Gal and Noa's daddies
by Shosh Pinkas
illus. by Julia Philipone-Erez
Language: English
CreateSpace, 2013
21 p. : col. ill. ; 22 x 22 cm.
ISBN: 1494442531; 9781494442538
My annotation: Gal and Noa are twins. When Gal wants to play daddies on the playground, she is derided by a little girl who tells her there is no such thing as a two-daddy family. Gal corrects her and says that “it’s just like our family.” Another child chimes in however and says that families can’t have more than one dad and that boys can’t marry boys. Then another child chimes in and says that her cousins have two moms. Now the kids on the playground are confused as they have never heard of such a thing. They have questions for Gal and Noa like who does what chores, and what do you call them? When they get home that night they ask their dads how they were born and their dads proceed to tell them how you need a “woman’s teeny egg and a man’s tiny seed” to make a baby, as well as a mommy’s tummy and because they didn’t have a mommy’s tummy, they needed a little help from doctors, an egg donor, and a surrogate. The doctors helped the egg meet the seed and a “nice lady” in India agreed to carry their babies. (Israel prohibits surrogacy for gay men so gay men must commission surrogates outside of Israel). This is the true story of two gay men in Israel who wanted to build their family via surrogacy. It is written by the grandmother of the twin girls who were conceived via surrogacy. Although this book serves as an introduction to surrogacy, it never introduces the term “surrogate,” nor are the words sperm or egg donor used. Rather, it is the story of how two men loved each other and wanted to have children. This book takes a family-building approach and employs the “helper” script. The story is told in a rhyme that works and is recommended for children ages 3-5.
Library of Congress Subject Headings:
- Children of gay parents -- Juvenile fiction
- Gay fathers -- Juvenile fiction
- Conception -- Juvenile fiction
Available: https://www.createspace.com/4566217
Where the northwind blows
by Margaret P. Ritter
illus. by Karina Wacker
Language: English
Vienna : Bright Knight Books, 2013.
15 p. : col. ill. ; cm.
ISBN: 9783950342017
My annotation: This book is the first children’s book published out of Austria about donor conception. It is written as a fairy tale by a single mother for her daughter and is a warm, loving tribute to the miracle of her daughter’s very existence. It begins as her daughter Sunny, an impatient soul waits to be born, dying to be born, so that she may “let her light shine and … set free all her sparkling vitality on earth among the living.” But she must wait until the right person selects her so that she may be born. The book talks about how the souls of all children are meant to be no matter how they get here and that children must wait until they are “struck by … (the) shooting beam of (the) love” of their parents to be born into the “garden of life.” It hints that a man is needed in order to make a baby but also hints at immaculate conception as Sunny was conceived “without a man so much as touching” her mother. She was conceived in Denmark, the land “where the northwind blows” and the country to which her mother traveled from Austria where the use of sperm donation for single mothers and lesbians is rather liberal. It is an entirely personal story, written by this mother for this child and although it never uses the word “donor” or any of the usual terms associated with assisted conception, the book does however use big words like “bagatelle,” “pristine,” and “joi-de-vivre.” The book presents the “labor of love” script and takes both a family-building and a child-conception approach and ultimately counsels to both children and adults that we have the children we are meant to have. Although the concepts presented here are a bit abstract for younger children, the book was inspired by her three-year-old daughter's question, "Mama, where is my father?" For this reason it is recommended both for children ages 3-5 and 5-8. Simultaneously published in both German and English.
Available: http://www.amazon.com/Where-Northwind-Blows-Margaret-Ritter/dp/395034201X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1391589987&sr=8-1&keywords=northwind+ritter
Chérubine et la poule qui ne pondait pas
by Sabine Debrus
illus. by Taylor Brandon
Language: French
CreateSpace, 2013
39 p. : col. ill. ; 16 x 22 cm.
ISBN: 1492796603; 9781492796602
Summary: This book, written for children, is the story of one woman’s fertility journey and of all of the methods of ART she tried until she finally decided to adopt. It conveys one woman’s determination to try absolutely everything to have her own child. The story is told in rhyme, and it is the story of Angelina, a chicken who was despondent because she could not lay any eggs. Along with her angel dog Chérubine, she travels the world for a cure but nothing she tries works for her. Even after failure after failure she does not give up. She is determined to lay her own egg, and one day she finally does, but the egg is cracked. It is therefore not a viable egg. At this point, she does decide to give up, until her chicken friend, Dee, overhears her sadness and decides to take one of the three eggs she is currently laying on and says, ‘Please don’t be blue. I can’t think of a hen who’d be a better mommy than you!” Angelina is overjoyed and hugs the egg to her heart. “Soon the egg hatched and Angelina’s heart filled with joy! For she had a little baby chick, a bouncing baby boy!” This book clearly can be used to begin a discussion of egg donation with a child, but it can be used by any mother who has tried any path to motherhood through any method of ART as the author tried all of them. The book takes a child-conception approach and employs “the helper” and the “labor of love” scripts. There are full-color cartoon drawings and the book is recommended for ages 3-5.
Available: https://www.createspace.com/4453674
God wanted me! God created me!
written and illus. by Teresa Adams
Language: English
Mustang, OK : Tate Publishing, 2009.
25 p. : col. ill. ; 15 x 23 cm.
