The Adventures of Princess Mommy: A Fairy Tale for Single Mothers and Their Children
written and illustrated by Ali Sherwin
Language: English
Montclair, NJ: 13th Moon, c2009.
30 p. : col. ill. ; 22 x 28 cm.
ISBN: 9780981955910
My annotation: This is a personal fairy tale written by the “Princess Mommy” for her child. She relates the story of how she looked very hard to find the right prince in order to make a baby with. After she meets several colorful characters who do not measure up to her expectations for fatherhood, she finally decides to go to a “Wise Woman” to obtain a “magic seed” that can be placed inside of her "egg" in order to make a baby. The Wise Woman directs her to a tree with so many magic seeds she is at first overwhelmed, but she picks ten and brings them home to her family who help her pick just the right one to make a baby with. In the end she gets her desired child and tells her child that she “was much happier than she would have been if she had married one of those Frog Princes, because those guys weren’t good enough for Mommy and they weren’t good enough for you.” This book about choosing single motherhood via sperm donation is a personal story that might not work for your family story as it is very specific to this mother’s own experiences of trying to find her Prince. However, this book takes a family-building approach and employs the “labor of love” script. Full-color illustrations are hand-drawn by the author. Recommended for children ages 3-5.
Available: http://13thmoon.net/html/mommy.html
The Baby Kangaroo Treasure Hunt, a gay parenting story
written by Carmen Martínez Jover
illustrated by Rosemary Martínez.
Language: English
[Mexico] : Carmen Martínez Jover, ©2009.
16 pp.
ISBN: 6070008464; 9786070008467
$17.00
Summary: A sweet children's story of how two kangaroos: Jack and Sam, a gay couple, have their own baby by means of an egg donor and surrogacy. Using kangaroos in the story enables children to easily understand the methods related to their conception in a simple and loving way.
Available: http://www.carmenmartinezjover.com/librocanguro.html
Available: http://www.amazon.com/Baby-Kangaroo-Treasure-parenting-story/dp/6070008464/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1338465488&sr=1-1
Bayje's Story: An IVF Tale for Little People
by Tanisha Danyette Brandon
Language: English
Baltimore, Md. : Publishamerica Inc, 2010.
1 v. (unpaged) : col. ill. ; 22 cm.
ISBN: 1448970024; 9781448970025
Summary: Some babies grow in their mommy's hearts; some grow in their mommy's stomachs. This is the story of a baby that grew in both. Told in easy to understand language, this true tale describes the journey of an IVF baby from conception to birth. With real photographs, IVF toddlers everywhere will delight in sharing Bayje's story, and hopefully better understand their own. Great for a night time story or just cuddle time.
Available: http://www.publishamerica.net/product36500.html
Les bébés naissent dans les épuisettes
texte de Pascale Tonin
illus. by Hector
Language: French
Summary: A little boy explains his assisted conception to his friend.
Full text available online: http://sd-2.archive-host.com/membres/up/199489827563849191/bebepuisette.pdf
Graine de bébé: mais par où passent les bébés?
texte de Thierry Lenain
illus. by Serge Bloch
Language: French
Paris : Nathan : VUEF , DL2009
1 vol. (non paginé [32 p.]) ill. en coul. 24 cm
ISBN: 2092110381, 9782092110386
Summary: Ce livre fait l’inventaire plutôt réaliste des questions que se posent certains enfants très tôt. Il y apporte des réponses précises et techniques, y compris sur la fécondation in vitro et l’accouchement par césarienne, avec des mots simples.
Zoé, bébé : autre mode d'emploi
Sylvie Tiné-Brisseau
Language: French
Ed. Association de compétences, 2000
Le mystère des graines à bébé
by Serge Tisseron
illus. by Aurélie Guillerey.
Language: French
Paris : A. Michel jeunesse, DL 2008
1 vol. (non paginé [40] p.) : ill. en coul., couv. ill. en coul. ; 19 x 24 cm.
ISBN: 9782226180131; 2226180133
Summary: Petit Paul vient de découvrir comment on fait les bébés. Mais ses parents lui disent : " petit Paul chéri, pour toi ça ne s'est pas passé comme ça. On ne sait pas comment te l'expliquer... ". heureusement, ses amis la chouette, l'éléphant, le lézard et le pingouin lui dévoilent le mystère des techniques médicales qui aident les parents à avoir de beaux bébés. Un album indispensable pour que chaque enfant puisse connaître l'histoire de sa naissance. Et que ses parents - une maman et un papa ou deux mamans, ou deux papas...- trouvent les mots pour lui raconter simplement l'amour, la conception, la procréation médicalement assistée.
