Beautiful Stories About Adoption and Foster Care – 10 Books For Children

Navigating the complex and emotional landscape of foster care and adoption can be challenging for both children and their families. Picture books and stories about adoption and foster care offer a unique and gentle way to introduce these concepts to young minds.

Providing comfort and understanding through beautiful illustrations and heartfelt stories. These books can be powerful tools in helping children understand their own experiences and fostering empathy and awareness in their peers.

As a foster mom, I was lost when we received our first foster daughters in 2016. I created some resources to stay organized and sane during those hectic new foster parenting days, and I would love to share them with you!

Drawing from my experiences, I have compiled this list of picture books to support foster and adoptive families. We are also working on more informative resources to provide foster parents with more ways to find help for their families.

How Stories Help Kids Navigate Adoption & Foster Care

The stories of foster care and adoption are as different as the families who live them. Some books celebrate the joy and love that adoption brings, while others address the feelings of uncertainty and longing that can accompany foster care.

By exploring these narratives, children can find characters and situations they relate to, which can help them process their own emotions and feel less alone. Parents, caregivers, and educators can also use these books to start important conversations, providing support and reassurance to children during times of transition.

10 Children’s Stories About Adoption and Foster Care We Recommend

Explore our top picks for children’s books about adoption and foster care, each offering unique perspectives and heartwarming stories. These books aim to educate and inspire, helping children understand and appreciate the beauty of diverse families.

#1: The Tale of Mallory Mouse: From Foster Care to Adoption

Written by: Laura Khoury

About This Book:

Mallory Mouse’s journey through foster care is a heartwarming tale that highlights her experiences of love from her birth mother, foster mom, and forever mommy while guided by God’s presence. This charming story, filled with love, is perfect for anyone touched by adoption.

Why We Love This Book:

This heartwarming book is filled with momma love, beautifully capturing the essence of nurturing care. The illustrations are cute, lovely, and simply beautiful, adding to the story’s charm. It is beautifully written, easy to read, and thoughtfully crafted, making it perfect for young readers. The book does an excellent job of helping kids understand the process during difficult times. The story is exceptionally well-told for little ones, making it a fantastic and carefully crafted tale we highly recommend.

#2: The Invisible String

Written by: Patrice Karst

About This Book:

“The Invisible String” is widely cherished by parents, educators, therapists, and social workers for its ability to help children cope with separation anxiety, loss, and grief. It’s also embraced as a year-round symbol of love, often given as a thoughtful gift. This contemporary classic features a mother who explains to her children that they are connected by an invisible string made of love, reassuring them that despite not being visible, it can always be felt in their hearts. The Invisible String offers a simple yet profound message about our enduring connections with loved ones, fostering essential conversations about love and belonging.

Why We Love This Book:

We adore this book for its clear, easy-to-read style that resonates with readers of all ages. The story is sweet and beautiful and carries a special message that comforts and guides discussions about separation. The illustrations are cute and filled with vibrant colors that captivate and enhance the storytelling experience. This book is incredibly versatile, addressing multiple topics and making it a favorite among young children and readers of all ages.

#3: Marie Discovers Her Superpowers

Written By: Chaitra Wirta-Leiker

About This Book:

Marie, a transracial adoptee, no longer wants to go to the park after being confronted with hurtful questions about her adoption. Her mom introduces her to Dr. Chaitra, also a transracial adoptee who helps kids navigate tough emotions. In therapy, Marie finds the courage to share her feelings. She learns various ways to respond to intrusive questions, from sharing what feels comfortable to setting limits or saying nothing. She discovers that controlling her own adoption story is her superpower.

Why We Love This Book:

Dr. Chaitra Wirta-Leiker, an international and transracial adoptee from India, uses her personal experiences to connect with adoptees of all ages. She created the “Adoptees Like Me” illustrated book series to reach early readers and help young adoptees navigate their unique challenges. Each story in the series provides insights and tools for adoptees, showcasing diverse characters and family situations to ensure every young reader feels seen and understood.

The first book in the series, “Marie Discovers Her Superpowers,” follows Marie as she learns to handle intrusive questions about her adoption with the help of Dr. Chaitra. This empowering story teaches young adoptees that they are the experts of their adoption stories. The book offers practical tips for responding to challenging questions and reinforces the importance of self-confidence and personal narrative for adoptees.

#4: I’ve Loved You Since Forever

Written By: Hoda Kotb

About This Book:

I’ve Loved You Since Forever is a poetic celebration of the timeless love between parent and child, inspired by Today Show co-anchor Hoda Kotb’s adoption of her baby girl, Haley Joy. With Kotb’s lyrical text and Suzie Mason’s stunning illustrations, this beautiful picture book captures the heartwarming adoption journey. Perfect for snuggling up with young ones, it makes a lovely gift for baby showers, Mother’s Day, and more.

Why We Love This Book:

Customers appreciate the easy-to-read and simple writing style, finding it easy to connect with. The book is suitable for any child and various situations. It doesn’t mention the word “adoption,” but with that, it can be suitable for reading to foster children or families who struggled with infertility and then adopted or birthed a child. The message of connection isn’t specific to adoption but allows you to speak your particular message after reading it to your child.

#5 Baby Tree

Written By: Tracey Albrecht

About This Book:

Baby Tree tells the touching story of a young tree who loses her mom and feels alone until another mom steps in, and a supportive community of trees comes together to provide love and a family. This heartwarming picture book is written by foster and adoptive mom Tracey Albrecht to help foster and adopted children cope with grief and loss. Ideal for children who have entered foster care early in life, it offers hope and inspiration, encouraging children and caregivers that there is a plan for their future.

