Children's+Books

Cole, J. (1995) //How I Was Adopted.// New York: William Morrow and Co.
This adoption story is told by the littler girl, Samantha which includes details about how babies are born. She explains how she did not grow inside her Mommy's uterus. She explains how her parents got the phone call from the adoption counselor and she came home when she was a baby. There is a nice note to families at the beginning of the book.

Curtis, J. L. (1996) //Tell Me Again about the Night I Was Born//. New York: HarperCollins.
A little girl asks to hear the story of her adoption. She asks them to tell her the story that she koow by heart. It begins with the phone ringing with a special message and continues through the final preparation, meeting her adoptive parents and the homecoming.

Kasza, K**. (**1996) //A Mother for Choco//. New York: Putnam Publishing Group.
A Mother for Choco is a wonderful book for toddler and preschoolers. It is about a bird, Choco, who is all alone in search of a mother who looks like him. He searches all over for animals that look like him...other birds, animals his color, and with his features, but no one is his mother...He begins to cry and is comforted by Mrs. Bear. She explains to him that mothers are the ones who hug and kiss you, and take care of you, that they don't have to look like you. She takes him home to meet her other children, who are an alligator, a hippo, and a pig.

Katz, K. (1997) //Over the Moon: An Adoption Tale.// New York: Henry Holt and Co.
A story of one adoptive family’s journey to adopt a baby. It begins with a baby’s birth, and a childless couple’s dream a baby was born for them. Their hopes came true and they were chosen as the baby’s parents. Excited preparations follow, the happiness of those around them waiting for the baby to arrive home. The adoptive parents fly to a faraway place “over the moon and through the night,” until they arrived to meet their new child. The illustrations are beautiful and colorful.

Keller, H. (1991) //Horace//. New York: Greenwillow Books.
Horace is a cat with spots who was adopted by a family of striped cats. He feels he does not belong so he leaves home to find other cats that look like him. He meets a family of spotted cats and has fun with them. Later he realizes he misses his parents and he returns home.

Kitze, Carrie. (2003) //I Don't Have Your Eyes//. Warren: EMK Press.
This is a beautiful story that celebrates differences and similarities that connect us. Even though adoptive families may not look alike there are ways they are alike. "I don't have your skin ....but you have taught me what's inside is most important."

Parr, Todd. (2002) //It's Okay to Be Different//. New York: Little Brown and Company.
The book displays a series of brightly colored characters smiling for the viewer while displaying why they are "okay". For example, a blind woman with her dog has a caption that reads, "It's okay to need some help". A very tall woman is told, "It's okay to be extra large". And a child sitting in the bathtub with a blue bowl of some orange material is accompanied by, "It's okay to eat macaroni and cheese in the bathtub". The "It's okay" statements range from the serious ("It's okay to say NO to bad things") to the silly ("It's okay to have a pet worm") A great book to use to teach diversity.

Parr, Todd. (2003) //The Family Book// . New York: Little Brown and Company.
This book celebrates all families. Parr includes adopted families, step-families, one-parent families, and families with two parents of the same sex, as well as the traditional nuclear family. Each page contains one sentence about families. In addition to living conditions, habits, and physical appearances, Parr also discusses different family structures. "Some families have a stepmom or stepdad and stepsisters or stepbrothers," while "some families have two moms or two dads." While we learn that families can be quite different from one another, we also learn that families share some things in common. "All families," writes Parr, "are sad when they lose someone they love," and "all families can help each other be strong!"

Pelligrini, N. (1991) //Families are Different.// New York: Holiday House.
This story is told from the point of view of a little girl who was adopted from Korea. The story is about how she feels about being different than her parents and how there are all types of families in the world. Some have families with one dad and no mom, some with no moms and dads, some with step parents, and many more. This is a charming story that points out the way we are the same which is very helpful in helping children deal with being different

Rosove, L. (2001) //Rosie's Family: An Adoption Story//. Ontario: Asia Press.
A cute adoption story in which the characters are dogs. The storyline is that families are different but the same because they love and take care of each other.There is a note for parents in teh back of the book.

Simon, N. (1976) //All Kinds of Families//. Morton Grove: Albert Whitman & Company.