[Waiting4Celeste]

what would you include?

I look and look and look for good children's books about adoption, and I have found some - but they never seem to cover all of the specifics I want to see in a kid's book. I keep thinking that I should just WRITE ONE!

What topics/issues/etc would you like to see in a children's book about adoption?

Do you think it should be general about adoption - basically an informative book. i.e. explain adoption and what it means?

What about a book specifically about Guatemalan adoption?

Should the book be from a child's point of view:
"Hi, my name is John and I am adopted and here's my story..."

Any other thoughts??

Who knows if I will ever actually break down and write a book, but it has me curious.

THANKS!

[stacytoadopt]

Being single, I struggle finding a book that doesn't always say mom and dad, we brought you home, etc...

Doubt it would be possible to word it as joining a family and not specify the specifics. Need more details than that.

I got the book the best single mom in the world. Like a lot of it. It says that the mom was busy with her life, worked, spent time with friends, but wanted to adopt - or some such. then moves into the adoption stuff. But then it is limited to singles... not easy. I should do one for her - but probably never will.

good luck

[w8ting4Thomas]

It would be great to have a Guat book...but for mass sales I think the best approach would be to be general...not about a particular process like Guat or China but about what it means to be adopted (and if you are a Christian, adopted into God's family too! BUt that is my personal opinion).

Then I would deal with all of the questions...you may (or may not) know your mom or dad...then an appropriate story line for that. Then you may or may not have been in an orphanage. You get the drift. I think the LIFEBOOK speaks to your child. BUt I definately think there is a HUGE need for more books on adoption and why siblings can be a different color (don't need to specify light brown or dark brown).

This is just my quick opinion.

[maccafan]

I also think it would reach more people if it wasn't Guatemala-specific (although that would make a cool book, too). I like the ideas posted above. A couple other things I can think of off the top of my head:

I would make sure to include something about being born. I've read that often adopted kids don't realize that all babies are actually born, and then sometimes the woman whose tummy they grew in becomes their mom, and sometimes someone else does. Maybe that can lead into something about there being all kinds of families (i.e. single parent, gay parents, parents who are a different color from their kids, etc.) I'd also avoid the whole "you were chosen" thing.

[dac_cincy]

I am also single and I would like to see books that persent adoption with only one parent- I know there are single men who have adopted to too- so general neutral would be great- maybe told through the eyes of the parent- but never specifing how many parents or the gender.

I would like to see a Guatemala specific book- one that talks about visit trips or foster families or present the backgrounds as being more Hispanic. Nearly every book I find is China centric or girl centric.

[shanpine]

I love the idea of it being from the child's view....especially if your kiddo was old enough ( or you could find one who was) to have them give some insight. that would be a neat way to let the reader really relate to the story! Great idea!!

[brink]

Google Judy Oltrogge and "My Name is Ana Maria". A website that offers doll clothes and children's books and other crafts offers it. It's a neat little paperback book (fiction, but very factual) that tells about what living in Guatemala is like, written for adopted children. The pictures are black and white illustrations, but the information is really great. It even mentions Pollo Campero. There's a neat note by the author in the front for children. She even suggests that children can color the pictures, but I won't be letting mine do that. I have one for each of my kids for the future, as it's a book that really explains in nice detail what family life is like in Guatemala. The neat thing is that proceeds go to the orphanage she helped found.

This book isn't really about adoption, so I'm not answering the OPs original question, but I wanted to recommend this nice little book.