ISBN: 9781607999577
My annotation: This book takes a deeply religious approach with a child conceived via sperm or egg donation. Assuming that the child has already been told about their donor conception, this book aims to comfort the child who may feel unsettled by the fact that they do not know their biological parent. Throughout, Bible quotes are strung together and meant to comfort a child by explaining how much God loves him or her and that although he or she may not know or even ever know their biological mother or father, it does not matter as much as knowing that they are God’s child. As the book says, “You will save yourself a lot of time by not being preoccupied with the past and searching for the person who released the egg or sperm that helped to form you.” The text soon ends with this quote from Psalms “Even if my father and mother abandon me, the LORD will hold me close.” (Psalms 27:10). The gist of the book is that you may want to search for your biological parents, but you are better off searching for God, for it was God who truly made you. The book ends with this prayer to God “Today, I choose my future with you and I trust that you will deliver me from feelings of loneliness, incompleteness, anger, rejection, and hurt regarding my biological mother/father.” This book is suitable for both donor-conceived as well as adopted children. There are full color illustrations and the book is recommended for children ages 5-8.
Available: https://www.tatepublishing.com/bookstore/book.php?w=978-1-60799-957-7
Hope & Will have a baby: the gift of sperm donation
by Iréné Celcer
illus. by Horacio Gatto
Language: English
Niskayuna, N.Y. : Graphite, ©2006.
1 v. (unpaged) : col. ill. ; 21 x 26 cm.
ISBN: 9780975581032; 0975581031
My annotation: Matthew loves to hear his “family’s special fairy tale.” It is the story of what his parents went through in order to bring him into the world. It begins with a brief introduction to human reproduction, not the sex part, but how babies grow in uteruses and start out as embryos. After many months of trying to have a baby, Hope and Will, Matthew’s mom and dad, visit a doctor who eventually tells them “that they were not going to be able to make a baby together.” This is heartbreaking news. Although the book does not explain the nature of the couple’s infertility, the doctor tells them they can however try donor insemination, at this point introducing children to the term “sperm donor.” The book also introduces children to other big words like “sonogram,” “uterus,” “embryo,” and “sperm” in addition to the term "donor." In addition to the big words, the book also introduces children to big concepts like patience and sadness and shows how painful, frustrating, and difficult the process of trying to have a baby can be, as well as the depression that can set in when trying so hard is not working. In the end though, Matthew’s parents “were very proud of each other and their sperm donor. And “thanks to their combined efforts and his kindness” they became a family. The book takes a child-conception and a family-building approach and employs the “nuts & bolts,” "the helper," and the "labor of love" scripts. The full-color illustrations are appealing and professionally rendered. Recommended for children ages 5-8.
Library of Congress Subject Headings:
- Infertility -- Fictional works
- Fertilization in Vitro -- Fictional works
- Infertility -- Fiction
Available: http://graphitepress.com/bookstore/product_info.php?cPath=21&products_id=31
Author's Web site: http://www.hopeandwill.com/pages/main/synopsis.php
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
My annotation: “Please tell me the story of your wish for a baby,” the little bear boy asks his father at the beginning of the book. This is not the first time he has heard the story but he absolutely loves to hear how much his parents wanted him. When his parents wish for a baby did not come true at first, they go to the hospital to see a “special doctor,” who tells them that Daddy does not have the “special cell” needed to make a baby. There was however, a “nice man” called a "donor" who was willing to give one of his special cells. When the time was right, the special cells were placed inside Mommy and a baby started to grow and “That baby was you! Before we could see you, before we could touch you, we knew that we loved you.” This is a simple and tender story that conveys to a child just how much they were wished for and wanted. It is unusual in that it is the father telling the story and not the mother, as nearly all of the other children’s books about ART are narrated by a female voice. This is one in a series of stories written by a registered nurse who works in an IVF clinic. It takes a family-building approach and a child-conception approach and employs the “spare parts,” the “labor of love,” and “the helper” scripts. Very cute illustrations, professionally rendered, depict a father and son bear family, but the mother is not present. The book does not introduce children to the words, “sperm” and “egg” but it does introduce the word “donor.” Recommended for children ages 3-5.
Library of Congress Subject Headings:
- Artificial insemination, Human -- Juvenile literature
- Artificial insemination, Human
Available: http://www.xyandme.com/XYMe-Books.htm
The story of our family : a book for lesbian families with children conceived by donor insemination
by Petra Thorn and Lisa Green
illus. by Tiziana Rinaldi
Language: English
Mörfelden : FamART-Verlag, 2013.
15 p. : col. ill. ; 21 cm. x 21 cm.
ISBN: 9783981141030
My annotation: This is the story of a Mommy and Mama who loved each other very much and wanted to have a baby, so the women go to see a doctor who helps couples have children. At this point, there are two page 8's, one describing self-insemination with a known donor (“They knew a man who was happy to give them sperm.”) and one describing insemination with an unknown donor (“The doctor put the sperm from a nice man into Mommy’s tummy.”) You can skip over one or the other depending on your own insemination experience. This book is written by two Ph.D’s, with a combined experience of over forty years working as family therapists, one of whom is a lesbian mother herself via DI. It is a simple story which, when read to your child, provides room for you to tell your own family story. The book also introduces children to the words, “sperm,” and “egg” (“Babies grow when the egg from a woman and a sperm from a man come together.”). This book takes a family-building approach and employs the “labor of love” and “the helper” scripts. Full-color professional illustrations render a very happy couple, a doctor, and a donor even though the word “donor” is not introduced. Recommended for children ages 3-5.