My annotation: Little Paul’s teacher has just taught the students how babies are made the natural way and little Paul goes home to tell his parents what he has learned. But mom and dad seem a little troubled. “For you it did not happen that way,” his parents tell him. “We did not know how to explain it to you,” they continue. So Little Paul sets out determined to find all the ways babies can be made. He goes to a series of animal friends, who explain fertilization, in vitro fertilization, donor assistance, adoption, and embryo donation. About donor assistance, Little Paul asks if it is possible to know the donor and his animal friend tells him that in some countries you can know and in other countries you can’t. Little Paul then asks about the doctor. “Does he know? “Yes,” says his friend, to which Little Paul replies: “Why would the doctor have the right to know where I come from, and not me?” His animal friend also tells him that some parents are afraid to tell their child because they are afraid the child will love them less. “What a strange idea! I hope that if I was born like that, my dad and my mom would have told me right away!” says Little Paul. In the end we do not know how Paul was conceived but when he goes home, his parents sit him down and tell him all about it. The book includes a helpful glossary at the end for words like, anonymous donor, embryo, fertilization, IVF, gametes, and assisted reproductive technology. The book takes a child-conception approach and employs the “helper” and “nut & bolts” scripts. Recommended for children ages 5-8 and available only in French.
Available: http://www.amazon.fr/Le-myst%C3%A8re-graines-%C3%A0-b%C3%A9b%C3%A9/dp/2226180133/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1353808168&sr=8-1
A dream come true : talking to your child about assisted reproduction
Christo Zouves, M.D ; with Linda Attell and Holly Bea
illustrated by Sarah Fox.
Language: English
Daly City, CA. : Zouves Fertility Center, 2004.
27 p. : col. ill. ; 22 x 26 cm.
ISBN: 0976473801; 9780976473800
My Annotation: Written by a reproductive endocrinologist, this book aims to explain the basics of human reproduction as well as assisted reproduction when and why there might be a need for it. It introduces children to some very big words like “intracytoplasmic sperm injection” and “sperm chromatin structure assay,” as well as the more common terms found in children’s books on ART, like in vitro fertilization, egg donation, sperm donation, and surrogacy. Unlike other children’s books on ART, this book is narrated by several children who were all conceived in different ways. There is Michael, a twin, conceived via IVF. There is PJ, conceived via egg donation. There is Sophie, brought into the world via surrogacy. And there are Katie and Mei Lin, both conceived via IUI and donor insemination, Katie to a heterosexual couple, and Mei Lin to a lesbian couple. In these vignettes, all the children explain the reasons where and why that particular ART method was used to conceive them, for example, Michael’s mom’s eggs “couldn’t travel through her tubes” and his dad’s sperm “couldn’t swim to the egg” so mom’s eggs and dad’s sperm were put in a petri dish where they could join together to form an embryo. The book includes a glossary though it does not include the term IUI even though it is introduced in the book. The last few pages are devoted to spaces for family photos, the names of the doctors who helped bring them into the world, the names of the helpers, and a picture of the ultrasound, clearly acknowledging all the work that went into bringing them into the world and to “shift their focus from making a family to being a family.” Cartoon drawings resembling children’s drawings depict no nudity. Recommended for children ages 5-8.
Available: http://www.goivf.com
Constantin et L'Invitro
[author: Lia Singh] ; [ill.: Alain Longet].
Language: French
Lausanne : LEP, Loisirs et pédagogie, cop. 2000.
[48] S. : Ill. ; 17 cm.
ISBN: 2606008448; 9782606008444
From the PR leaflet: 'An 8 years old girl ... tells her [mother] "I, too, will get injections in order to have a baby".
More information: http://www.women.it/cyberarchive/files/bryld.htm
The journey of the stars who conceived a new Baby: Pink Star
Produced by New Shining Stars LLC
Language: English
New Shining Stars LLC, 2010
ISBN: 0984477004; 9780984477005
All 7 for $56.00
Reading level: Ages 6-12
Summary: A male and female reproductive egg cells, portrayed as Blue and as a Pink Stars respectively, had to overcome many obstacles along their journey to the Fertile Grounds to: unite, fertilize, implant and finally conceive a new human baby.
other books in the series:
Blue Stars
Tiny, the blue star
The battle for Pink Star
Fertilization & Implantation
The Rose & the Fetus
The Unborn Baby
Available: http://journeyofthestars.webs.com/
Mom and Me...the Way It Should Be!
by Tina Rella
illustrated by Monica Meza
Produced by Molly Summer
Language: English
CreateSpace, 2010.
