Wild About You, by Judy Sierra

Another cautious recommendation for a book that touches on adoption.  Cautious because there are many problematic elements (as there nearly always are), but a recommendation nonetheless because there are also some wonderful lessons that I haven't seen elsewhere.

In Wild About You, all the animals are having babies!  Except for the tree kangaroo and the pandas - who desperately want babies and even attempt asking the crocodiles if they can have theirs.  A zookeeper offers up an abandoned egg and while all of the birds refuse to adopt it (saying it's too small or they don't have space), the tree kangaroo steps forward.  Eventually, out hatches a penguin.  The tree kangaroo is surprised but loves him completely, while acknowledging that she needs help from other animals to raise her penguin "because penguins eat fishes."  And the community steps up!  The penguins bring fish, the flamingos invite the penguin over for a playdate, but the bond remains between the penguin and her adoptive mother.  Meanwhile, the pandas adopt a kitten they find and similarly, the tigers bring fresh milk and the meerkats set up playdates.  The lesson of the book is summed up at the end: "To bring up a baby . . . IT TAKES THE WHOLE ZOO."

Obviously, there are problems with this narrative - the big two being focusing entirely on the deep desire of the parents for a child (and ignoring the child's loss and point of view) and the refusal of the other animals to adopt the egg.  However, as a adoptive parent, and in particular a parent with a transracially adopted child, I really appreciated that the book celebrated adoptive animals reaching out to other animals who were better suited to help their child when it was necessary.  There is a nice parallel to best practices for adoptive families, as they reach out to people of the same race of their child, as well as finding a community of other adoptive families and adopted individuals for their child to relate to.

BUY HERE (or request at your local library!)

Hey-Ho, To Mars We'll Go, by Susan Lendroth

This book is a perfect read for any child obsessed with space travel or outer space (or Mars in particular, like my son).  Featuring 4 children (two of them children of color) on a hypothetical trip to Mars, there are several ways to read this book.  The fun illustrations accompany the song "to Mars we'll go" (sung to the tune of Farmer in the Dell) - with verses such as "We sleep on the walls, We sleep on the walls, Hey-ho, to Mars we'll go -- We sleep on the walls."  My son usually joins in with me after the first line.  For younger kids, or when you're in a rush, singing through the book is quick and fun.  For older kids (or when you're not trying to rush your kid to bed), each page contains interesting facts about what would be necessary for such a journey - like growing fresh vegetables in bags, or how it would be easier to build and launch a spaceship to Mars in space.

BUY HERE (or request at your local library!)

A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo, by Jill Twiss

It took me some time to pick up this book, it got a lot of media attention when it was published and I thought there was no way such a high profile children's book would actually be an enjoyable read.  But I was wrong.  It's delightful and funny and conveys a great message without being preachy and our family adores it so much that our son insisted we read it to his whole preschool class!

Marlon Bundo (the grandson of Mike Pence, the Vice President) leads a repetitive life until he encounters Wesley.  Wesley and Marlon quickly fall in love and make plans to "hop together Forever."  All of their friends are thrilled except for the (hilariously) grumpy Stink Bug, who is unfortunately in charge.  As the most important, Stink Bug proclaims that boy bunnies can NOT marry boy bunnies because being different is bad.  All of their other friends think up ways in which they are different as well (Mr. Paws the dog likes to sniff butts) and decide to vote the Stink Bug out of office and Marlon and Welsey live happily ever after.  Like I said, the best!  And with enough funny parts that a roomful of 4 and 5 year olds won't be able to contain their laughter.

BUY HERE (or request at your local library!)