Available: http://www.famart.de/kinderbuecher/
Mom, Mama, and Me... and How I Came to Be!
by Tina Rella
illus. by Monica Meza
Language: English
CreateSpace, 2010.
26 p. : col. ill. ; 20 x 25 cm.
ISBN: 9781452875668; 1452875669
My annotation: Told in both the first and third person, this is the story of Jonathan and his two moms. When one day at school, someone asks him what his parents do for a living, he tells them what his moms do. “But where’s your dad?” the other child asks, and Jonathan does not know what to say. At home he asks, “Do I have a Daddy?” to which his moms reply: “...love makes a family, yes it’s true/Love makes a family - me and you/There’s nothing better we could have done/We always knew that you were the one!” The next page features the “Family Fertility Center” about which his parents begin to explain how a “nice young man … donated his sperm,” which a doctor mixed with “our eggs.” Although the book introduces the terms, “sperm,” “egg,” “embryo,” and “donate,” the part about mixing the sperm with “our eggs” might have to be explained as the book’s attempt at rhyme is confusing in parts: “The doctor mixed our eggs with the sperm/Which stayed in a dish for a very short term.” Still, this is an introduction to sperm donation and in vitro fertilization for young children with two mothers. This book takes a family-building approach and employs the “families are made differently” and a little bit of “the helper” script. Full -color illustrations depict a multi-racial lesbian couple. Recommended for ages 3-5.
Library of Congress Subject Headings:
- Children of gay parents -- Pictorial works -- Juvenile fiction
- Lesbian mothers -- Pictorial works -- Juvenile fiction
- Conception -- Pictorial works -- Juvenile fiction
Available: https://www.createspace.com/3454840
Our story (sperm donation for solo mums)
by Nicola Baxter; Donor Conception Network
Language: English
Nottingham : Donor Conception Network, ©2002.
24 p. : col. ill. ; 20 x 21 cm.
ISBN: 0954399501
My annotation: A little boy begins to ask his mum if he has a dad like the other children at school. His mum replies that there are several different types of families, including the one like theirs where it is “just us.” The boy then asks, “But did I ever have a dad?” to which his mum begins to tell him how much she really wanted him but that she just did not “meet the right person to be a dad.” She begins to tell him how a sperm from a man and an egg from a woman are necessary to make a baby but that “some very kind men gave some of their sperm so that women like me could have babies.” The little boy then asks if they know anything about “the man who helped you to make me?” to which the mum replies that she just knows a few things like the colour of his eyes, the colour of his hair, and how tall he is. She also adds that “there are lots of lucky families like us,” assuring her son that he is not the only one who was brought into the world this way. This book is an introduction to anonymous sperm donation for children, although it does not introduce children to the term “donor.” It takes a family-building approach and employs the “families are made differently” and “the helper” scripts. It is in full-color and hand-drawn by various children who depict people of all colors and sizes. Recommended for children ages 3-5.
Library of Congress Subject Headings:
- Artificial insemination, Human -- Pictorial works -- Juvenile fiction
Available: http://www.dcnetwork.org/products/product/our-story-sperm-donation-solo-mums
Our story (sperm donation for lesbian couples)
by Nicola Baxter; Donor Conception Network
Language: English
Nottingham : Donor Conception Network, ©2002.
24 p. : col. ill. ; 20 x 21 cm.
ISBN: 095439951X
My annotation: Told by the child, this is the story of a little boy who lives with his two mums. The story begins when he asks the question, “Do I have a dad?” Without answering the question, the mums explain that there are many different kinds of families; some with a mum and a dad, some with just a mum, and some with just a dad. Not quite satisfied with this explanation, the child asks a second question, “...did I ever have a dad?” That’s when his mums feel compelled to explain to him how much they really wanted a baby and begin to tell him how babies are made with sperm from a man and eggs from a woman. Although the mums do not mention how exactly babies are made with these two things, they tell their son that they had to go to the hospital to get some help and that “some very kind men gave some of their sperm so that women like us could have babies.” When the little boy asks if they know anything about the man who helped to make him and if he will ever get a chance to meet him, they explain that although he won’t be a part of their lives, it is important to know that he was “kind” and “generous.” Although the word “donor” is not used, this book introduces children to the concept of anonymous sperm donation. This book is in full color and illustrated by several different children who depict the adults and children in all shapes and colors. This book takes a family-building approach and employs the “families are made differently,” “the helper,” and a little bit of the “nuts and bolts” scripts. Recommended for ages 3-5.
Library of Congress Subject Headings:
- Artificial insemination, Human -- Pictorial works -- Juvenile fiction
Available: http://www.dcnetwork.org/products/product/our-story-sperm-donation-lesbian-couples
¿Adónde está mi papá?
by Helena Prado Lopes
illus. by Alessandra Tozi
Language: Spanish
[Santa Cecilia, SP] : Helena Prado Lopes, 2013.
16 p. : col. ill. ; 22 x 22 cm.
