A Story of Adoption - Tapa blanda

Reseña del editor

There are many books for children that aim to normalise adoptive families, this story is unique in trying to address what often happens in the run up to UK social services deciding a child should be placed for adoption.

How do you explain to an adopted child that their birth mother loved them but had such a complicated childhood herself that social services decided she was unable to look after a baby? How do you explain concepts such as neglect or destructive behaviour in an age appropriate way? This picture book uses the story of Violet, fostered at six, pregnant at eighteen, her own child adopted 9 months later, to help a child understand some of the complex history that may have led up to their own adoption. Told as simply and straightforwardly as possible, with illustrations on every page, this may not be your child's exact story - it isn’t anyone’s exact story - but it has enough common adoption and fostering threads to start important conversations in adoptive families.

If you are lucky you may have a life story book for your adopted child, but how good is it at explaining what has really caused your child’s life to be different from other children’s? By using a story book structure with original and beautiful illustrations on every page this book can be used with any child from 3-4 years upwards to help them gain further understanding of the process of adoption, what happens and why. Whilst as parents we all want to protect our children from painful truths we now know that if things aren’t discussed clearly they make up their own stories. Written by an adoptive parent this book does not shy away from difficult subjects, but attempts to narrate it in a matter of fact, open and honest manner to help give clarity and understanding.

A warning to parents: the author mentions the issue of the misuse of alcohol and drugs, but without inappropriate detail or drama.

Biografía del autor

E E Palser is an adoptive parent, an artist and a writer. She currently lives in Wales, UK.