Home / Parenting / Adopt & Foster & Surrogacy / Adoption 15 Children’s books to help kids understand adoption A mulberry bird, a fox, even a baby fruit bat... all characters who were adopted and learn that families come in all colors, shapes, and sizes. By Karen Johnson January 3, 2023 Rectangle We independently select and share the products we loveâand may receive a commission if you choose to buy. Table of Contents Toggle How to choose the best children's books about adoption15 Children's books on adoption to add to your bookshelf Family can mean different things to different people. Some families come together by birth, some by marriage, some by adoption. Really, all thatâs actually needed to define a âfamilyâ is unconditional love and support (and hopefully some joy and laughter along the way). But for children who enter a family via adoption, or who have siblings who joined the family via adoption, often there are lots of questions about their family came to be. Thatâs where childrenâs books about adoption can helpâwhether they help kids feel less alone, explain parts of their adoption journey, or just introduce them to a character or two who helps them process their feelings. Books and the adventures within them can often help all the parts of a childâs world fall into place, and this topic is no different. Related: 18 Books every five-year-old will love How to choose the best childrenâs books about adoption As is the case with most childrenâs stories, you should usually look for a few common elements when choosing books kids can connect with. Relatable characters are a must. Rhyming words help (or a simple plot with only a few words per page) are great too. And finally, eye-catching illustrations are key. Regardless of the overall book concept, if a child is enthralled by the characterâs journey or experience and can see themselves in the story too, youâve got yourself a winner that will probably be read again and again. And particularly for a child who is adopted, childrenâs books can help them understand their life experience better or figure out why they have the feelings they do that other kids may not have. Maybe itâs a rabbit who found their forever family after a long journey, or a story of a foster child whose parents lived right down the street their whole lives, but the point is, there are countless ways to tell an adoption story. What matters is that the child reading it feels empathy, feels a connection, and feels seen. As long as the overall message is a celebration of familyâand how families are formed in all sorts of beautiful, loving waysâthe story is a success and a beneficial addition to your childâs library. Related: 6 Diverse childrenâs books you should have on your bookshelf Also, itâs important for all kids to read stories about the many ways families can come together, even if they havenât experienced adoption themselves. Chances are, theyâll have a friend or a classmate who is adopted, or maybe theyâll someday become a parent themselves to a child through adoption. The point is to teach all children that âfamilyâ can mean so many different thingsâsome families have only one parent, while some have two moms or two dads. Some children joined their blended family through marriage, and others through adoption or foster care. What matters is that everyone is safe, loved, and accepted exactly as they are. 15 Children's books on adoption to add to your bookshelf Tell Me Again About the Night I Was Born by Jamie Lee Curtis, illustrated by Laura Cornell Every child should know their birth story, whether they are raised by their birth parents or not, and this book by actress Jamie Lee Curtis shows how valuable that tale really is. This story not only talks about the night the child was born, however. It also asks, âTell me again how you would adopt me and be my parentsâ and âTell me again about the first time you held me in your armsâ because those stories matter too. âTell Me Again About the Night I Was Bornâ is a special celebration of the love and joy an adopted child creates for a family. SHOP AMAZON SHOP BOOKSHOP The Mulberry Bird: An Adoption Story by Anne Braff Brodzinsk PhD, illustrated by Angela Marchetti Suitable for kids ages 5-10, âThe Mulberry Bird: An Adoption Storyâ tells of a mother bird who loves her baby very much, but when her nest is damaged by a storm, she finds she can no longer care for her baby and keep him safe. The loving mother must then let another family care for him in a nest that is strong and secure. A tale of love and sacrifice, this is a timeless adoption story that shows how one child can be loved by multiple parentsâall of whom love that baby with their whole heart and soul. SHOP AMAZON SHOP BOOKSHOP My Family is Forever by Nancy Carlson Reflective of long-distance or international adoptions, this is a story of devoted parents who traveled very far from home to adopt their daughter and create their forever family. âMy Family is Foreverâ shows that being a family isnât about who you look like or where you were bornâitâs about the love that binds you together. SHOP AMAZON SHOP BOOKSHOP I Don't Have Your Eyes by Carrie A. Kitze, illustrated by Rob Williams Families who have bonded together through transracial or transcultural adoption know that celebrating each family memberâs differences is the key to love, acceptance, and belonging. âI Donât Have Your Eyesâ teaches this very valuable lessonâthat even though a child and their parents