Summary: Shalisse is shopping for groceries with Mom, practicing some of the new words she learned to read in school. She sees some balloons at the checkout counter that spell out "Happy Father's Day." "Mom," she asks, "Why don't I have a father?" Mom tells Shalisse about the unforgettable journey she took to have her, using a sperm donor.
Available: http://lovemakesafamilybooks.com/books-assisted-reproduction.html
Daddy and Pop
by Tina Rella
illustrated by Monica Meza
Produced by Molly Summer
Language: English
CreateSpace, c2010
26 p. : col. ill. ; 26 x 21 cm.
ISBN: 1450554113; 9781450554114
My annotation: When Jessie’s first grade class is asked to draw pictures of their families, Jessie is the first to offer to share hers. When she is all done talking about her two daddies, a girl in her class asks, “Where’s your mom?” to which Jessie replies that she does not have one. “You have to have a mom,” the little girl says. “How could you be born if you didn’t have a mom?” When her daddies pick her up from school and ask her about her day, Jessie asks, apparently for the first time ever, “Am I supposed to have a mom?” to which she does not get an immediate answer from her fathers, but rather a “why do you ask?” question. When she asks where she came from, her daddy replies, “Now THAT is a very special story.” And so they tell her about the “pretty girl” who gave them an egg and the “lovely lady” who carried her to term. The story is partially told in a rhyme that in some parts does not make sense and detracts from the story. The book takes a family-building approach and employs the “helper” script. Recommended for children ages 5-8.
Library of Congress subject headings:
- Children of gay parents -- Pictorial works -- Juvenile fiction
- Gay fathers - Pictorial works -- Juvenile fiction
- Children of gay parents
Available: http://lovemakesafamilybooks.com/books-assisted-reproduction.html
Available: http://www.amazon.com/Daddy-Pop-Tina-Rella/dp/1450554113
One More Giraffe
by Kim Noble
illustrated by Stephanie Gibson
Language: English
[United States] : [s.n.], ©2009.
1 v. (unpaged) : col. ill. ; 16 x 18 cm.
ISBN: 0692005781; 9780692005781
$9.95
Summary: There are many giraffes in Africa. Over 100,000 of them! But, there were two giraffes that wanted there to be one more giraffe. They wanted their own family. They tried and they tried. But a baby giraffe never came. They were very sad. Then they met a kind lady giraffe who wanted to help them. She gave them a very special gift. A doctor helped them with the gift so that they could try to become a Mommy and a Daddy. Not much later, the doctor told them that they were going to have a baby. They were so excited! They patiently waited for the baby to come. They waited... and they waited. Finally, the day came! The baby giraffe was born. They were a proud and happy family. The new Mommy and Daddy loved their baby more than anything else in the whole world.
Available: http://www.onemoregiraffe.com/
Available: http://www.amazon.com/One-More-Giraffe-Kim-Noble/dp/0692005781/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1338463324&sr=1-1
Surrogacy, a Magical Delivery
by Tamra Martin
illustrated by Jason Tinker
Language: English
Durham, CT : Strategic Book Group, ©2011.
27 p. ; col. ill. ; 28 cm.
ISBN: 9781609762100; 160976210X
$13.00
Summary: A comforting and tender tale of an opossum family longing for a baby of their own. When they learn that they are unable to have a baby the conventional way, they embark on a mission to seek out other alternatives. As the opossum family continues on their quest, they persevere through many obstacles to reach their goal.
Available:http://www.amazon.com/Surrogacy-Magical-Delivery-Tamra-Martin/dp/160976210X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1338463150&sr=1-1
The Egg Lady
by Nance Ellen
illustrated by Lon Eric Craven
Language: English
Bittersweet Books, c2009.
33 pages
ISBN: 9780615305981
$16.95
Reading level: Ages 3-6
Review: A “loving couple” wishes and hopes for a baby to share their love with but no baby comes. One day a beautiful woman who calls herself “the egg lady” appears at their door and offers to help them have a baby in the form of a basket of eggs. The couple is encouraged to pick one beautiful egg which the Egg Lady assures them will help them have their baby. Includes an “Our Story” section for readers to share with their children.
