Piccola storia di una famiglia : perchè hai due mamme?
by Francesca Pardi
illus. by BUM
Language: Italian
[Milano] : Lo stampatello, 2011.
[6] c. ill. 15x15 cm.
ISBN: 9788890579905 ; 8890579900
Summary: Meri e Franci si amavano, proprio come un uomo e una donna, e volevano avere una famiglia... Con parole semplici e chiare si racconta come nasce una famiglia omogenitoriale, cosa significa procreazione assistita e come succede che un bambino abbia due mamme. Età di lettura: da 6 anni.
Subject headings:
- Famiglia di fatto - Opere per bambini
- Omosessualità femminile - Maternità - Opere per bambini
Available: http://www.lostampatello.com/catalogo1.html
Your story: How some special babies are made
written and illus. by Gina Hashrard
Language: English
CreateSpace, 2014.
24 p. : col. ill. ; cm.
ISBN: 150077474X ;9781500774745
Summary: This is a book for young children who have been conceived by egg donation. Professional guidance dictates that the parents of egg-donor children may like to raise their child with the knowledge that they are from an egg-donor pregnancy. That way, the children can grow up with the knowledge of where they come from, and the fact will always be there, ready to be processed when they start to understand the facts of life. This book is intended to help parents with this task. It is targeted at very young children (aged 2 to 4 years), with lots of big pictures and few words. It explains how their parents fell in love but did not have a baby, so they went to the hospital and someone special gave them an egg. As with all books in the 'Your Story' series, there is a space for a picture of the child concerned on the last page.
Available: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/150077474X/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Ruby's Story: An Embryo Adoption Journey
by W. Kathryn Clark and Joann Curtrara
illus. by Steve Kim
Language: English
40 p : col. ill. ; cm.
ISBN: 0990348202 ; 9780990348207
Summary: This heartwarming story describes the journey of how one family comes together through the miracle of Embryo Adoption. We join a mother recounting her embryo adoption journey to her daughter, Ruby, who is now around 5 years old. The mother is a single woman who was never able to find her "special someone" to start a family with; she is introduced to the donating family through a friend. The story provides an age-appropriate explanation of IVF, embryo adoption and genetic relationships, and also focuses on the social aspect of adoption. In the US alone there are half-a-million frozen embryos in storage that have been created for IVF. Once family building is complete, many parents struggle with the decision of what the next steps are for their frozen embryos. Embryo Adoption is a unique opportunity for couples and individuals experiencing infertility to build their own family by giving these embryos a home.
Available: http://www.amazon.com/Rubys-Story-Embryo-Adoption-Journey/dp/0990348202/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1413548614&sr=8-1&keywords=Ruby%27s+Story%3A+An+Embryo+Adoption+Journey
Di mamma ce n'è una sola
by Isabella Paglia
Language: Italian
Casalecchio di Reno (BO) : Fatatrac, 2012.
1 vol. (non paginato) : ill.
ISBN: 9788882222765 ; 8882222764
Summary: La parola mamma all'orecchio di ogni bambino suona magica. Ma chi è una mamma? Quante mamme può avere un bambino? Quanti modi esistono per venire al mondo? Una storia tenera, che scalda il cuore e fa sorridere e riflettere sulle diverse maniere che esistono per "arrivare" in una famiglia: il concepimento naturale, quello in provetta e l'adozione. Il tutto spiegato ai piccoli uditori da buffi bambini coloratissimi usciti dall'allegro pennello di Francesca Cavallaro con linguaggio semplice e comprensibile. Un libro divertente per educare ad argomenti importanti e attuali. Età di lettura: da 4 anni.
Available: http://www.amazon.it/Di-mamma-n%C3%A8-una-sola/dp/8882222764
The Very Kind Koala: A Surrogacy Story for Children
written and illustrated by Kimberly Kluger-Bell
Language: English
CreateSpace, 2013.
24 p. col ill. 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
Available: https://www.createspace.com/4184368
The Seed, The Egg, and The Magic Love Tummy
by Grandpa
Language: English
CreateSpace, 2014.
74 p. cm.
