Books For Adopted Kids

I am a firm believer that reading stories with your kids, adopted or not, is a great way to bond with them. Over the years I’ve written stories for both of my girls as a way to help connect with them. I feel like the market is sadly lacking, but I’ve compiled a list of books that I think have been helpful in making some of those connections with my kids.

1. The Boy Who Built A Wall Around Himself This story is for those kiddos who are having a hard time attaching to their families. It is a story, written in a metaphor style, about a boy who builds a wall around himself to protect himself from the perceived danger his new mom poses. We got it to read with LB, who honestly bristled at first because it hit very close to home and exposed her heart that she so persistently tries to protect. But it helped her to understand her own emotions and thus be able to deal with them.
2. The Red Thread: An Adoption Fairy Tale This is written like a magical fairy tale about a king and a queen who always feel like something is missing, feeling a pain in their hearts. One day, a peddler’s magic reveals that they have a red thread tied to their hearts and if they follow it, they will find their happiness. At the end, they find the child they’ve always wanted.
3. Little Brown Bonnie This story is about a little brown bunny who has been adopted into a family of all white bunnies. This makes little Brown Bonnie sad, but her mom helps her to see that it was her mama who was sad until her little bunny came along and made their family complete. This deals with interracial adoption and embracing the beautiful differences rather than feeling threatened by them.
4. I Don’t Have Your Eyes This book celebrates not only the differences, but more importantly, the similarities between adopted child and parent. I’ve personally found over the years how important for bonding it has been to point out things I have in common with my adopted children. I will say things like, “You got my sense of humor” or “You have my hands”. My children, always looking to know they belong, really resonate with this idea.
5. Little Lost Pip This is a story about a little orphaned squirrel who spends the first year of his life fending for himself. When a cat comes along and bites off his tail, a kind woman picks him up, takes him home and nurses him back to health. Even though she loves and takes him in as her own, he isn’t sure he can trust her. So he will still bite and scratch to prove to her and himself that he doesn’t need anyone else, though he’s really just covering up his own fear. In the end, he comes to understand that no matter what, his mama would always love him.