Available: http://www.bittersweetbooks.net/
A very special baby (for donor conceived children)
by Amanda MacLeod
illustrated by Sam Taylor
Language: English
[Napier, N.Z. : A. MacLeod, 2010]
1 v. (unpaged) : col. ill. ; 21 cm.
ISBN: 9780473178062; 0473178060
$95.00 for the set of 5
Summary: Simple introductory stories for young children who are born with the help of egg, sperm and embryo donation.
Other books in the series:
- egg donation
- sperm donation
- embryo donation
- sperm donation to a single woman
- sperm donation to a same sex couple
Available: http://www.dreambaby.co.nz
I can't wait to meet you
by Claudia Santorelli-Bates
illus. by Caleb Sawyer
Language: English
Santa Monica, Calif. : So No Wonder Pub., 2010.
ISBN: 9780615319353; 0615319351
p. cm.
$15.99
Reading level: 6-9.
Summary: Grace and Charlie, a married couple, want to have a baby, but the pregnancy test always shows Grace is not pregnant. So, the couple conceive a baby through in vitro fertilization. Provides a step-by-step description of this method of conception.
Available: http://www.icantwaittomeetyou.com/
Available: http://www.amazon.com/I-Cant-Wait-Meet-You/dp/0615319351/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1338462686&sr=1-1
I love my family: a book about assisted conception for young children
by Tammy Troute-Wood
illus. by Brent Patrick Gough
Language: English
[United States] : www.myIVFbooks.com, ©2011.
1 v. (unpaged) : col. ill. ; 26 cm.
ISBN: 9780986810701; 0986810703
$18.99
Reading level: Ages 3-5
Summary: I loVe my Family: A book about assisted conception for young children provides an age-appropriate story for 3 to 5 year olds. The book’s use of diverse pictures, inclusive language, accurate anatomy and family activities provide a tool to explain all manners of assisted conception for all families. The book offers parents information on how to prepare, set the stage and answer questions. The colouring pages provide an opportunity to engage in conversation about values including love, hope and family. A glossary provides alternative words to use for those who prefer plain language rather than medical terminology. The reproductive puzzle allows all families to piece together and celebrate their own family story.
Available: http://myivfbooks.com/
Available: http://www.amazon.com/loVe-Family-assisted-conception-children/dp/0986810703/ref=lh_ni_t
Miracle baby : [how babies are made the IVF way]
by Jennifer Bennett
illus. by Ailsa Hitton
Language: English
CreateSpace, ©2010.
1 v. (unpaged) : col. ill. ; 26 cm.
ISBN: 9781452811574; 1452811571
$14.95
Summary: "This beautifully illustrated and fun to read book explains, in a simple and loving way, how babies are conceived with the help of in vitro fertilization" -- Cover back.
Available: http://www.amazon.com/Miracle-Baby-How-Babies-Made/dp/1452811571/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1353842054&sr=8-1&keywords=9781452811574
Why I'm so special : a book about surrogacy
written by Carla Lewis-Long
illustrated by Jean-Claude Michel
edited by Bryna Jean-Marie.
Language: English
Bloomington, IN : AuthorHouse, ©2010.
1 v. (unpaged) ; col. ill. ; 22 cm.
ISBN: 143899656X; 9781438996561
$16.95
Reading level: 2-5
Summary: "This book tackles a very difficult, complicated subject in a sweet, whimisical way. A lighthearted picture book on surrogacy."--Cover p. [4].
Available: http://carladanielle.com/
Available: http://www.amazon.com/Why-Im-So-Special-Surrogacy/dp/143899656X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1338462022&sr=8-1
Then there was you : an IVF story
by Karly Wegner
illus.by Deanna Bresnehan
Language: English
Greenslopes, Qld. : Explaining Conception, 2010.
1 v.
ISBN: 9780980823301; 0980823307
$25.00 AUD
Reading level: Preschool age
Summary: It is a beautifully illustrated, detailed story of IVF which is designed to be read to children from a young age through to the time they can read it themselves.
Available: http://www.explainingconception.com.au/
And Tango makes three
by Justin Richardson; Peter Parnell
illus. by Henry Cole
Language: English
New York : Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, ©2005.
1 v. (unpaged) : col. ill. ; 23 x 29 cm.
ISBN: 0689878451; 9780689878459
$9.99
Readling level: Ages 4-8
Summary: At New York City's Central Park Zoo, two male penguins fall in love and start a family by taking turns sitting on an abandoned egg until it hatches.