ISBN: 97885XXXXXXXX
My annotation: Although we do not know her age at the beginning of the story, Alice, the daughter of a single mother, finally reaches the age when she asks her mother, “Where is my father?” At this point her mother begins to explain that sperm from a man and an egg from a woman are needed to make a baby. Her mother also begins to explain to Alice how very much she wanted a child but had no husband to have a child with. So she went to a “laboratory” where men’s sperm is kept so that she could have a child on her own. Her mother goes on to explain to her that this was the happiest day of her life - when she knew that a daughter was growing inside her tummy. After hearing the whole story, a curious Alice continues to ask, “Where is the father? In what part of this enormous world is he?” Her mother does not have an answer for her, but tells her that all you need is love to make a family and also that all families are different. Because Alice’s form of conception is explained to her earlier in the book, the book takes a child-conception approach, but also ends with a family-building approach as her mother explains to her that a family is a family, whether there is a mother and a father, or whether there is just a mother and a daughter. “The helper,” the “labor of love,” and the “families are made differently” scripts are all used. The illustrations are professionally rendered and the book is recommended for children ages 3-5. It has been simultaneously published in Spanish and Portuguese (not in English yet) and is available directly from the author.
Available directly from the author: helenaprado@globo.com
Minhas mães e eu: a história Regina e Vanessa
by Helena Prado Lopes
illus. by Alessandra Tozi
Language: Portuguese
[Santa Cecilia, SP] : Helena Prado Lopes, 2013.
16 p. : col. ill. ; 20 x 20 cm.
ISBN: 97885XXXXXXXX
My annotation:The first children’s book published out of Brazil on lesbian couples, this story about the use of donor sperm in lesbian households is really two stories in one. In the first part, we are introduced to Regina and Vanessa who have been together for five years and want to have a child but have trouble deciding whether to adopt or have their own, and if they decide to have their own, who will carry the child. When they finally decide, they visit a clinic that will work with lesbians. IVF is described as Regina’s egg is placed in a dish with a donor’s sperm. There is no discussion of how a sperm donor is selected, other than that sperm donors are “good and giving people” who leave their seed at the clinic because they want to help women have children. The second half of the story introduces us to Alice, Regina and Vanessa’s daughter, who is now six years old. It is assumed that she has already been told of her donor origins because the first half of the book is actually about what her parents went through to have her and because the book is also about her. Alice is described as a happy little girl who was “really really wanted” and who lives in a family like all other loving families except for the fact that she has two mothers. Because Alice’s conception is described in the first part of the book and her family life is described in the second half of the book, this book takes both a child-conception and a family-building approach. It also employs both “the helper” and the “labor of love” scripts. The book shows how much children of gay parents are wanted and loved in addition to teaching children about the process of their assisted conception. The full color illustrations are professionally rendered and it is recommended for children ages 5-8. Simultaneously published in both Portuguese and Spanish (not in English yet) and available directly from the author.
Available directly from the author: helenaprado@globo.com
My mothers and I: The story of Regina and Vanessa
written by Helena Prado Lopes
illus. by Alessandra Tozi
Language: Spanish
[Santa Cecilia, SP]: Helena Prado Lopes, 2013.
16 p. : Col. ill. , 22 x 22 cm.
ISBN: 97885XXXXXXXX
My annotation: The first children’s book published out of Brazil on lesbian couples, this story about the use of donor sperm in lesbian households is really two stories in one. In the first part, we are introduced to Regina and Vanessa who have been together for five years and want to have a child but have trouble deciding whether to adopt or have their own, and if they decide to have their own, who will carry the child. When they finally decide, they visit a clinic that will work with lesbians. IVF is described as Regina’s egg is placed in a dish with a donor’s sperm. There is no discussion of how a sperm donor is selected, other than that sperm donors are “good and giving people” who leave their seed at the clinic because they want to help women have children. The second half of the story introduces us to Alice, Regina and Vanessa’s daughter, who is now six years old. It is assumed that she has already been told of her donor origins because the first half of the book is actually about what her parents went through to have her and because the book is also about her. Alice is described as a happy little girl who was “really really wanted” and who lives in a family like all other loving families except for the fact that she has two mothers. Because Alice’s conception is described in the first part of the book and her family life is described in the second half of the book, this book takes both a child-conception and a family-building approach. It also employs both “the helper” and the “labor of love” scripts. The book shows how much children of gay parents are wanted and loved in addition to teaching children about the process of their assisted conception. The full color illustrations are professionally rendered and it is recommended for children ages 5-8. Simultaneously published in both Portuguese and Spanish (not in English yet) and available directly from the author.
Available directly from the author: helenaprado@globo.com
Megan and Mommy
written by Elizabeth Reed
illus. by Malgorzata Godziuk
Language: English
Elizabeth Reed, 2013.
Summary: Nowadays, single parents are very common.
many mothers choose to go to a clinic and have a sperm donor so they can have a child to raise on their own. This leaves those single mom children with questions. As they grow up They would start asking “How come I don’t have a daddy?” “Megan and Mommy” is a book dedicated to those children and mothers. It is important for mothers to begin making their children understand the truth at an early age. Megan is a curious and endearing child who begins to ask her mom questions about her identity, questions that are sometimes hard to explain to little kids. Join Megan in her quest and find out how love makes a family complete. Read this heartwarming story with your child and enjoy a wonderful storytelling time together!