might look physically different on the outside, on the inside, they are the same and they are all a part of one family. SHOP AMAZON The Family Book by Todd Parr Some families have two moms, some have two dads. Some have only one parent, and some kids are raised by their grandparents or another family member or guardian. âThe Family Bookâ helps reminds all children to be inclusive and accepting of different types of families and to remember that each familyâs uniqueness is actually the best thing about it! SHOP AMAZON SHOP BOOKSHOP Stellaluna by Janell Cannon Stellaluna is a baby fruit bat knocked from its nest by an attacking owl. Thankfully, she lands in the nest of a bird family who adopts her and welcomes her with love. And, as a bonus, this beautiful story includes two pages of interesting facts about bats for kids to read as well! An adoption story thatâs also a mini-science lesson, âStellalunaâ is a must-have for your childâs bookshelf. SHOP AMAZON SHOP BOOKSHOP Adoption Is Both by Elena S. Hall, illustrated by Lara Norris Written by an adoptee, âAdoption is Bothâ employs easy-to-read, catchy rhymes as it delves into many of the feelings and experiences adopted children may have. For example, adoption can be both happy and sad. An adoptee can feel both love and loss. Elena S. Hall helps children recognize that all of these feelings are OK, are valid, and that lots of children (and adults) who are adopted experience similar emotions. SHOP AMAZON When You Joined Our Family by Harriet Evans, illustrated by Nia Tudor If youâre looking for a joyous celebration of the day an adopted child joined their forever family, here it is. Harriet Evans explores all of the steps of the adoption process, including those first meetings, to getting to know one another, to making new family traditions, and shows how all of those exciting experiences form the fabric of a family. SHOP AMAZON A Mother for Choco by Keiko Kasza Keiko Kaszaâs twist on the âAre you my mother?â theme has become one of the most highly recommended stories about adoption for children. A little bird named Choco sets out on a quest to find a mother who looks like him, but when he does find a mother, sheâs a bear! And her kids at home are a piglet, a hippo and an alligator! And thatâs when Choco (and the reader) learn that families comes in all shapes and sizes and still fit together. SHOP AMAZON SHOP BOOKSHOP The Baby with Three Families, Two Countries, and One Promise: An International Adoption Story by Julie Gianelloni Connor, illustrated by Saman Chinthaka Weerasinghe An excellent choice to spark conversations with your children about adoptionâinternational adoption especiallyâthis story has won first place in the childrenâs book category at the North Texas Book Festival and the Grand Prize for childrenâs books from Authors Marketing International. Also, Midwest Book Review calls it, âAn exceptional stand-out in the literature of childrenâs picture books covering adoption in general and international processes in particular; highly recommended.â SHOP AMAZON I've Loved You Since Forever by Hoda Kotb, illustrated by Suzie Mason Today Show anchor Hoda Kotb tells of the magical moment she adopted her daughter Haley Joy in this heartwarming tale. With beautiful lyrics and captivating illustrations on every page, this is a story about how both Hoda and Haley were out there, in the universe, awaiting the day their âstars would meetâ and their lives would be forever changed for the better. SHOP AMAZON SHOP BOOKSHOP And That's Why She's My Mama by Tiarra Nazario, illustrated by Gabby Correia âAnd Thatâs Why Sheâs My Mamaâ teaches the valuable lesson of what it really means to be a mother. She kisses your boo-boos, holds you when youâre scared, takes you to the park, and makes you feel loved and safe. Not all mothers hold their babies in their tummies, but all mothers do have one thing in commonâthey love their kids! SHOP AMAZON SHOP BOOKSHOP The Little Green Goose by Adele Sansone, illustrated by Anke Faust âThe Little Green Gooseâ is a story of a male goose who desperately wants to be a dad, but none of the hens will give him one of their eggs. However, when a dog digs up an egg in the woods, Mr. Goose builds a nest for it and anxiously waits for it to hatchâonly he ends up with a baby dinosaur, not a gosling! Even though the dad and baby donât look alike, Mr. Goose raises his baby with complete devotion, showing baby dinosaur what unconditional love and family look like. SHOP AMAZON Little Miss Spider by David Kirk When Little Miss Spider is born, her mother is nowhere to be found, so she sets out to find her, encountering many dangerous circumstances on her journey. Thankfully, Betty the Beetle offers kind assistance and protection along the way, encouraging the baby spider to âlook for the creature who loves you the best.â In the end, that creature is Betty the Beetle herself and she was right there all along. SHOP AMAZON SHOP BOOKSHOP Fred the Fox Finds His Family by Jerry Winningham, illustrated by Caroline Nielsen Fred the Fox spends much of his life living with various families, always searching for his forever home. In the end, Fred finds himself with a big, blended family, where everyone looks a little bit different and comes from diverse backgrounds, and it turns out, thatâs exactly where Fred was meant to be. This is a beautiful tale of what it means to truly be a family. 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