Review: Central Park Zoo penguins Roy and Silo act like their male/female counterparts and do everything together. Watching the other penguin pairs build a nest, they too build a nest, but unlike the other penguins, their nest remains empty until one day their zookeeper finds an egg that needs to be cared for and brings it to their nest, where it eventually hatches, and Roy and Silo become parents together. Wonderful and clear illustrations. Included on this list because this story can be used as a metaphor for embryo donation and for same sex couples.
Available: http://www.amazon.com/Tango-Makes-Three-Justin-Richardson/dp/0689878451/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1353843299&sr=1-1&keywords=and+tango+makes+three+by+justin+richardson+and+peter+parnell
A Baby for Mabel and Frederick
by Karen Poston
Language: English
Lulu.com, c2005
20 pp.
ISBN: 1411660242; 9781411660243
$13.25
Ages: 4-8
Summary: Emma's mom is a surrogate - she's carrying a baby for a couple who can't have their own children. Emma is very excited and proud that she and her mom are helping to make a new family. Helps children understand in simple terms what goes on during a gestational surrogacy.
Review: Emma’s mom is a gestational carrier, and Emma has mixed feelings about it, sometimes wishing that the baby her mother is carrying was her new brother or sister, worrying about all the doctor visits her mother has to make, and also sometimes having to explain to her friends that her mother is carrying the baby for another family. This story is narrated by the daughter of a gestational carrier and is also available in a version narrated by a boy as well as a coloring book version.
Available: http://www.lulu.com/us/en/shop/karen-poston/a-baby-for-mabel-and-frederick/paperback/product-16588502.html
Waiting for You
written and illustrated by Kelly Frederick Mizer
Language: English
Lulu.com, c2008
[32] p. : col. ill. ; 28 cm.
$26.95
Ages: 2-6
Summary: Waiting for you is about anticipation, love, and family. Gorgeous, full color illustrations depict the small, but precious moments that take place before any new child makes their grand entrance for the very first time. The story acknowledges that even though families form different ways and certainly don't all look alike, the one thing they share is waiting. This is a great for children of all ages, and is particularly nice to read to big sisters and brothers as they eagerly look forward to meeting their new sibling. The text is also a nice way for parents to begin discussions about adoption, surrogacy, and birth.
Review: This is a simple story about waiting for a child to come into your life even long before you’re ready to have one. It elicits a feeling that no matter how a child is conceived and arrives in a family (via growing inside the mother or having to travel to another country), that child was meant to be in that family. Every family has one thing in common––waiting for their child. It’s included here because it touches on the fact that not all babies come from inside their mothers. Excellent illustrations.
Available: http://www.lulu.com/shop/kelly-frederick-mizer/waiting-for-you/hardcover/product-3863873.html
A Most Precious Gift: a story of egg donation
By Kerry Crabtree
Language: English
Lulu, c2009
44 pp.
$20.18
Reading level: ages 4-8
Review: Told in rhyme, this blank-page book created to “support [the]child to draw their own illustrations or attach photographs,” is a long poem that tells the story of a fairy godmother who donated her egg so that another couple could have a child, “But your fairy god mum, gave a generous gift that’s true / A perfect little tiny egg, that helped us to make you.”
Available: http://www.lulu.com/shop/kerry-roling/a-most-precious-gift/hardcover/product-4442263.html
Two daddies ... and me!
by Robbi Anne Packard
illus.by Lori Ann McElroy
Language: English
Bloomington, IN : Author House, ©2009.
1 v. (unpaged) : col. ill. ; 22 cm.
ISBN: 1438955588; 9781438955582
$12.99
Reading level: Ages 2-4
Summary: A young girl describes her life with her two fathers.
Review: Told in rhyme, this story is written by a woman who was the surrogate mother to a little girl born for a gay male couple. With colorful illustrations and few words, it is for very young children describing a day in the life of this little girl with her two dads, emphasizing that they are a family. The story is not clear about whether the author is a traditional or gestational surrogate and any of the other genetic questions regarding paternity.
Available: http://bookstore.authorhouse.com/Products/SKU-000263050/Two-Daddies-and-Me.aspx
A special beginning
by Megan Mileham
Language: English
[S.l.] : Authorhouse, 2008.
32 pp.
ISBN: 1434391183; 9781434391186
$16.00
Reading level: Ages 3-6
Review: The author, a surrogate mother, wrote this story as a gift to the parents to whom she bore a child. Told as if narrated by the parents themselves, it tells of their love for the woman who agreed to carry their baby. It is unclear whether the child is a result of traditional surrogacy (egg donated by the surrogate) or gestational surrogacy (egg and sperm from the recipient parents).