Available: http://www.amazon.com/Family-Two-Mothers-Childrens-collection-ebook/dp/B00CGRWB6G/ref=pd_sim_kstore_1
A family of two: Ashley began in Mommy's heart
written and illus. by Elizabeth Reed
Language: English
Summary: ‘Ashley Began in Mommy's Heart’ celebrates the universal and unconditional love that mothers feel for their children. This book serves as a comfort and reassurance to little children that they are special and loved, and that they are a remarkable miracle for their mothers.
Through her mother’s love and nurturing, Ashley feels and understands how special her family is. This book presents the basic facts of anonymous donor conception in a simple, easily comprehensible and heartfelt manner. This book aims to help your child start learning, understanding and accepting his or her family and origin, just like Ashley.
This book is something you can share with your child over the years and will help foster and strengthen your bond as you create your own special story.
Available: http://www.amazon.com/Family-Two-Mothers-Childrens-collection-ebook/dp/B00DNHQUZG/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1385749428&sr=1-3&keywords=sperm
Also available: James began in Mommy's heart
The chicken who couldn't lay eggs
by Sabine-Julie De Brus
illus. by Taylor Brandon
Language: English
CreateSpace, 2013
39 p. : col. ill. ; 16 x 22 cm.
ISBN: 1492788813; 9781492788812
Summary: This book, written for children, is the story of one woman’s fertility journey and of all of the methods of ART she tried until she finally decided to adopt. It conveys one woman’s determination to try absolutely everything to have her own child. The story is told in rhyme, and it is the story of Angelina, a chicken who was despondent because she could not lay any eggs. Along with her angel dog Chérubine, she travels the world for a cure but nothing she tries works for her. Even after failure after failure she does not give up. She is determined to lay her own egg, and one day she finally does, but the egg is cracked. It is therefore not a viable egg. At this point, she does decide to give up, until her chicken friend, Dee, overhears her sadness and decides to take one of the three eggs she is currently laying on and says, ‘Please don’t be blue. I can’t think of a hen who’d be a better mommy than you!” Angelina is overjoyed and hugs the egg to her heart. “Soon the egg hatched and Angelina’s heart filled with joy! For she had a little baby chick, a bouncing baby boy!” This book clearly can be used to begin a discussion of egg donation with a child, but it can be used by any mother who has tried any path to motherhood through any method of ART as the author tried all of them. The book takes a child-conception approach and employs “the helper” and the “labor of love” scripts. There are full-color cartoon drawings and the book is recommended for ages 3-5.
Available: https://www.createspace.com/4452571
The pea that was me: an embryo donation story
written and illustrated by Kimberly Kluger-Bell
Language: English
CreateSpace, 2013
24 p. : col. ill. ; 22 cm.
ISBN: 1484180658; 9781484180655
Summary: The Pea That Was Me Volume 3: An Embryo Donation Story is great way to introduce children conceived through embryo donation to the idea that "some very nice people" (a man and a woman) donated an extra "pea" (or embryo) to help bring them into the loving arms of "mommy and daddy". May be read to children as young as 3 years old, and has room at the end to fill in your own child's details. Appropriate for both anonymous and known embryo donation as an initial introduction to the concept.
Available: http://www.booksfordonorkids.com/
The child in the mamas' hearts: a story of assisted reproductive technology births for families with two mothers
by Paul Janson, M.D.
illus. by Kevin Scott Gierman
Language: English
Lulu, 2013
20 p. : col. ill. ; 22 x 22 cm.
ISBN: 9781304640314
My annotation: Two women love each other very much but feel something is missing in their house and in their lives - a child, yet both women feel that there is a child somewhere, it just resides in their hearts. They look everywhere for that child, but cannot find it. Eventually they see a doctor to help them have a child of their own and the doctor calls on others to help. With all the help they receive, one of the women becomes pregnant and they are very happy. When the baby finally arrives, both women know that this was the child that resided in their hearts all along. This is a touching story about the love one can have for a child that does not yet exist. The book does not indicate exactly what the “help” is that the doctor provided but that's fine as the book can be used as a starting off point to explain any method of third party conception. This book uses a family-building approach and employs the “helper” script. Full color, cartoon-like drawings depict a multi-racial family. Recommended for children ages 3-5.
Available: http://www.lulu.com/shop/paul-janson/the-child-in-the-mamas-hearts/paperback/product-21310684.html
Author's Web site: http://pauljanson.com/
The child in our hearts: a story of assisted reproductive technology births
by Paul Janson, M.D.
illus. by Kevin Scott Gierman
Language: English
Lulu, 2013
20 p. : col. ill. ; 22 x 22 cm.
ISBN: 9781304531933
Summary: A children's picture book that will help explain Assisted Reproductive Technology births. It is part of a series that explains alternative family arrangements, adoption, gay/lesbian and single parent adoption, and now ART: Assisted Reproductive Technology. It is based on the belief that all families begin with love in the parent's heart.
Available: http://www.lulu.com/shop/paul-janson/the-child-in-our-hearts-for-assisted-reproductive-technology/paperback/product-21275305.html
Merveille du monde
by Mireille van Seggelen
illus. by Anouk Braakhuis
Language: French
Budel [Netherlands] : MVS Creations, 2013
ISBN: 9789081114974
My annotation: This is one of a handful of books written in the second person. The book begins to explain sperm donation to children as young as three, yet does not use the words “sperm” or “donation.” The book explains how “seeds” from boys and eggs from girls are needed to make a baby. When they meet, “a baby starts to grow in Mummy’s tummy.” Sometimes however, there are no seeds that can meet with Mummy’s egg so a “kind man” is needed to “help” Mummy have a baby. Since this book is about sperm donation in which a woman does not have access to sperm, it is suitable for both single mothers by choice as well as lesbian women. It takes a child-conception approach and employs “the helper” script. Full-color cartoon drawings depict both women with partners and women without partners. Recommended for children ages 3-5.
