In my last post, I gave info on 10 great books for parents who are adopting transracially. Today I am going to give you 10 great books for children who were adopted transracially, or children who have siblings who were adopted transracially.

For a long list (99 books!) of children’s book related to adoption, you can visit the children’s adoption books section on Adoptionshop.com.

If you have a favorite children’s book related to transracial adoption that isn’t on this list, please leave a comment and tell us about it. (There are so many good ones...it was really hard to pick just 10.) :)

“A Mother for Choco” by Keiko Kasza- This is one of THE classic children’s books related to transracial adoption. Choco is a small yellow bird who wants a mother, and finds that it doesn’t really matter that his mom doesn’t look like him. This book is appropriate for even very young children.

“Allison” by Allen Say- This is a book about an Asian adoptee, and how she comes to realize, struggle with and accept the fact that her family does not look like she does.

“Brown Like Me” by Noelle Lamperti- This is a really cute book about a little boy who was adopted by a white family. He knows that his adoptive family isn’t “brown” like him, so he looks for other things that are.

“Families are Different” by Nina Pellegrini- This is another really cute book. This one is about a little girl, who along with her sister, was adopted from Korea by white parents. The book has a great message about how there are many different types of families and ways for families to be formed.

“Rebecca’s Journey Home” by Brynn Olenberg Sugarman- This is the story of a baby girl that is adopted from Vietnam by a Jewish family, and how the family incorporates both cultures.

“We Adopted You, Benjamin Koo” by Linda Shute- This is another book that has been a bit of a “classic” for international adoptive families. Benjamin Koo is an older boy that was adopted from Korea, and has questions about his adoption.

“We’re Different, We’re the Same” by Bobbi Jane Kates- This is honestly one of my all time favorite books for little kids. The Sesame Street characters show how many different people (and creatures!) can have different eyes, mouths, skin, hair, etc., and yet how similar we all really are. It’s a great message for ALL kids, especially for ones in transracial families… (and the book costs less than $4!)

“Kids Like Me in China” by Ying Ying Fry and Amy Klatzkin- This is a special book about China adoption written by an eight year-old adoptee after she returns to the orphanage she had lived in. There are real photos and it is wonderful to read an adoption story from the child’s point of view.


“Lucy’s Family Tree” by Karen Halvorsen Schrek- This book address the problem that many adopted children come up against in school…the dreaded “Family Tree” assignment. In this story, Lucy, who was adopted from Mexico, comes up with a creative solution to recognize and celebrate her birth family and her adoptive family.

“Just Add One Chinese Sister” by Patricia McMahon and Conor Clarke McCarthy- I added this book to the list because it tells the story of a China adoption from the viewpoint of the older sibling. It is a sweet story that would be appropriate for families before and after their transracial adoption.

Happy Reading!

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