Available: http://bookstore.authorhouse.com/Products/SKU-000244353/A-Special-Beginning.aspx
Love spot: a story of in vitro fertilization conception
by Brenda Geise
illus. by Blair Geise Merkle
Language: English
Bloomington, IN : Authorhouse, 2008.
1 v. (unpaged) : ill. chiefly col. ; 22 cm.
ISBN: 1438911025; 9781438911021
$12.99
Reading level: Ages 2-5
Review: Told in rhyme, this discussion starter narrated by the mother of a child conceived via IVF tells her child how “the doctor said / you would get a good start / outside my body / close to my heart.” It reassures children conceived this way that they were still conceived in love. The author uses the idea of a “love spot” as a metaphor for a baby or the mother’s egg. The theme of the book is the idea that through love a child can be created. For a younger child it may be fine but may not be clear to an older child.
Available: http://bookstore.authorhouse.com/Products/SKU-000241577/Love-Spot.aspx
Before you were born
By Traci K. Schwein-Coff
illustrated by James Vaughn-Jackson
Language: English
Authorhouse, 2006
36 pp.
ISBN: 1420892266; 9781420892260
$19.98
Reading level: Ages 2-6
Review: This discussion starter tells the story of how Mommy and Daddy couldn’t get pregnant and needed the help of an egg donor.
Available: http://bookstore.authorhouse.com/Products/SKU-000360568/Before-You-Were-Born.aspx
Just the baby for me
by Barbara Sue Levin
Language: English
Lulu, 2008
15 p. : col. ill. ; 22 x 22 cm.
My annotation: This autobiographical story was written as a bedtime story for the author’s daughter. It is a tender story about a woman who always “wanted to grow up to be a mommy.” As time went by though and she did not find the right man, she decides to have a baby on her own and goes on to explain how this was done. First, two things are needed: sperm from a man and an egg from the woman. Since she had no man in her life, she had to visit a “sperm bank” in order to get the sperm. Then she went to a doctor who “helped put the sperm in her belly.” When the sperm and egg came together, they said to each other, “You are just the sperm for me!” And the sperm replies, “You are just the egg for me!” thus conveying to her daughter how she was just the baby for her. Although the term "donor" is not used, this is still a wonderful book for a choice mom to help her explain sperm donation to her child, as well as how much a child is wanted. Full color illustrations are hand drawn by the author and depict a very happy woman from childhood all the way to adulthood as she lives in anticipation of having a child of her own one day. This book takes a family-building approach and employs the “labor of love” script. Recommended for ages 3-5.
Available: http://www.lulu.com/content/2475872
Daddy, was Mommy's tummy big?
by Carolina Nadel
Language: English
Arlington, VA : Mookind Press, ©2007.
[32] p. : col. ill. ; 19 cm.
ISBN: 9780979276118; 097927611X
My annotation: This story begins when a baby elephant asks his father, “Daddy, was mommy’s tummy big?” His daddy then begins to explain how much he was wanted but that “seasons passed...and no baby came.” So they visited several doctors, endured a lot of tests, and finally a doctor helps them find “some parts” they need, which was sperm. He puts the sperm into Mommy’s body, which joins with mommy’s egg, and a baby starts to grow. This is a simple story which begins with a child’s questions about how big his mommy got when she was pregnant and ends with her saying she got bigger than anybody else but not as big as her smile at having him. This book introduces children to the terms “sperm” and “egg,” but does not use the word donor to convey where the sperm came from. This book takes a child-conception approach and employs the “spare parts” and the "labor of love" scripts. The full-color illustrations of the elephant family are appealing and depict other pregnant animals. Recommended for ages 3-5.
Available: http://www.carolinanadel.com/
Nick's story : [how one family proved that miracles can happen]
by Meg Corning
illustrations by Deborah J. McGee.
Language: English
Bloomington, IN : Authorhouse, 2008.
1 v. (unpaged) : col. ill. ; 22 cm.
ISBN: 1434372111; 9781434372116
$9.95
Reading level: Ages 3-9
Summary: Tells the story of how a little boy was born to a surrogate mother.
Review: This discussion-starter is narrated by four-year-old Nick who tells the story of how he “didn’t grow inside [his] mommy’s tummy,” but rather inside the tummy of his surrogate mother who happened to be his aunt. The story is unclear whether the aunt is a traditional surrogate or a gestational carrier for her sister and brother-in-law’s embryo. Nice illustrations.