Available: http://www.mvscreations.nl/une-petite-merveille-du-monde.html
Chloe wants to be a mother
by Rosa Maestro
illus. by Barbara Guillen Feltrer
Language: English
Editorial Chocolate, 2013
24 p. : col. ill. ; cm.
ISBN: 8494075624; 9788494075629
My annotation: Chloe wants to be a mother, but how? She does not have a man in her life. This is the story of a woman lucky enough to be granted a wish by a shooting star and of all the things she could have asked for, her one wish was to become a mother. One day she wakes up to find a box under her pillow containing the seed she would need in order to make a baby. With the box is also a note telling her to go see a doctor who could put the seed in her tummy. As promised by the shooting star, Chloe becomes pregnant and when Chloe’s daughter is born, she begins to tell her the story of the shooting star and how her wish to be a mother was granted. The shooting star makes one more trip back to see Chloe after her daughter is born to tell her that now that she has a family, she is not to forget that it is a “very special family,” and to tell her daughter “that she was born because you wanted her so much.” And so, this is the story that Chloe tells her daughter every night before bed. This book employs the “helper” and “families are made differently” scripts and takes both a child-conception and a family-building approach. The color illustrations are professionally rendered and it is recommended for ages 3-5. Also available in Spanish as Cloe quiere ser mamá.
Available: http://www.amazon.es/CHLOE-WANTS-TO-BE-MOTHER/dp/8494075624
Available: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Chloe-wants-mother-Rosa-Maestro/dp/8494075624/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1391877181&sr=8-1&keywords=chloe+wants+to+be+a+mother
Some people have two mums
by Fabri Kramer and Luca Panzini
illus. by Luca Panzini
Language: English
CreateSpace, 2013
36 p. : col. ill. ; 16 x 21 cm.
ISBN: 1484097122; 9781484097120
My annotation: Milo is a “much loved” little boy who loves to battle giant octopuses at bathtime and imagine being the hero in a land filled with dragons and pirates at bedtime. His other favorite thing is to hear his favorite bedtime story, the one about how he was born. It all began when his two mums met and fell in love and wanted to start a family of their own. They explain however that two mums cannot have babies on their own so they had to visit a doctor and were introduced to a “very nice man” who wanted to help them. Although the term “sperm donor” is not used, children are introduced to the concept that a third party was involved in their conception. The book uses Britishisms like “mummy” and “cheeky” but assuming that it is a parent reading the story to their child, this can easily be changed to “mommy” when reading aloud. The book also introduces the concept that children can grow up in all sorts of families and that not all little boys have two mothers. Well-drawn color illustrations depict a very happy and content little boy and two parents who absolutely adore him. This book takes a family-building approach and employs “the helper” and the "families are made differently” scripts. It is recommended for children ages 3-5.
Library of Congress Subject Headings:
- Children of gay parents -- Juvenile fiction
- Lesbian mothers -- Juvenile fiction
- Families -- Juvenile fiction
Available: http://www.somefamilies.net/some-people-have-two-mums/
Some people have two dads
by Luca Panzini and Fabri Kramer
illus. by Luca Panzini
Language: English
CreateSpace, 2012
36 p. : col. ill.; 16 x 21 cm.
ISBN: 1478383658; 9781478383659
Summary: Our society is changing. An increasing number of gay couples are having children through adoption and surrogacy. At some point you should explain to your child about same-gender parents. I have written this book as an educational tool to help people understand that families come in a variety of different combinations. If you can, please buy two books - one for your child and one to give away as a present or donation to a school or library - so that, together, we can educate parents, children and the community and make the world a better place.
Library of Congress Subject Headings:
- Children of gay parents -- Juvenile fiction
- Gay fathers -- Juvenile fiction
- Families -- Juvenile fiction
Available: http://www.somefamilies.net/
Reg, Dave and Zach
written and illus. by Nikita Chloe John
Language: English
Baltimore : PublishAmerica, 2013.
24 p. : col. ill. ; 28 cm.
ISBN: 1627099727; 9781627099721
Summary: This children's book was inspired by Elton John's concern over his son having two homosexual dads and being born via surrogacy. I understand children have nothing to do with how they got here or their parent's or guardian's choices or lifestyles, so I thought this book, which is based on the real Elton John, partner David Furnish and son Zachary, would encourage love and compassion for people who have different living arrangements, and teach how love makes a family. I also wrote this book to encourage tolerance, acceptance and love for people who have medical conditions like cancer, hemophilia and HIV and AIDS. In order to take away the negative stigma of surrogate moms, I wrote a cute part about a duck who could not lay eggs of her own, and how six of her friends got together and each gave her an egg from their own nest so she too could have a family I hope this book does not offend any religious beliefs, but promote love, compassion, acceptance and tolerance of different people.
