Elliot – Julie PearsonĪ young rabbit in the foster care system goes through difficult and complex emotions, even though he knows his foster families love him very much. When Owen the baby hippo’s mama is lost in a tragic tsunami, he becomes best friends with Mzee the tortoise, who becomes his new “mama.” A new family begins after a painful loss. “I don’t have your eyes… but I have your way of looking at things… I don’t look like you on the outside… but I look inside, and in our hearts, we are the same.” A Mama for Owen – Marion Dane Bauer This picture book reminds children that while families may not always look alike, our physical differences make us unique, and the bonds of family are what matter most. Through words and illustrations, the characters express the immense amount of love that everyone involved in the process has for the adoptee. This modern take on the “where did you come from” adoption book celebrates open adoption. Surrounded By Love – An Open Adoption Story – Allison Olson This classic picture book helps explain the difficult choice that birth mothers face and how families can be united through adoption out of these circumstances. “Tell me again about the night I was born… Tell me again how you would adopt me and be my parents… Tell me again about the first time you held me in your arms…” The Mulberry Bird: An Adoption Story – Anne Braff BrodzinskyĪ Mother Bird is unable to care for her baby, so she creates an adoption plan to provide him with the future she wants him to have. Tell Me Again About the Night I Was Born – Jamie Lee CurtisĪ little girl asks her parents to retell the story of her adoption and the night she was born. Reading these 12 books to your child can be the perfect way to incorporate domestic, international, transracial, or foster care adoption as a part of their daily life, and can give them characters to relate to in a positive way. Experts agree that you should tell your children the story of their adoption early and often.

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