Books

The following is a list of books I have found helpful regarding our adoption. Parenting books are at the top, followed by books for children.

Adoption/Parenting Adopted Children
  • Parenting Your Internationally Adopted Child: From Your First Hours Together Through the Teen Years by Patty Cogen - I LOVE this book! It is a great follow up to The Connected Child. The thing I love the most is the author not only describes unique adoption behavior but helps to put it into real life perspective. She does this by writing about a play therapy group for adoptive families and how the behaviors/interactions may look. She also has many practical ideas and tools for connecting with your child. My favorite idea is the 3 picture story (you will have to read about it!)
  • Fields of the Fatherless by Tom Davis - God (as defined by Christianity) has called all His followers to care for orphans (the fatherless). What does this look like and how are Christians to respond? Includes personal stories and biblical references regarding orphans and adoption. There is a guide at the back of the book providing discussion questions for each chapter to be used for personal or group study.
  • IIn Their Own Voices: Transracial Adoptees Tell Their Stories by Rita J. Simon and Rhonda M. Roorda - This is the first book in what turned out to be a series of 3 books. They are a great series of books to read if you ever wonder about what it is like to adopt transracially- what it's like for the child, you as the parents, and your biological children. The first part in this book is argument, rhetoric and data for and against transracial adoption. The second part is 24 transracial adoptees tell their stories as interviewed by the authors.

    Children's Books
    •  Hugo Hippo's ABC Fun Book in Africa by Gail A. Porter and James Okello - I actually bought this book in Africa! I gave it to my son as a gift when I came home from Kenya on a mission trip. It's fun and colorful. Each page is depicts Hugo the Hippo and a letter of the alphabet. There is also a picture of Africa on each page and a county highlighted so you can see where the author is taking about. For example: Rr Here's Hugo... reading riddles to a rhino in Rwanda.
    • To Be a Kid by Maya Ajmera and John D. Ivanko - A wonderful photo book of children all around the world. The words are short and simple describing the wonderful things about being a kid, like being carried by those who love you. The beauty of this book is the fun pictures of kids all around the world. Each photo has the country next to it.
    •  Brown Like Me by Noelle Laperti – An African-American girl named Noelle is encouraged by her Caucasian adoptive family to seek out the beauty of being brown-skinned. She identifies brown colored things all around her. The pictures are real photos verses drawings.
    • The Colors of Us by Karen Katz – The diversity of family, friends' and neighbors' skin color discussed by a mom and her daughter. They compare the colors to yummie foods they eat.
    • We See the Moon by Carrie A. Kitze – Relates to birth parents and a child’s understanding. Written from a child's perspective asking questions their hearts about their birth parents. Allows these (sometimes difficult) discussions to start at an early age and be ok to talk about together.