Welcome Home, Forever Child: Review of an Adoption Book for Children

Although I was a well seasoned mother of seven children by birth, adopting three children from the foster care system presented me with a new set of challenges that I had not confronted before. As I searched out books to educate myself, I soon came across several for children that I thought would help my adopted children deal with their own understanding of what had happened to them, especially my daughter Angel-Leah who had lived two and a half years with her biological family before coming to our home first as a foster child, and finally becoming our adopted daughter.

I came across a book called "Welcome Home, Forever Child" by Christine Mitchell. Christine Mitchell is the mother of two children, one by birth and one by adoption. She adopted her daughter at the age of four, the same age we finalized the adoption of Angel-Leah.

This book calls itself a 'celebration of children adopted as toddlers, preschoolers, and beyond'. The illustrations show a blue tabby father cat, an orange tabby mother cat, and a gray kitten, so it would work well for trans-racial families. It is written in rhyme, and mentions God, which I was glad about.

The book tells the child that although he/she was past 'diapers, bottles and cribs' the family was grateful their prayers were heard. It tells the child that although the adoptive parents missed many of the child's firsts, seeing their first grin, their first tooth, watching them learn to crawl, etc., that there is now a lifetime to see so many other firsts, the first day of school, learning to swim and other activities. It tells the child that the family will rock them, dry their tears, calm their fears, read to them and that everything is going to be alright. It goes on to list other things the family will be there for as the child grow up.

The end of this book always makes me cry as I read it to my adopted daughter, as it proclaims, "Precious child, you have blessed us so, and we love you more than you can know." It then tells the child he/she is home at last, as a forever child in this forever family.

I really like this book. It is sweet, upbeat, happy, and covers a lot. My now five year old daughter brings it to me again and again to read to her. I would highly recommend this book for your child's collection.