FCC Family Support Committee: Books for Children

 

Reading with your child is one of the greatest pleasures of being a parent. But in the past, it was difficult to find books for children that represented all families and cultures.

 

Fortunately, that has changed, as authors are now writing children’s books which reflect the wonderful range of families, children and experiences.

 

The FCC Nova Scotia – Family Support Committee has compiled a list of books with adoption themes, books with Chinese children as main characters, book celebrating difference, and books about China.

 

We have not read all of these books; some have been included based on reviews from other adoption booklists and online reviews by readers. Some books may present ideas or perspectives which are not consistent with your family’s philosophy about adoption or with your child’s age and level of understanding.

 

We recommend that you read descriptions or reviews of the books before reading to your children. A good source of online descriptions and reviews is www.amazon.ca. Also, many of these books are available through public libraries, and the library catalogues can be searched online. For the websites for Nova Scotia’s regional public libraries go to: http://www.library.ns.ca/regionals/index.htm

 

This is only a sampling of children’s books now available.

 

Adoption from China

 

·          A Sister for Matthew – Pamela Kennedy

·          At Home in this World: A China Adoption Story – Jean MacLeod (for older children)

·          Emma’s Story – Deborah Hodge

·          I Love You Like Crazy Cakes - Rose A. Lewis

·          Just Add One Chinese Sister – Patricia McMahon

·          Kids Like Me in China - Ying Ying Fry

·          Mommy Far, Mommy Near - Carol Antoinette Peacock

·          My Mei Mei – Ed Young

·          Shaoey and Dot: Bug meets Bundle – Mary Beth Chapman and Steven Curtis Chapman

·          The Red Blanket – Eliza Thomas

·          When You Were Born in China: A Memory Book for Children Adopted from China - Sara Dorow

 

Adoption – Other International

 

·          Over the Moon - Karen Katz  (adoption from Guatemala)

·          Rebecca’s Journey Home – Sugarman Brynn Olenburg (adoption from Vietnam)

Adoption – General

 

·          A Koala for Katie - Jonathan London

·          Adoption - Fred Rogers

·          Happy Adoption Day - John McCutcheon

·          Tell Me Again about the Night I was Born - Jamie Lee Curtis

·          The Day We Met You - Phoebe Koehler

·          I Don’t Have Your Eyes – Carrie Kitz

 

Adoption themes

 

These books tell adoption-themed stories with animals as the main characters

 

·          Little Miss Spider - David Kirk

·          A Mother for Choco - Keiko Kaza

·          Horace - Holly Keller

·          A Blessing From Above - Patti Henderson

Children’s books with Chinese themes, characters or settings

 

·          A Time of Golden Dragons - Song Nan Zhang and Hao Yu Zhang

·          At the Beach - Huy Voun Lee (This series of Chinese books providing an introduction to Mandarin also includes In The Park, In the Leaves, In the Park, One-Two-Three Go, and others)

·          Chin Yu Min and the Ginger Cat - Jennifer Armstrong

·          China's Bravest Girl - Charlie Chin

·          Chinese Mother Goose Rhymes - Robert Wyndham and Ed Young

·          Daisy Comes Home - Jan Brett

·          Mei Mei Loves the Morning - Margaret Holloway Tsubakiyama

·          Millions of Snowflakes - Mary McKenna Siddals

·          Mouse Match – Ed Young

·          Red Is A Dragon – A book of Colors - Roseanne Thong

·          Round is a Mooncake – A book of shapes - Roseanne Thong

·          Ruby’s Wish – Shirin Yim Bridges

·          Sagwa, the Chinese Siamese Cat - Amy Tan

·          Silk Peony, Parade Dragon - Elizabeth Steckman

·          The Dancing Dragon - Marcia Vaughn

·          The Empress and the Silkworm - Lily Toy Hong

·          The Empty Pot – Demi

·          The Magic Paintbrush – Joel Stewart and Julia Donaldson

·          The Story of Chopsticks - Ying Yang Compestine

·          Three Pandas - Jan Wahl

·          Too Many Suns - Julie Lawson

 

Children’s reference books about China

·          Moonbeams, Dumplings and Dragon Boats: A Treasury of Chinese Holidays, Activities and Recipes – Nina Swartz and Leslie Simonds

·          Find Out About China – Zheng Qing and Tim Hutchinson

·          National Geographic Countries of the World: China

·          Count Your Way Through China

 

Traditional Chinese stories and poems

 

·          How the Rooster Got His Crown - retold by Amy Lowry Poole

·          Lon Po Po – a Red Ridinghood Story from China - Ed Young

·          Maples in the Mist: Poems for Children from the Tang Dynasty - Minfong Ho

·          The Hunter - retold by Mary Casanova

·          The Monkey and the Panda - Meilo So and Antonio Barber

·          The Seven Chinese Brothers - Margaret Mahy

·          The Seventh Sister – A Chinese Legend - Cindy Chang

·          Tikki Tikki Tembo - retold by Arlene Mose

·          White Tiger, Blue Serpent - retold by Grace Tseng

·          Yeh-Shen, A Cinderella Story from China - Ai-Ling Louie

·          The Mouse Bride - Monica Chang

 

 

Children’s books celebrating children of all cultures

·          K is for Kiss Goodnight – a bedtime alphabet - Jill Sardegna

·          We're Different, We're the Same, by Bobbie Jane Kates (for Sesame Street)

·          Whoever You Are - Mem Fox

 

Special Themes:

 

Single Parents

I Love You Like Crazy Cakes

The Red Blanket

The White Swan Express

 

Adoption and siblings

A Sister for Matthew

Just Add One Chinese Sister

My Mei Mei – Ed Young

Rebecca’s Journey Home

 

Adoption into Jewish families

Rebecca’s Journey Home

 

 

…and a few about ladybugs!

 

·          Ladybug Ladybug – Ruth Brown

·          Ten Little Ladybugs - Melanie Gerth

·          The Grouchy Ladybug – Eric Carle