Adoption Storybooks for Kids
We’re lucky to be in a time where storybooks about adoption abound. Below is a list of books recommended by AFEC families. If you would like to recommend another great book, drop us a message.
| Title | Author | Publication Date | Best for | Notes |
| A Mother for Choco | Keiko Kasza | 1996 | Ages 2-5 | A classic adoption book that is provides an easy way to introduce the idea of adoption, especially to young children. The story focuses on a bird on the hunt for his mother and realizing that you don’t have to look alike in order to be mother and child. |
| I Wished for You: An Adoption Story | Marianne Richmond | 2008 | Ages 2-5 | This book features an adoptive mama bear telling her baby bear how wanted he was and all her hopes and dreams for him. The focus is on how love makes a family. There is a mention of God in the book. |
| Yes, I’m Adopted! | Sharlie Zinniger & Tiffany Cunliffe | 2014 | Ages 2-5 | This rhyming focuses on infant adoption and tells the story of a birth mother choosing a family for her child. Many reviewers mention the book recounts that Superman was adopted, which has been meaningful to their children. There are also mentions of God and religion. |
| We Belong Together | Todd Parr | 2007 | Ages 3-6 | Illustrated with bold and colorful drawings, this book focuses on the need for every child to have a home and a family. Some reviewers were concerned that it may present adoptive parents as ‘saviors.’ |
| The Mulberry Bird | Anne Braff Brodzinsky | 2012 | Ages 4-8 | This tender book recounts the difficult choice Mother Bird has to make to give her baby to another family when a storm destroys her nest and she is unable to protect her baby. Some readers and reviewers find the content too sad for younger children. |
| How I Was Adopted | Joanna Cole | 1999 | Ages 4-8 | This book features tasteful drawings and a sweet retelling of the domestic adoption of a newborn, without being overly sentimental. The main character asks questions, which may help a child articulate their own questions and concerns. Be warned though, there is an anatomical drawing of a baby moving through the birth canal. |
| Tell Me Again about the Night I Was Born | Jamie Lee Curtis & Laura Cornell | 2000 | Ages 4-8 | A young girl repeatedly asks her parents to tell her about the night she was born. The parents featured in the book are a nuclear family, who fly to pick up their newborn daughter. The book introduces the terms ‘biological mother and father’ and has a passing mention to birth mother too young to parent. |
| Star of the Week: A Story of Love, Adoption and Brownies with Sprinkles | Darlene Friedman & Roger Roth | 2011 | Ages 4-8 | This book tells the story of a girl who is the Star of the Week in her class and tells them about being adopted from China. Reviewers mentioned this is a good way to start a discussion with your child about how to answer questions from others about adoption and birth parents. |
| Over the Moon: An Adoption Tale | Karen Katz | 2001 | Ages 4-8 | This is a very sweet, vibrantly illustrated book focusing on the adoption of a baby girl from South America. The story highlights the joy and excitement of her parents as they make the journey to bring her home. It also stresses the permanence of this new family. |
| God Found Us You | Lisa Tawn Bergren & Laura Bryant | 2009 | Ages 4-8 | The story centers on Little Fox asking Mama Fox about his adoption. Mama Fox tells him how hard she prayed for him and about the mother who had to give him away in order to make sure he was safe. She assures Little Fox that adoption was the answer to all their prayers. A good chunk of the book focuses on how long they waited for Little Fox to come home. |
| Bringing Asha Home | Uma Krishnaswami & Jamel Akib | 2015 | Ages 4-9 | This story focuses on a young boy Arun who, along with his parents, is waiting for the adoption of his little sister, Asha, to be completed. Unlike other books, this explains a bit about the bureaucracy, paperwork and waiting involved in international adoptions. |
| Happy Adoption Day! | John McCutcheon | 2001 | Ages 5-8 | This book is meant to celebrate the day a a family comes together and marks the adoption day that changed all of them forever. It is based on a song the author wrote for a friend and the music is featured in the book. The book has applicability to a wide number of families since it doesn’t touch on specific kinds of adoption and shows a lot of diversity in family types. |
| And That’s Why She’s My Mama | Tiarra Nazario | 2018 | Ages 5-8 | Multiple characters in this book explore what makes a mother. Reviewers appreciated the portrayal of multiracial families and single mothers. |