list elicit from my kids–this particular book reinforced that it is okay to talk about all the parts of their lives.
A Mother for Choco by Keiko Kasza
We all love this book. Choco is a funny little bird whose search for a mother leads to lots of rejections until she finds a bear who doesn’t care that they don’t “match.” Sometimes reading about non-human characters makes it easier to talk about the challenges they are facing.
I Love You Like Crazy Cakes by Rose A. Lewis, illustrated by Jane Dyer.
A sweetly illustrated story of a single mom’s journey to adopt an infant daughter from China. Based on the author’s own experience. I think I liked this one more than my kids did.
We Belong Together: A Book About Adoption and Families by Todd Parr
There is no such thing as a Todd Parr book that DOESN’T celebrate all types of people and families, but this one specifically focuses on all the different ways children can join a new family. My kids at 9 and 11 still adore the goofy illustrations and unabashed love pouring out of this book.
And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell, illustrated by Henry Cole
If you have issues with same-sex marriage, this won’t be your cup of tea. Otherwise, this true story about male penguins in the New York Zoo hatching an egg and raising the baby penguin is heartwarming proof that “Love Makes a Family.”
I Don’t Have Your Eyes by Carrie A. Kitze, illustrated by Rob Williams
In this book, all sorts of different parent/child combos are pictured, pointing out physical differences and emotional similarities. My kids love pointing out ways we are the same despite not being related, so they are big fans of this book.
On The Night You Were Born by Nancy Tillman
Okay, this isn’t really an adoption book. Still, it’s a birth story, and adopted kids need to understand that they too were born, not just adopted. Plus, Tillman’s illustrations are always beautiful, and her lilting prose always helps my kids ease into sleep, feeling loved.
Everywhere Babies by Susan Meyers, illustrated by Marla Frazee
This doesn’t focus on adoption so much as on children and families of all types. The illustrations are fun, and my kids enjoy poring over the details.
Wendy Falconer Gassaway was under the impression that 15 years of teaching middle school ELD proved that she was patient enough to adopt two school-aged children. She was wrong, but it was still the right decision. She currently teaches middle school language arts in Forest Grove, OR and reads aloud to her classes and her kids as often as they’ll let her. She blogs about books at http://falconerslibrary.blogspot.com/.
Nerdy Book Club 
This list is WONERFUL! As a mom of adopted teens/tweens I am constantly on the look out for stories of older adopted kids. The issues become more complex as the kids grow up and seek out their identity—especially kids who are being raised by parents of a different race. This is why I am such a huge supporter of WNDB. I need them for my children….because their racial identity and their family/cultural identity are unique as adopted children.
I would add Wolfie the Bunny to this list. I realize that Amy Dychman did not set out to write an “adoption” story…..but if you read it with the eyes of a a parent who has a adopted a child, it really can be a wonderful comforting story of inclusion of a new family member by adoption.
As a Mom and Teacher Librarian this is a subject very near and dear to my heart. I LOVE seeing this post. Thank you so very, very much!
We’ll look for Wolfie the Bunny next time we’re at the library! I am glad this post resonated with you.
My girls are also adopted and a different race. We were excited to read the book ‘Breadcrumbs’ because the main character is a girl adopted from India. The adoption is not a big part of the story, but my daughters loved finding a character that was ‘just like them.’
I love your list. I have only heard of Stellaluna but have yet to read it. Reading to children is so important and too many parents overlook the simplicity of it. A good book is the EASIEST way to bond with children. My daughter will be three soon and my youngest son just turned one but right now their favorites consist of The True Story of The Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka, What’s Your Sound Hound the Hound? by Mo Willems and The Gruffalo (I forget the authors name due to lack of sleep, haha).
Oh my gosh, we adore all Mo Willems’ books at our house! So funny, and they lure kids into reading for themselves without even noticing!
Thank you for this post. As a mother of 2 adopted girls, many of these books are our favorites. I cannot read ‘A Mother for Choco’ without getting teary-eyed. We also liked the book ‘The Color of Us.’ Although not about adoption, it opened up the discussion that everyone comes in all different colors, and that is ok. In fact when another child called my daughter a ‘brown’ kid (I was stunned and horrified) my daughter turned to him and said, I am not brown, I am cinnamon!
Don’t you love it when they absorb the ideas you want them to from books? I bet you were pretty proud of her right then!
A great list of children’s books. Stellaluna really is a classic for children to read, I remember reading the book as a child as well.
Yes, I’ve always liked Stellaluna. It’s probably the only one on this list I was familiar with before I had kids.