Read Aloud Thursday - Adoption Picture Books

Well, after having revisited the topic of adoption and suffering no ill consequences, I'm feeling a little braver. (Thanks for showing as much support as you did! That was enormously helpful and comforting and encouraging!)

I thought I'd share a few of the books that we have read around our house discussing the topic and/or concept of bringing a sibling home via an adoption. (Right now our son thinks babies come on airplanes! Ha! We will live in this state of mind for awhile yet, me thinks!)

The first book I found ("on my own") and read about adoption (before ever committing to one ourselves) was I Love You Like Crazy Cakes. This is the story of a mom who goes and picks up her new daughter in China. The story is told by the mother who talks about how excited she was to bring a daughter home to love. She talks about the anticipation, the joy and the affection which is wrapped up in it. Of course, the theme saying of the book is, "I love you like crazy cakes!" The positive aspect of this book is that a.) it deals with the topic of adoption b.) in a way that shows great amounts of love for the child. It's a cute saying that helps make this particular book endearing.


The first book about adoption that I was aware of was Shaoey and Dot: Bug Meets Bundle (Shaoey & Dot) which was written by Steven Curtis & Mary Beth Chapman. As many of you are aware, Christian singer and songwriter, SCC, and his wife adopted three girls from China. The first girl they brought home to love they named Shoahannah. They then started a foundation called Shoahannah's Hope which offers aid to families pursuing adoption. A remarkable ministry from a remarkable family -- of COURSE I was curious about the picture book! This particular story is about a lady bug who finds a bunch of babies and decides to be friendly with one little baby girl in particular. The story is set in China which is no surprise to those who know the Chapman's. This is a cute story. My son really likes the lady bug theme of the book, for what it's worth! (Missing the point a little? Maybe.)

The third book I present to you is one I just recently discovered. Published by Concordia Publishers, it is called Adopted and Loved Forever. This story is told from the perspective of the older child who was brought into a family via adoption. It's an affirmative and affirming statement to her parents that she knows she is loved and cared for. The book is earmarked for ages 4-7 and is designed to help children understand why and how they were adopted and why adoption is forever, no matter what happens. There is a thankfulness and gratefulness expressed in this story which I particularly like. The book shouts, "YES, we LOVE you and we ALWAYS WILL!" No matter what.


Lastly, one of our favorites is one that we don't even read the actual words to. (This book is definitely above our reading/comprehension level.) I adapt Jin Woo, renaming the characters to match our own family, and describing how "brother" will come and be a part of our family through the use of illustrator Chris Soentpiet's art work. In this story we meet a family of three - Daddy, Mommy and a little boy with blonde hair and blue eyes who also happens to be named "Bookworm1" (oddly enough!). Bookworm 1 is going to have a brother and the whole family is excited about it! On and on the story goes and it is remarkable how closely this book matches our own family situation. A friend tipped me off to Jin Woo and I owe her a note of thanks. This brought the concept to life for Bookworm1 and so I'm particularly fond of this particular adaptation of our own story. ha!

I know there are other picture books out there but it's kind of hard to find really good ones. If you know of any particular titles for children that are positive in nature, I'd love to hear about them. In the meantime, these are the ones I can recommend to enjoy.

Happy Read Aloud Thursday to you!