ISBN: 1499193696 ; 9781499193695
Summary: An illustrated first storybook, for under fives, designed to explain, in simple childlike terms, the process of IVF donor conception to children conceived as the result of sperm or egg donation. Fuzzy Bobbit is an inquisitive little rabbit who wants an answer to the question: "Where do babies come from?" He quizzes his little playmates, Frisky Rufus the red squirrel, Smartypants Slipper the weasel, and Bumble Firkin the shrew, but they are no use. So Fuzzy sets out to question the grown ups. His quest takes him far and wide through the forest. Along the way he meets a host of woodland creatures - Mr and Mrs Burrows, the moles, Colonel Knocker the woodpecker, Mr Skitter the squirrel, Doctor Barcode the badger, Nurse Prickles the hedgehog, and the Right Reverend Dr Plumage the kingfisher Bishop of Ash Grove. After an encounter with the French fox, Monsieur Renard and the Spanish dove, Signora Paloma, Fuzzy finds himself standing in front of his headmaster, Professor Hoot the owl. With the professor's help the little rabbit is finally able to unravel the mystery of The Seed, The Egg, and the Magic Love Tummy.
Available: https://www.createspace.com/4767853
The extra button
by Jules Blundell
illus. by Fefe
Language: English
Surrey Hills, Vic. : Michael Hanrahan Publishing, 2014.
44 p. cm.
ISBN: 9780992418212
Summary: Benny and Rose wanted more than anything to have their own family. This is their journey. In this gorgeous picture book Jules uses a story about a gingerbread couple as a metaphor to explain the difficult concept of donor conception to young children.
Library of Congress Subject Headings:
- Parents -- Juvenile fiction
- Childbirth -- Juvenile fiction
- Childbirth
Available: http://www.amazon.com/The-Extra-Button-Jules-Blundell/dp/0992418208#
Zak's safari : a story for donor-conceived kids of two-mom families
by Christy Tyner
illus. by Ciaee
Language: English
CreateSpace, 2014.
33 p. : col. ill. ; 22 x 22 cm.
ISBN: 9781502325464 ; 1502325462
My annotation: Narrated by a young boy, this is the story of how Zak’s family was made with the help of donor sperm. Zak takes the reader on a brief tour of how babies are made with sperm and egg, but explains that his parents didn’t have the sperm required because only men’s bodies have sperm and he has two moms. Zak explains how his parents visited a sperm bank and chose sperm from a catalog, making this the very first children’s book to describe the process of selecting sperm from a catalog. Zak also teaches his readers about “genes,” which carry secret instructions for how babies are to look as well. Zak’s tour of how babies are made is not as detailed as that in It takes love … but this is not a drawback. Zak explains just enough for his young readers to grasp early concepts around sperm donation. The book takes both a family-building approach and a child-conception approach because it explains the most basic details of how babies are made, while at the same time emphasizing that all families are made differently and that this is the way his family was made. The book employs the “helper” and the “nuts & bolts” scripts and is recommended for children ages 3-5.
Library of Congress Subject Headings:
- Sperm banks -- Juvenile fiction
- Artificial insemination -- Juvenile fiction
- Lesbian mothers -- Juvenile fiction
Available: http://www.zaks-safari.com/
Available: https://www.createspace.com/4992334
The pea that was me : a two dads' egg donation and surrogacy story
written and illus. by Kimberly Kluger-Bell
Language: English
CreateSpace, 2014.
17 p. : col. ill. ; 22 x 22 cm.
ISBN: 1499746695 ; 9781499746693
My annotation: This book, about egg donation and surrogacy in two-dad families, is part of the Pea that was me series written by licensed marriage and family therapist, Kimberly Kluger-Bell. It is not so much a story as it is a very simple explanation of how “the pea that was me finally came to be!” The child narrator, a green pea, explains to her readers that it takes eggs, sperm, and a tummy in order to make a baby pea. When the egg and sperm are put together inside a “lady’s tummy,” a pea gets “bigger and bigger and bigger” until it grows into a baby. She explains however that her dads did not have any eggs, nor did they have a tummy, so they visit a doctor who knew “a very kind lady” who had eggs, and “another nice lady” who would “be happy to carry their baby pea!” The book introduces very young children to the words, “eggs,” “sperm,” “donor,” and “surrogate,” and would be suitable for children ages 3-5 since it provides the most basic explanation for how babies are made. The book takes a child conception approach and employs both the “helper” and the “nuts & bolts” scripts.
Available: https://www.createspace.com/4834676
The pea that was me : a two moms' sperm donation story
written and illus. by Kimberly Kluger-Bell
Language: English
CreateSpace, 2014
23 p. : col. ill. ; 22 x 22 cm.
