Many single women have welcomed a child into their home through the blessing of adoption. Although every adoptive family is different, most adoptive mothers will agree that the joy of bringing a child into their lives surpasses the potential challenges of being a single parent. There are many aspects that go into providing a safe, stable, and nurturing home for your adopted child, and books are an important part of that. Books can help kids want to feel supported, understood, and proud of who they are!
Books about adoption help our children make sense of their own stories. They may have questions about their origins, and books can help start that conversation. Reading about kids who come from similar backgrounds can make a world of difference. Having a story that your child can see themselves in is wonderful.
However, it seems like most children’s books with an adoption theme feature two-parent families. While it’s important to show your child that there are all kinds of families, many single adoptive mothers choose to gather books with single-parent families.
The new book Adoption is Love by Stephanie Casaubon does just that. Since this children’s book doesn’t focus on “mom and dad” or family,” it’s perfect for single adoptive moms to get for their child. Adoption is Love is a love story created for adoptive mothers to share with their children from the very beginning. The entire book is written in rhyme, ideal for its intended audience of infants to seven-year-olds.
This newly-released children’s book is one that any mother and child could pick up, read, and connect with together. The author, Stephanie Casaubon, intended to write a book that provides parents an opportunity to connect with their child through reading. She wrote the book to be inclusive of all children and all types of adoption. After all, love is what truly binds and defines a family!
The book’s message is beautifully illustrated and written in language that children can understand. It tells the story of a mother’s unconditional love with honesty, sensitivity, and tender reassurance. Author Stephanie Casaubon became a parent through adoption in 2013 and again in 2015. As an advocate for adoption education and an empowerment coach, Stephanie enjoys helping women create their best life. But her favorite title is “mama.”
“[This book] was inspired by my two daughters, Evelyn and Willow, who joined our family through adoption. This is my love letter to them that I am their mama no matter what, that I am here no matter what, and it invites them to have conversations with me and to feel their feelings. No matter what the season, I’m prepared to walk alongside them,” says Casaubon.
She continues, “I wrote this book for all mothers and children also brought together by adoption because I wanted all children to know the same things that I was telling my daughters. The book opens from the moment I saw you and it gives you an opportunity to expand the story where it suits you. It says ‘you have a birth family’ and it opens a dialogue around that and you’re allowed to fill in what that means. It lovingly introduces the language and allows the mother to fill in the details. The other thing it does; it talks about complex feelings and how you might be scared and invites the child to talk to the mother and that no matter how they’re feeling, that we’re here and we’re behind them and we’re proud of them. More than anything else, we love them and accept them just as they are.”
If you’ve been looking for a children’s book which honors the unique experience of being a single adoptive mom, Adoption is Love would be a great choice. Look for it on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and your local bookstore.
Here, author Stephanie Casaubon gives parents a glimpse inside her new picture book Adoption is Love, and reads a few pages aloud:
As the Vice President (VP) of Lifetime Adoption, Heather Featherston holds an MBA and is passionate about working with those facing adoption, pregnancy, and parenting issues. Heather has conducted training for birth parent advocates, spoken to professional groups, and has appeared on television and radio to discuss the multiple aspects of adoption. She has provided one-on-one support to women and hopeful adoptive parents working through adoption decisions.
Since 2002, she has been helping pregnant women and others in crisis to learn more about adoption. Heather also trains and speaks nationwide to pregnancy clinics to effectively meet the needs of women who want to explore adoption for their child. Today, she continues to address the concerns women have about adoption and supports the needs of women who choose adoption for their child.
As a published author of the book Called to Adoption, Featherston loves to see God’s hand at work every day as she helps children and families come together through adoption.