Called by reviewers “essential,” “unique,” and “charming,” The Baby with Three Families, Two Countries, and One Promise: An International Adoption Story is a book written for young children adopted from a foreign country. The story recounts the separate emotional journeys taken by prospective adoptive parents and a biological mother in order to arrive at a decision to adopt. The complex adoption process is “stripped down to its simplest form, for a concise and sincere look at the topic.” In the final pages of the book, the adoptive parents tuck their baby in at night, telling him his story—that he has three families, two countries, and a promise for the future to return to the country of his birth.

The Baby with Three Families, Two Countries, and One Promise is designed to be read by adoptive parents to their children as soon as the child is old enough to begin understanding. Experts urge that children be made aware from the earliest possible age that they are adopted, and this book sets out the complex story of an adoption is an easy-to-understand way. Compared to other books on adoption, this book is unique in several aspects. First, most books on adoption are written for the parents, while this is a book designed to be read to a child. Second, among the relatively small number of books on adoption written for children, most have animals for characters, whereas this book tells the story of a child being adopted. Third, among children’s books on adoption, most focus only on the adoptive mother and the adoptee, while this book includes a full range of those involved in an adoption—biological mother, social workers, grandparents, family friends. Fourth, children’s books on adoption usually do not address the unique requirements for a foreign adoption, such as traveling to a different country. And fifth, most books on adoption do not tackle the burning question most adopted children have (why didn’t my mother want me?), whereas this book has the biological mother set out her thoughts in a way a child can understand. Perhaps most importantly, author Julie Connor in her remarks in the book urges adoptive parents to adapt the book when reading it so as to make it their and their child’s own, by changing names, countries, and other details. She remarks, “Adjust the book to make it as different and as personal as your own adoption experience has been. The author is smiling as you are adapting her book.” For ages 2-8 years, grades pre-K to 2nd .

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