ISBN: 1495290042 ; 9781495290046
My annotation: Written by a licensed marriage and family therapist who specializes in fertility counseling, this is a book with a child narrator, represented by a baby pea, who explains how her two moms had her via donor sperm. She begins the story by asking the question, “where did the pea that was me come from?” They tell her that two things are required: eggs and sperm, which must be put together in order to grow a baby inside a mommy’s tummy. The narrator goes on to explain though that her moms didn’t have any sperm, without which you can’t make a baby, so they went to a doctor who told them “there was a very kind man who had lots of extra sperm” and would be happy to share it. So the doctor put the sperm from the man together with one of her mommy’s eggs and a baby pea started to grow. The book introduces several vocabulary words to young children: “sperm,” “egg,” and “donor,” as well as the concept that a doctor’s help was required in order for the baby pea that “finally came to be.” The book takes a child-conception approach and employs the “nuts & bolts” and the “helper” scripts. Recommended for children ages 3-5.
Available: https://www.createspace.com/4631754
It takes love (and some other stuff) to make a baby
by L. L. Bird
illus. by Patrick Girouard
Language: English
Catadon Press, 2014.
25 p. : col. ill. ; 21 x 21 cm.
ISBN: 9780991522309
My annotation: This wonderfully illustrated book explains how it takes three things to make a baby: sperm, an egg, and some love, and is a pretty detailed account of how babies are made with the help of donor sperm and a mommy’s egg. The book introduces children to several concepts and vocabulary words such as “ovaries,” “uterus,” “pregnant,” “sperm,” “egg,” “testicles,” “sperm donor,” and “sperm bank” and explains what each term means when it comes up in the context of the description of how babies are made in two-mom families. Children are told that a doctor helps put the sperm inside the mommy’s belly so that it could join with the egg, but also states that parents can sometimes do this on their own. No explanation of how that can happen though is included in the book. The book takes both a family-building approach because of its emphasis on the need for love in order to make a baby, and a child-conception approach because most of the book is about the brass tacks of how babies are made. The book employs the “helper” and “nuts & bolts” scripts and is recommended for children ages 5-8 because of the large vocabulary words introduced.
Library of Congress Subject Headings:
- Artificial insemination, Human -- Juvenile literature
- Reproduction -- Juvenile literature
- Lesbian mothers -- Juvenile literature
Available: http://www.catadonpress.com/
Available: http://www.amazon.com/Takes-Love-some-other-stuff/dp/0991522303
I am extra special: an IVF story
by Belinda Messer and Rosie Luik
illus. by Jessica Smith
Language: English
2014
p. : col. ill. ; cm.
ISBN: 9780992538705
Summary: Our first children's book in the "I Am Extra Special" series. An IVF story is aimed at children aged 4-10 years and explains how they were conceived using IVF. It is a beautifully illustrated story book dedicated to all the "Extra Special" babies of IVF.
Available: http://www.iamextraspecial.com/
Nora y Zoe: dos mamás para un bebé
by Rosa Maestro
illus. by Barbara Guillén Feltrer
Language: Spanish
Masola.org, 2014.
28 p. : col. ill. ; cm.
ISBN: 8461693892; 9788461693894
Summary: Un cuento infantil, en el que dos mujeres se enamoran y deciden ser mamás. Recurren a las doctora Lola que les regalará una semillita mágica con la que lograr su sueño. Un cuento adaptado a los diferentes modelos de familia y hacer más visible las técnicas de reproducción asistida.
Available: http://www.amazon.es/Nora-Zoe-mam%C3%A1s-para-bebe/dp/8461693892/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1403002435&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=nora+ya+zoe+maestro
Unsere Familie: Ein Buch für Wunschkinder nach Samenspende, die mir ihrer Solomutter aufwachsen
by Petra Thorn and Margaret Ritter
illus. by Tiziana Rinaldi
Language: German
Mörfelden: Fam-ART-Verlag, 2014.
ISBN 9783945275023
Summary: Immer mehr alleinstehende Frauen setzen ihren Kinderwunsch mit Hilfe einer Samenspende um. Dieses Aufklärungsbuch ist für ihre Kinder geschrieben. Es beschreibt in einfacher Sprache und mit bezaubernden Bildern, wie Solomütter mit Hilfe einer medizinischen oder persönlichen Samenspende ein Kind bekommen und Familie werden können.