Why We Love This Book:

This tender and sweet book will touch your heart and convey hope, encouragement, and a sense of family and belonging in a way children can understand. The illustrations perfectly complement the story. Author Tracey Albrecht, with her experience as a foster, adoptive, biological, and stepmom, captures the essence of caregiving and understands the grief and loss foster and adoptive children face. This heartwarming book is the perfect gift for caregivers, children in foster care, or adoption, and offers healing and hope. It’s also great for anyone wanting to understand the importance of a nurturing and supportive community for every child. Another great reason we love this book is because I authored it and I can’t wait to share it with you and your family!

#6: A Mother for Choco

Written By: Keiko Kasza

About This Book:

Choco longs for a mother, but he’s unsure who she might be. As he searches, asking different animals, he doesn’t find anyone who looks like him. Unexpectedly, Mrs. Bear begins to care for him like a mother would. Bringing him home, Choco discovers Mrs. Bear’s diverse family—filled with a piglet, hippo, and alligator—teaching him that families can be unique yet lovingly fit together. Keiko Kasza’s refreshing take on the “Are you my mother?” theme has made this a highly recommended story about diversity, foster care, and adoption for children.

Why We Love This Book:

The storyline of Choco is adorable, and I find it ideal for toddlers because of its easy readability and understanding. I appreciate the warmth and kindness portrayed by the animals. Many praise it as the perfect introduction for young children to the concept of adoption, emphasizing its simplicity and effectiveness. The theme of non-traditional families is beautifully explored, making it a valuable resource for explaining diverse family structures to children.

#7: The Foster Dragon: A Story About Foster Care

Written By: Steve Herman

About This Book:

Join Drew and his dragon, Diggory Doo, on an uplifting journey to understand foster care. This heartwarming story addresses children’s issues and feelings, from changing families to navigating fears associated with foster care. Through the lovable Diggory Doo, children learn resilience and find comfort in knowing they are loved and supported by caring adults—social workers, lawyers, therapists, and foster parents—who help them adjust to their new lives. Educators and parents will find this book essential for opening discussions about foster care and promoting understanding and trust in the adults guiding them.

Why We Love This Book:

This book is helpful for children dealing with big things, presenting its storyline in a great and gentle way that shows potential issues. The story resonates with foster children by addressing their unique experiences and encouraging them to express their emotions openly. While the book concludes with foster care adoption, it’s important to note that not all children in foster care are adopted, which may prompt discussions about different outcomes. Nevertheless, the book instills hope by portraying a positive resolution and emphasizing that every child deserves love and stability.

#8: We Chose You: A Book About Adoption, Family, and Forever Love

Written By Tony and Lauren Dungy

About This Book:

This book celebrates the diversity of family creation through adoption, emphasizing that each family is uniquely important and unique in God’s eyes. When Calvin, an adopted son, shares his family story for a class assignment, he learns that his parents had been praying for him long before they chose him. The book conveys that every child, born into a family or adopted, is chosen, secure, and deeply loved according to God’s plan. We Chose You is a tool for parents to share their family’s unique journey with their children, reinforcing the message of love and belonging.

Why We Love This Book:

This book is another one of our favorite stories about adoption and foster care, and fills a critical need for adopted children, validating and reassuring that they are chosen and that God has a plan for them. It’s crucial to reinforce this message regularly, and this book serves as a valuable resource. Children will resonate with its explanation of adoption, finding comfort and understanding through its thoughtful approach and Christian-based perspective. Its well-written narrative and sweet illustrations engage young readers and facilitate meaningful conversations about adoption within families.

#9: We Waited for You: Now We’re a Family

Written By: Cindy Chupack

About This Book:

This is a perfect gift for any parent celebrating the adoption of a child. Cindy Chupack’s debut picture book features breathtaking illustrations and sweet rhyming text. It beautifully captures the joyous moment when a child and parent officially become a family through adoption.

Why We Love This Book:

This book will deeply touch anyone who has struggled with infertility, resonating as a heartfelt gift during times of hope and anticipation. Whether shared in moments of IVF success or as a supportive gesture during fertility challenges, it can evoke tears of joy and gratitude. Its sweetness and quality make it a cherished addition to the journey toward parenthood, celebrated for its ability to capture the emotions and preparations parents will undergo before their child’s arrival.

#10. God Gave Us Family

Written By: Lisa Tawn Bergen

About This Book:

This story about adoption and foster care is a heartwarming tale from the bestselling “God Gave Us” series and explores the diversity of families through Little Pup’s wolf family reunion. As they gather with cousins for games and marshmallow roasting, Mama and Papa Wolf teach Little Pup about the different types of families that reflect God’s unconditional love. Whether big or small, led by grandparents or single parents, or including adopted members, each family is unique and plays a significant role. Papa Wolf emphasizes the importance of loving the family God gave them, reinforcing the message of familial love and acceptance.

Why We Love This Book:

This book will really touch your heart with its wonderful portrayal of family themes and its simple yet powerful messages. The illustrations are enchanting, exuding beauty and warmth that enhance the story’s emotional depth. We find the story sweet and heartwarming, and also appreciate its meaningful exploration of family dynamics, including adoption and the diverse structures families can embody. It’s a perfect addition to any family’s library, offering valuable lessons about love and acceptance that resonate long after reading.

Exploring Adoption & Foster Care Through Stories

Stories about adoption and foster care are more than just stories; they are windows into the lives of children and families navigating these unique journeys. By sharing these tales, we can foster empathy, understanding, and a sense of belonging among all readers. This collection of books will provide comfort, inspiration, and a starting point for meaningful discussions about foster care and adoption in your home or classroom.