Sweet children’s books about adoption ♥

A loving family can come in all sorts of different forms, regardless of gender, race, culture, and biology. Yet adoption (and being a foster parent!) can cause people to feel a wide range of emotions and anxieties. That is why children’s books about adoption are so valuable, both for the child and for the parent.

Through positive storytelling, they give families intimate moments to share together, bringing them closer and replacing any concerns they have with love and support. To help you along, we’ve selected the most popular among them to enjoy with your family, time and again.

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Tell Me Again About the Night I Was Born

by Jamie Lee Curtis & Laura Cornell

Tell Me Again About the Night I Was Born is a heart-felt story about a little girl who was adopted. The writing is simple yet charming, and it affectionately highlights the love and joy that a child brings to a family.

From the publisher: Jamie Lee Curtis and Laura Cornell, the New York Times bestselling team behind Today I Feel Silly and I’m Gonna Like Me, bring us a tender and funny picture book for every parent and child. Tell Me Again About the Night I Was Born is a special celebration of the love and joy an adopted child creates for a family.

In asking her parents to tell her again about the night of her birth, a young girl relives a cherished tale she knows by heart. Focusing on the significance of family and love, this a unique and beautiful story about adoption and the importance of a loving family.

A beautiful adoption story, Tell Me Again About the Night I Was Born also speaks to the universal childhood desire to know more about the excitement, awe, love, and sleeplessness that a new baby brings to a family.

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.

Length: 40 pages
Genre: Picture Book, Adoption
Publisher: HarperCollins
Average customer review: 4.5 out of 5 stars (2,070 ratings)
Buy it: Amazon

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A Mother for Choco

by Keiko Kasza

A Mother for Choco is gentle story about a bird in search of a family and home. It explores adoption and unique-looking families in delicate ways, with beautiful illustrations that bring the story to life.

From the publisher: Family is about love no matter how different parents and children may be, adopted or not.

Choco wishes he had a mother, but who could she be? He sets off to find her, asking all kinds of animals, but he doesn’t meet anyone who looks just like him. He doesn’t even think of asking Mrs. Bear if she’s his mother-but then she starts to do just the things a mommy might do. And when she brings him home, he meets her other children-a piglet, a hippo, and an alligator-and learns that families can come in all shapes and sizes and still fit together.

Keiko Kasza’s twist on the “Are you my mother?” theme has become one of the most highly recommended stories about adoption for children.

Length: 32 pages
Genre: Picture Book, Adoption
Publisher: Puffin Books
Average customer review: 4.5 out of 5 stars (1,654 ratings)
Buy it: Amazon

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Dragon’s Extraordinary Egg

by Debi Gliori

Dragon’s Extraordinary Egg is a wonderful observation on parenthood, and the love and commitment a parent feels to their child, even when they don’t share the same biology.

From the publisher: In this heartwarming story, a dragon in need of an egg finds an abandoned egg in need of a mommy. It seems like the perfect fit, but when that egg hatches, the little baby doesn’t look like all the other dragons. In fact, he looks a lot like a penguin!

Of course, his mommy loves him no matter what. But the other young dragons aren’t so sure. Little do they know that their feathered friend’s differences will save the day! Sometimes things happen for a reason … and some families are just meant to be together.

Length: 32 pages
Genre: Picture Book, Adoption
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Average customer review: 4 out of 5 stars (450 ratings)
Buy it: Amazon

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The White Swan Express

by Jean Davies Okimoto, Elaine M. Aoki & Meilo So

The White Swan Express is about four different families that adopt children from China. It portrays diverse family structures (including one lesbian couple) and features beautiful Asian-inspired watercolors, highlighting the importance of learning about and respecting an adopted child’s cultural heritage.

From the publisher: In China, the moon shines on four baby girls, fast asleep in an orphanage. Far away in North America, the sun rises over four homes as the people who live there get ready to start a long, exciting journey. This lovely story of people who travel to China to be united with their daughters describes the adoption process step by step and the anxiety, suspense, and delight of becoming a family. Told with tenderness and humor, and enlivened by joyous illustrations, The White Swan Express will go straight to readers’ hearts.

Length: 32 pages
Genre: Picture Book, Adoption
Publisher: Clarion Books
Average customer review: 4 out of 5 stars (105 ratings)
Buy it: Amazon

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My New Mom & Me

by Renata Galindo

My New Mom & Me is a cute and incredibly sweet story that touches on the ideas of adoption (particularly with an older child), single-parent families, and diversity. It’s a highly relatable tale and highlights many of the anxieties that accompany becoming part of a family.

From the publisher: Here is a heartwarming and completely accessible story about adoption, diversity, and acceptance. Told from the point of view of a puppy who is adopted by a cat, this gentle and reassuring tale is perfect for very young readers and listeners.

When the puppy comes to live with his new mom, he is nervous. After all, his mom has stripes and he doesn’t. But his mom says she likes that they look different, and soon the puppy likes it, too. (And who cares what anyone else thinks!)

The puppy’s new mom does all the things other parents do. She plays with him, takes care of him, and sometimes even makes him mad! But that’s okay, because when he’s feeling sad, she knows just what to say.

Length: 32 pages
Genre: Picture Book, Adoption
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade
Average customer review: 4.5 out of 5 stars (468 ratings)
Buy it: Amazon

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The Best Family in the World

by Susana López Rubio & Ulises Wensell

Originally published in Spain, The Best Family in the World tells the story of a young girl who has been living in an orphanage and has just been adopted by a family, causing her to wonder what they will be like. It’s a sweet and imaginative look at adoption, particularly when it comes to slightly older children in need of a loving family and home.

From the publisher: Carlotta anxiously awaits the arrival of her new family. What will they be like? She imagines all kinds of wonderful families: astronauts, pastry chefs, even pirates. How nice to find out that they are the best family in the world.

Length: 28 pages
Genre: Picture Book, Adoption
Publisher: Kane Miller Book Publishers
Average customer review: 4.5 out of 5 stars (57 ratings)
Buy it: Amazon

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The Rainbabies

by Laura Krauss Melmed & Jim LaMarche

The Rainbabies is a childhood favorite for many people. It’s very much a modern-day fairy tale, with beautiful art and a touching look at the love and joy of what it means to be family.

From the publisher: On a moonlit night … In the magic of a moonshower, a childless couple finds a dozen tiny babies in a meadow. Written in classic folktale tradition, illustrated with astonishing paintings, The Rainbabies is woven from magic and moonbeams.

Length: 32 pages
Genre: Picture Book, Adoption
Publisher: HarperCollins
Average customer review: 4.5 out of 5 stars (1,127 ratings)
Buy it: Amazon

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What children’s books about adoption have found a place in your home? Drop us a comment to let us know your favorite authors and stories!