Available: http://www.famart.de/kinderbuecher/
כלי נרגש מספור המפגש בין זרעון לבין ביצית : ספור של הפריה חוץ גופית ולדתו של "ילד מבחנה"
by קריגר, אסתר.
Language: Hebrew
א. קריגר,
2013
col. ill. ; cm.
Welcome to the family
by Mary Hoffman
illustrated by Ros Asquith
Language: English
London : Frances Lincoln Children's Books, 2014.
32 p. cm.
ISBN: 9781847804617; 1847804616
Summary: This book takes one element of The Great Big Book of Families – the arrival of new members into a family – and explores all the different ways a baby or child can become part of a family. The book includes natural birth within a nuclear family, adoption, fostering, same sex families and many other aspects of bringing babies or children into a family. The approach will follow the Great Big Book series, with twelve double spreads each exploring one theme, and including lots of humour, jokes and fun along the way. This is a unique information book, with an important and positive message – every family is different and every family is equally valid and special, no matter how or when the children arrive.
Library of Congress Subject Headings:
- Families -- Juvenile literature
- Families
Available: http://www.amazon.com/Welcome-Family-Mary-Hoffman/dp/1847804616
Daddy and Papa's Little Angels: Acceptance of All Kinds of People
by Mystique Ann U'Nique
illus. by Jackie Crofts
Language: English
Bloomington, IN : AuthorHouse, 2013
40 p. : col. ill ; 21.3 x 27.5 cm
ISBN: 1491846062; 9781491846063
Summary: This children's book was inspired by Elton John's concern over his son Zachary having two homosexual dads. This book was written to promote love and compassion for homosexual families, those living with AIDS, and those who choose to have children via surrogacy. I also wrote to encourage older people who choose to start families. I wrote this book to help take away any related stigmas.
Library of Congress Subject Headings:
- Gay parents -- Juvenile fiction
Available: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1491846062/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER
Slottet med de mange værelser : hvordan er du blevet til?
by Helene Goldberg and Maruska la Cour Mosegaard
illus. by Kirsten Gjerding
Language: Danish
Århus : Turbine, 2008.
[36] sider : alle ill. i farver ; 30 cm.
ISBN: 9788792208958; 8792208959
Summary: I den tid vi lever i er det ikke alle børn, der er resultatet af en tur i soveværelset. Mange er blevet til på en helt anden måde, og disse børn kar også krav på forklaring på spørgsmålet: Hvor kommer jeg fra?
Available: http://www.godeboerneboeger.dk/Slottet-med-de-mange-vaerelser.html
Karla leger "mor og børn"
by Pia Olsen og Karla Elena Olsen
illus. by Ina Korneliussen
Language: Danish
[Århus] : Siesta, 2012.
[28] sider : alle ill. i farver.
ISBN: 9788792893284; 8792893287
Summary: Hvordan laver man børn, når mor ikke har fundet en far? Det ved Karla godt, også selvom hun kun er 4 år. Karla er blevet til ved hjælp af en sæddonor. Hendes mor har fortalt, hvordan sædcellen og ægget bliver til en baby. Hun ved også nogenlunde, hvad en sæddonor er, men hun ved ikke så meget om, hvordan det er at have en far. Når Karla leger med sine dukker, leger hun mor og børn. I børnehaven hedder den samme leg far, mor og børn. Det er også en sjov leg, bare Karla ikke skal være faren - hun vil være babyen, eller moren. Karla leger mor og børner en ælle-bælle-bolle-bog for en ny type familie, der er blevet til ved hjælp af en sæddonor. Og så handler den om at vokse op i en familie uden far. Bogen kan læses som en efterfølger til Hvor er Karlas far? Bogen henvender sig til børn i alderen 3-6 år.
Available: http://www.salling.dk/shop/search-1.html?keyword=pia+olsen
Hvor er Karlas far?
by Pia Olsen and Karla Elena Olsen
illus. by Ina Korneliussen
Language: Danish
Århus : Siesta, 2011.
28 sider : alle ill.
