For families who are either looking into adoption or who are currently navigating an adoption, here are some books that help both parents and children better understand the process and encourage conversations.
Yes, I’m Adopted!
By Sharlie Zinniger and illustrated by Tiffany Cunliffe
“Yes, adoption makes me special, it means that I am loved…” This brightly colored children’s book illustrates how adoption is brought about by love.
Surrounded by Love: An Open Adoption Story
By Allison Olson and illustrated by Darlee Urbiztondo
This modern take on the “where did you come from” adoption book celebrates open adoption. Through words and illustrations, the characters express the immense amount of love that everyone involved in the process has for the adoptee.
Tell Me Again About the Night I Was Born
By Jamie Lee Curtis and illustrated by Laura Cornell
In asking her parents to tell her again about the night of her birth, a young girl relives a cherished tale she knows by heart. Focusing on the significance of family and love, the story is about adoption and the importance of a loving family.
Delly Duck: Why a Little Chick Couldn’t Stay With His Birth Mother
By Holly Marlow and illustrated by Suzy Garland
When Delly Duck lays an egg, she is excited for it to hatch, but she doesn’t really know how to keep an egg safe, or how to look after her duckling when he hatches. The duckling is temporarily taken to some kind swans, who keep him safe while the caring goose finds the right family to look after him.
The Connected Parent: Trauma-Informed Parenting Guide for Building Attachment and Trust in Adoptive and Foster Families
By Karyn Purvis and Lisa C. Qualls
Child-development expert Dr. Karyn Purvis and adoptive mother Lisa Qualls provide practical tools and compassionate guidance to help parents understand their children’s unique needs and respond with confidence, connection and care.
ABC Adoption & Me: A Multicultural Picture Book
By Gayle H. Swift and Casey A. Swift, and illustrated by Wesley Blauvelt
This book reflects professional understanding of the complexity of adoption, the challenges of young adoptees, and the conversations and strategies that draw families together in support of one another.