Adoptive Children’s Books Review By Jenn Reuter, posted March 8, 2020
When our children were very small, we found that reading adoption related books together was a way to touch on sensitive topics or reassure them of our love in a way that was non-threatening, indirect and just plain fun. This “back door” approach is still at times our ONLY approach when our kids are not emotionally in a place to ask questions or to talk about their fears. A good book doesn’t have to be specifically about adoption and a few of these are not. You may be surprised to find some ordinary titles taking on a completely new meaning when viewed through the lens of adoption! Here are a few of our family favorites for the preschool through early elementary age range.
A Mother for Choco by: Keiko Kasza
This is perhaps my all-time favorite children’s book for transracially adopted kids. Choco can’t find a mommy who looks just like him. But guess what? Sometimes the perfect mommy doesn’t look like you at all. (Spoiler alert…none of the siblings look alike either, which is our favorite part!
Mama Always Comes Home by: Karma Wilson
All children need reassurance that mommy will come back, but I would venture to say that adopted kids need to hear it about a hundred times more. This book depicts all kinds of mommies, going away for all kinds of reasons, but they always, always come back.
The Runaway Bunny by: Margaret Wise Brown
In this sweet tale, little bunny is very creative in his tactics to push mama away. Our adopted kids can behave similarly at times. But mama bunny is smart. She knows her little one’s needs, adapts to them, and pursues him anyway. Bunny can run all he wants. Mama will still be a gentle, steady presence in his life.
Even If I Did Something Awful by: Barbara Shook Hazen
This book is no longer in print but used copies are available on Amazon. It is well worth the effort to have this one in your library. Having people love you deeply can be a scary proposition for an adopted child. Some children may even believe if they do enough bad things, they can get people to leave them entirely. Well, we know differently. And this book sends a clear message that mom and dad aren’t going anywhere. Our children will unfortunately have to clean up the messes they make, but mom and dad are here to stay!
Tell Me Again About the Night I Was Born by: Jaime Lee Curtis
Our kids desperately need birth stories that they can relate to. This book does an excellent job of depicting an adoption story. The waiting, the phone call, the “gotcha” moment, and the new parent jitters. For a similar book that includes details of an international adoption story, we like Over the Moon: An Adoption Tale by Karen Katz.