Available: http://bookstore.authorhouse.com/Products/SKU-000240038/Nicks-Story.aspx
618.178
RG134 .G75 2004
Before you were born : our wish for a baby
by Janice Grimes
illustrations by Mary Moye-Rowley
Language: English
Webster, Iowa : X, Y, and Me, ©2004.
1 v. (unpaged) : col. ill. ; 22 cm.
ISBN: 0975502883; 9780975502884
$14.97
Reading level: Ages 9-12
Review: Each book in this series presents a different conception story. Written by a nurse, this is the story of a baby bear who loves to hear the story of how he was born. Though mommy and daddy bear had trouble having him, they were finally able to have him with the help of a “nice man called a donor.” Excellent illustrations. High-quality paper.
others in the series:
Before You Were Born…..Our Wish for a Baby: The Story Of An IVF Baby
Before You Were Born…..Our Wish for a Baby: The Story Of A Frozen Embryo
Before You Were Born…..Our Wish for a Baby: The Story Of Donor Insemination
Before You Were Born…..Our Wish for a Baby: The Story Of A Donor Egg
Before You Were Born…..Our Wish for a Baby: The Story Of Donor Sperm (IVF)
Before You Were Born…..Our Wish for a Baby: The Story Of A Gestational Carrier
Before You Were Born…..Our Wish for a Baby: The Story Of Surrogacy
Before You Were Born…..Our Wish for a Baby: The Story Of A Donor Embryo
Before You Were Born…..Our Wish for a Baby: A Baby Conceived For Female Partners
Before You Were Born…..Our Wish for a Baby: A Baby Conceived For Male Partners
Available: http://xyandme.com/
PZ7.C313 Gif 2006
Hope and Will have a baby
by Iré́né Celcer
illustrations by Horacio Gatto
Language: English
Niskayuna, N.Y. : Graphite, ©2006.
1 v. (unpaged) : col. ill. ; 21 x 26 cm.
ISBN: 0975581031; 9780975581032
$19.95
Reading level: Ages 2-5
Summary: Hope and Will fall in love, get married, and try very hard to have a baby before their doctor tells them that they need special baby-making seed from a sperm donor before Hope can become pregnant.
Major Book Review: School Library Journal
others in the series:
Hope & Will Have a Baby: The Gift of Egg Donation, ISBN 9780975581018 (0975581015)
Hope & Will Have a Baby: The Gift of Embryo Donation, ISBN 9780975581025 (0975581023)
Hope & Will Have a Baby: The Gift of Sperm Donation, ISBN 9780975581032 (0975581031)
Hope & Will Have a Baby: The Gift of Surrogacy, ISBN 9780975581049 (097558104X)
Available: http://www.hopeandwill.net/pages/main/synopsis.php
I'm I.V.F.
by Katrina Kay Logan
illustrations by Geoff Logan
Language: English
Chandler, Qld. : K. Logan, 2009.
1 v.
ISBN: 9780980616217; 0980616212
Reading level: Ages 4-6
Review: This sequel to Who’s Ivy F.? is told in rhyme and narrated by the same little boy in the first book. It goes into a little more detail about IVF: “Mum’s egg went under the microscope, joined by dad’s sperm and lots of hope.” This book is a discussion starter as it prompts parents to explain what sperm and egg are.
Available: http://www.ivfbooks.com/
Available: http://www.katrinalogan.com/content/im-ivf
Who's Ivy F I.V.F?
by Katrina Kay Logan
illustrated by Geoff Logan
Language: English
Chandler, Qld. : K. Logan, 2009.
1 v.
ISBN: 9780980616200; 0980616204
Reading level: Ages 4-6
Review: Written by a woman whose nephew was conceived by IVF and who could not find any books that were “neither too scientific nor too clinical” on the subject. It is narrated by a little boy who overhears his parents talk about their “special I.V.F. baby.” But, not knowing it is he they are talking about, he has no idea who Ivy F. is. After going on a search to find Ivy and being unable to, he finally asks his parents who Ivy F. is and they explain to him that he is their IVF baby.
Available: http://www.ivfbooks.com/
Available: http://www.katrinalogan.com/content/welcome
HQ53. S3 1988
How babies and families are made : (there is more than one way!)
by Patricia Schaffer
illustrated by Suzanne Corbett
Language: English
Berkeley, Calif. : Tabor Sarah Books, ©1988.
52 p. : ill. ; 26 cm.