Available: http://www.amazon.ca/Dave-Zach-Nikita-Chloe-John/dp/1627099727
One little egg
by Kimberly F. Demeo
illus. by Julia Andrzejewska
Language: English
[S.l.] : Outskirts Press, 2013.
25 p. : col. ill. ; 26 cm.
ISBN: 1478710845; 9781478710844
Summary: One Little Egg by Kimberly F. DeMeo is a children's book which was written to teach kids about egg donation in a colorful, lively, kid friendly way. The theme of this book is important because today more and more people are getting married and waiting to have children at an older age. For a staggering number of women, it is not easy to conceive a child on their own, so they have to use methods such as in vitro fertilization (IVF). Unfortunately, a large number of these IVF cases are unsuccessful. That is where the miracle of egg donation comes into play. For families who want to have a child and cannot on their own, egg donation is their last resort. But what about the children of egg donation? How does learning about how they were conceived affect them? Unfortunately, there is still an unnecessary negative stigma when it comes to using an egg donor in order to get pregnant. This should not be! Explaining to children of egg donation how they were conceived at an early age is vital in raising a well-adjusted, happy and successful child! Children will love reading this book. This story is unique in that it is told from the viewpoint of the egg and is relatable to children. Exsie the donor egg is the main character in One Little Egg. It is her job to explain egg donation to the younger eggs, or "recruits" as they are called in the book. She explains the crucial role they have in helping a family's dream of having a baby come true. Children will relate to an adorable little egg named Sara who struggles with her existence. She is at the "Egg Donor Academy" being taught what her role is in helping couple who is yearning to have a baby. This story is filled with action, emotion and of course, education about egg donation. The author was compelled to write this children's book for two very important reasons, and their names are Miranda and Sydney! After five long years of unsuccessful procedures, she and her husband decided to have a baby through egg donation.
Available: http://www.amazon.com/One-Little-Egg-Kimberly-Demeo/dp/1478710845/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1385686195&sr=1-1&keywords=one+little+egg+demeo
אבא ואבא = Daddy and daddy
Aba ṿe-aba = Daddy and Daddy
by ראובני-הורוביץ, רויע. Roy Reuveny Horowitz; Sigal Mashal
Language: Hebrew
אוריון, Ḥolon : Oriyon, 2013.
[22] pages : colored illustrations ; 22 x 28 cm.
ISBN:
Library of Congress Subject Headings:
- Gay fathers -- Juvenile fiction
More about the book: http://www.mako.co.il/pride-culture/cultura/Article-46616c5bb7dbf31006.htm
Available: http://www.orion-books.co.il/pd272_%D7%90%D7%91%D7%90-%D7%95%D7%90%D7%91%D7%90.aspx
Descobrindo as Diferenças: A Família de Leãozinho é Assim!
by Laísa Freire
illus. by Rafael Correa Lima
Language: Portuguese
Ensinamento Editora, 2013
24 p. : col. ill. ; 20 x 20 cm.
ISBN: 9788581900254
My annotation: Discovering the differences: the cub's family is so!, currently only available in Portuguese, is by only the third author out of Brazil to write a children’s book about donor insemination. Written by a godmother for her godson, it is a very loving story of a happy little lion cub who lives with his mother and grandmother on a savannah by a beautiful lake. The cub is a very cheerful little boy and has many friends at school and a cousin he plays with who lives nearby with his godparents. It is not lost on this cub that his cousin has a mother and a father and he also notices that the families of his friends are all different too. One day he asks his mother about his father and his mother very gently tells her son that she does not know him but that he generously donated his seed so that they, mother and son, could be together. “It was written in the stars,” that they be together she tells him and she is very grateful to this lion who donated his seed. The book takes a family-building approach and employs “the helper,” script, the “labor of love” script, and the “families are made differently” script. Full color illustrations are professionally rendered and the book is recommended for ages 3-5.
Author's Web site: http://www.laisafreire.com/
Available: http://www.ensinamentoeditora.com.br/site/catalogo-editora/livros/descobrindo-as-diferencas/
Muitas famílias em LAB
by Kátia Maria Straube
illustrated by Eliane Cassia Ramos
Language: Portuguese
Curitiba: Expoente, 2013
24 p. : col. illus. ; 23 cm.
ISBN: 9788591588909
My annotation: This is the second book in the “LAB” series by author Kátia Maria Straube, a psychologist and psychotherapist who works in the area of assisted human reproduction in Brazil. It is the story of a planet called “LAB” where there are very few children, it is presumed due to a high rate of infertility among the residents, until the scientists on the planet discover ways to make babies and form families using alternative methods. The book describes sperm donation, egg donation, embryo donation, and IVF, and also mentions adoption, surrogacy, and single mothers by choice, although these three methods are only mentioned and not discussed to the extent that sperm and egg donation are. The book also represents both straight and gay and lesbian couples and takes both a family-building approach and a child-conception approach, as well as employs the "families are formed differently" and "the helper" scripts. The concept of forming families in so many ways is mentioned throughout the book but so is a description of how these many families are formed through various methods of assisted conception. The book introduces the terms “sperm,” “semen,” “egg,” "embryo," and “borrowed belly” for surrogacy. There is no description of sex and instead just says that some families are formed “naturally” and no depiction of nudity in the book. Full color illustrations are professionally rendered and depict families of all kinds and colors. The book is in Portuguese and not available in English. Recommended for children ages 3-5, but I can see children 5-8 appreciating the book as well. As the many illustrations are just as descriptive and clarifying as the text, I can see children growing with this book.