ISBN: 9788792539564; 8792539564
Summary: Bogen Hvor er Karlas far? handler om to årige Karla, der blevet til ved hjælp af en sæddonor - det har hendes mor forklaret hende. Karla forstår ikke helt, hvad en sæddonor er, men han må være en flink mand, for han har hjulpet mor og Karla, så de kunne få hinanden. Og så morfar og mormor og Karla kunne få hinanden. Men sæddonoren kan ikke hjælpe Karla med at få en far. Karlas ven Ferdinand kan ikke helt forstå, hvorfor Karla ikke har en far. Ferdinand har en far - og det har babyspøgelset inde under sofaen også. Hvor er Karlas far? er den første danske børnebog, der henvender sig til børn, som er blevet til ved hjælp af en kendt eller anonym sæddonor. Et stigende antal danske kvinder vælger at få børn ved hjælp af en sæddonor. Men hvordan fortæller man om det? Eksperter anbefaler at tale med børnene om, hvordan de er blevet til, så tidligt som muligt. Bogen Hvor er Karlas far? henvender sig til børn i 2-5 års alderen. Den leverer enkle forklaringer på naturlige spørgsmål. Bogen er en god anledning til at tage den nødvendige snak med sit barn. Den kan også være et redskab for bedsteforældre, pædagoger og andre, som er usikre på, hvordan de skal tackle det, når barnet spørger til sin ’far’. Men vigtigst af alt er, at bogen ’klæder barnet på’ til at svare, når kammeraterne spørger: Hvor er din far?
Available: http://www.salling.dk/shop/search-1.html?keyword=pia+olsen
The pea that was me: a single mom's sperm donation children's story
written and illustrated by Kimberly Kluger-Bell
Language: English
CreateSpace, 2013
1 v. (unpaged) : col. ill. ; 22 cm.
ISBN: 149357454X; 9781493574544
Summary: The Pea That Was Me is a charming introduction to sperm donation for kids of single moms by choice for children ages 3 and up. In a positive and upbeat way, children are told about it takes a sperm and an egg to make "a little pea", that grows into baby, and then becomes a little boy or girl. Emphasis is on how much the child was wanted, and how grateful mommy is to the "very kind donor" who helped make it all possible.
Available: http://www.amazon.com/The-Pea-That-Was-Volume/dp/149357454X
Author's Web site: http://www.booksfordonorkids.com/
Noortje : dochter van een Bewust Alleenstaande Moeder
by Simone Scholtens
Language: Dutch
[Zwolle] : Bergboek, 2013.
27 p. : ill. ; 16x16 cm.
ISBN: 9789491186165 9491186167
My annotation: Noortje: the daughter of a conscious single mother is the beginning of a story of a mom who had her child via a known donor. Noortje lives in a big house with a cat that is currently pregnant with kittens. Because the cat’s belly is getting bigger, Noortje's questions begin. She asks her mom, "Mom, was I in your belly when I was a baby?" Yes her mom tells her. Noortje then asks, "How did I get in your belly?" That’s when her mom begins to tell her how babies are made with the egg of a mommy and the seeds of a daddy. But Noortje is confused at first because she only has a mom and no dad. Noortje has a “donor” though, her mom tells her, who gave his “seeds” to mom so that mom could have the baby she wanted so very much. Noortje’s mom explains to her that when seeds and eggs meet, babies begin to grow. Mom tells Noortje that she knows the donor, but does not explain how, who he is, or why she used a donor, so these details are left out. However, this book is just the beginning of the story and was written specifically for this child by this mother. It is presumed that Noortje is still very young and has only just begun to ask these questions so the story provides just enough information to satisfy her questions at this point. In this story, the donor actually comes to see Noortje after she is born and is “speechless” at what a beautiful baby she is. At the end, "Mama was very happy that the donor had given his seeds because now she had the sweetest baby in the world." Other than “donor,” and "seeds" and "eggs," no other terminology is introduced. The book takes a family-building approach even though the word family is never used. This is because Noortje’s conception is not heavily emphasized in the book but rather, how she came to be a part of this mother-child twosome is what is highlighted. This book employs “the helper” script. Noortje’s mom is the illustrator of the book and her illustrations are well-drawn black and white pencil illustrations against a colored watercolor background. The book is recommended for children ages 3-5 and is only available in Dutch.
Web site: http://noortje-dochtervaneenbewustalleenstaandemoeder.nl/index.html
Wo der nordwind weht
by Margaret P. Ritter
illus. by Karina Wacker
Language: German
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.de/Wo-Nordwind-weht-M-Ritter/dp/3950342001/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1392557115&sr=1-1&keywords=wo+der+nordwind+weht
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
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