ISBN: 0935079173; 9780935079173
$7.95
Recommended for ages: 8-12
Review: This is the first sex book ever published for children that mentions artificial insemination. This book includes a description of how babies are conceived naturally as well as how they are made in the cases of IVF, donor sperm, and adoption. The book also discusses pregnancy, miscarriage, fetal death, labor, types of delivery, prematurity, and disabilities. The author also discusses kinship in families and terminology for birth parents, step-parents, half-siblings, adopted parents, and biological parents. Language is straightforward and there are drawings in black and white with nudity, body parts, and a couple hugging in bed to represent sexual intercourse. Book could be updated to include donor egg, embryo, and surrogacy.
Annotation: The author writes in her preface that she “tried to make all children feel included in the pages of this book,” (including disabled and adopted children), earlier stating that to teach children that all children are conceived via sexual intercourse is “simply untrue.” The book begins with the story of Rachel and Michael, two friends who are alike in many ways, different in others, but both want to know how babies are born. With anatomical drawings labeling all reproductive parts of a woman’s and a man’s body, the book begins by describing what each part does, beginning with how the parts fit together during sexual intercourse. This is how Michael’s parents made him. The book then goes on to explain that not all babies are conceived in this way. Rachel, for example, was conceived via artificial insemination because her father could not make sperm. This book, published in 1988, explains that artificial insemination can also be used by women who do not want to make a baby with a man, thus making this a groundbreaking book being that it was the first non-fiction book published in the United States that hints at single mothers and lesbians who can also resort to artificial insemination in order to have children. Although not necessarily outdated, with so many books on assisted conception published since this one (and this one only covers one method), there are now many more to choose from. As its title states, this is also a book about how families are made and includes the subjects of divorce, death, and remarriage thereby also introducing children to the concepts of step-siblings and half-siblings. Because this is a short book, all these subjects can’t possibly be treated in more than a cursory way, therefore other books on human reproduction, blended families, and disability are recommended. Realistic black and white illustrations depict nudity and lovemaking. Although recommended for children ages 8-12, given the amount of text on each page, children may already be familiar with some of the concepts introduced in this book by the time they get to this one.
Available: http://leeanne.com/taborsarah/
Available: http://www.abebooks.com/book-search/isbn/9780935079173/
306.874
HQ761 S54 1996
My parent(s) made me in a special way : with love and the help of donor insemination
by Holly Jean Smith
illustrated by Janet Boley
Language: English
Ladysmith, B.C. : H.J. Smith, ©1996.
8 p. : col. ill. ; 28 cm.
ISBN: 0968063306; 9780968063309
Available: http://mylats.com/book
306.874
HQ761 .S36 1995
Let me explain : a story about donor insemination
by Jane T. Schnitter
illustrated by Joanne Bowring
Language: English
Indianapolis, Ind. : Perspectives Press, ©1995.
32 p. : ill. ; 27 cm.
ISBN: 0944934129; 9780944934128
My annotation: Written for older children, this book explains the concept of donor insemination. The story is narrated by a fictional little girl who herself was conceived this way. The book begins with her talking about all the great things she does with her dad and that she loves about her dad and adds, “My mom says my dad and I are two of a kind except for one thing. We don’t look anything alike. And I know why. It’s because we don’t have the same genes.” The little girl then goes on to explain what genes are and where they come from introducing the words sperm and ova and what happens when the sperm and ova get together. “Everybody in the whole world starts out that way...But I don’t have any genes from my dad because I didn’t come from his sperm.” The book asks and answers a series of questions any child might have at this point, from "Whose sperm did I come from?" to “Will I ever meet the donor?” to "Does all this make me different?" to which the book answers, "NO! It doesn't make me any different or any more special than anyone else in the world." This book is quite a gentle description of both donor insemination as well as the love between a father and his child, regardless of how that child got here. “What the whole thing comes down to is this...The sperm came from someone else, but once that wonderful baby started to grow, (Me! Remember?), there was only one dad. My dad. The dad who liked to put his hand on Mom’s tummy and feel me kick. The dad who watched me first sit up, bled when I tried out my first tooth on him, and always caught me when I fell. He still does. After all, he's my dad." The book takes a child-conception approach and employs “the helper” script. There are two tone illustrations and the book is recommended for children ages 8-12. Although this book is out of print and the publisher is no longer in existence, it is still available in bookstores specializing in used and out of print books.
Available: http://www.abebooks.com/book-search/isbn/9780944934128/