Contact the author through Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lab-O-Planeta-que-fabricava-beb%C3%AAs/226813834029296
The very kind koala : a surrogacy story
written and illustrated by Kim Kluger-Bell
Language: English
[S.l. : s.n.], ©2013.
1 v. (unpaged) : col. ill. ; 22 cm.
ISBN: 1482621525; 9781482621525
Summary: The Very Kind Koala is a charming picture book for young children which provides an introduction to surrogacy through the simple story of a koala bear and her husband who needed the help of a very kind koala to carry their baby in her pouch. Parents can begin reading this story to children as young as 3 years of age to begin the dialog about their own helpful surrogate.
Library of Congress Subject Headings:
- Surrogate mothers -- Juvenile fiction
- Mothers -- Juvenile fiction
- Infertility -- Juvenile fiction
Author's Web site: http://www.booksfordonorkids.com/
Malins mamma gifter sig med Lisa
by Annette Lundborg
illus. by Mimmi Tollerup-Grkovic
Language: Swedish
Stockholm : Eriksson & Lindgren, 1999.
[26] s. : färgill. ; 27 cm.
ISBN: 9187805596; 9789187805592
Summary: Denna bok är en utpräglad HBT-bok där författaren poängterar att ”Malins mamma ska gifta sig med Lisa. Malins mamma, Siv, älskar Lisa och Lisa älskar Siv”. Boken handlar om regnbågsfamiljeliv där Lisa och Siv respektive Malins pappa och Niklas delar barn med varandra. Att ett homosexuellt par delar barn med ett annat homosexuellt par är ett vanligt sätt för hbt-par att kunna få barn och boken visar den stora tryggheten som det innebär för Malin och hennes kommande syskon att ha fyra föräldrar att vända sig till. Föräldrarna framställs som helt vanliga människor utan onödiga klyschor som kort hår och manhaftighet respektive fjollighet och intresse för utseendet. I boken beskrivs även hur barn blir till genom att små frön som simmar in i magen och träffar ägget. Malins mamma berättar att hon fick en hel burk med frön av Malins pappa.
My annotation: Many exciting things are happening in five-year-old Malin’s life this year. Her mother Siv and her partner Lisa, have just gotten married, and Lisa is now pregnant with her own child and Malin is excited about soon becoming a big sister! As Lisa’s belly grows, Malin becomes curious and one day asks her mother where babies come from and her mom explains that they come from the seeds of a man and the egg of a woman. Malin does not need to know whose seeds she came from though. She already knows her father, most likely from birth, and loves him dearly. Her father’s partner, Niklas, has now donated his seeds to Lisa, Malin’s other mother, as they too wish to become parents. Malin’s unnamed father and his partner do many things with Malin’s family. Both men attended Siv and Lisa’s wedding and party, and they also vacation together. And now Niklas has donated his sperm to Lisa so that she too can become a mother and he a father. This book is not expressly about donor conception, but it is a fact that the main character of the book was conceived via sperm donation. Both mothers participated in Malin’s conception as Lisa helped put the seeds into Siv’s “stomach,” it is explained. This book employs the helper script and takes a family-building approach as clearly Malin has a unique family situation. Recommended for children ages 3-5 and available only in Swedish, though it is currently out of print.
Library of Congress Subject Headings:
- Homosexualitet -- barn- och ungdomslitteratur
- Föräldrar -- barn- och ungdomslitteratur
- Mammor -- barn- och ungdomslitteratur
- Barn till homosexuella
Familjeboken
by Eddie Summanen
illus. by C. Kåberg
Language: Swedish
Stockholm : Vombat, 2008
[32] s. : ill. ; 24 cm.
ISBN: 9789197687034; 9197687030
Summary: Var kommer bebisar ifrån? Hur vet man vilka som är ens familj? Och hur blev jag själv till? Familjer kan se ut nästan hur som helst och barn kan bli till på många olika sätt. Familjeboken handlar om alla former av familjebildningar och vidgar begreppet familj. Boken tar bland annat upp hur ett barn blir till, insemination, sex, adoption, konstgjord befruktning samt heterosexuella, homosexuella och ensamstående föräldrar.
En bok att läsa tillsammans med barn eller att låta lite större barn läsa själv. Boken öppnar upp för samtal och reflektion tillsammans med barn kring temat familj.
My annotation: The Family Book is about the many ways that families can look and some of the many ways that babies can come into the world. It discusses both heterosexual and homosexual families as well as families with grandparents, single moms or dads, and even families with pets and no children. The book first discusses how sperm and egg are required to “mix” together to make a baby. It does not matter how the sperm and egg are mixed the book tells us, whether through sex or in a laboratory, and introduces children to the terms in vitro fertilization and insemination. The book also introduces children to the idea that “if two women who have eggs have sex with each other or if two men who have sperm have sex with each other there will be no babies,” in which case single women and lesbians can go to the hospital to get some sperm in order to help them get pregnant. Although the book aims to cover all bases, egg donation, surrogacy, and embryo donation are not discussed. The book takes both a child-conception and a family-building approach and employs the “families are made differently” script. Recommended for children ages 5-8 and available only in Swedish.
Available: http://www.vombatforlag.se/butik/testboken/
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