RESOURCES FOR CHILDRENS
CHILDREN'S BOOKS
Several years ago I started researching children's books on embryo donation. I was hoping to explain to my children in a healthy and uplifting way about how they were born. At that time I was quite disappointed. There were very few embryo donation books available. We decided to put explaining on hold because of the maturity of my first embryo donation child and wait a few years to explain our story. Fast forward to today.
All of the following books I list are found on Amazon. Amazon can be kinda tricky on searching. My first search was at night and I used Embryo Adoption as my key words “in books”. I found a few adult books and 2 children's books. The next morning I tried the key words Embryo Adoption Books in the book section and the top search results were all children's books. I am going to focus today on the top 4 children's books on embryo adoption/ donation. For full disclosure I have not read all of these books. My plan over the next several months is to order them. I will then update my review of each book. Once I make a decision of which book I will introduce to my children I will write a review on their reactions.
Made With Love: The Sweetest Allegory for Embryo Donation and Adoption
Customers gave 4.6 out of 5 stars on reviews.
Made with love was published in 2019. Which is why I didn’t see it when I was originally researching children's embryo donation books. This book is written by Whitney Williams and illustrated by Taylor Wilson.
The synopsis on Amazon states that the book explains embryo adoption and donation by using an allegory about baking cookies. The book is written in rhyme which makes it very appealing to younger children.
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Made With Love will help you relate the following truths (and many more) to your child:
- Sometimes couples that have pursued IVF end up with more embryos than they can birth and raise
- When those couples choose to give their remaining frozen embryos a chance at life with another family, they do so out of love
- Children adopted as embryos are longed for, loved, and welcomed by their forever family before they are even placed in their mother's womb
- ‘Shared ingredients’ do not ultimately make a family, love does.
Testimonials for the book:
"Made With Love" does a great job connecting the somewhat complicated struggles that each family is going through and how they come together to bring these remaining "sweeties" to life!
"I loved that it touched on the perspective of both sets of parents in an embryo donation/adoption scenario.”
"This book is a perfect combo of cuteness and informative. A perfect way to help explain embryo adoption & donation.”
To read more reviews and order:
Made with Love: The sweetest allegory for embryo donation and embryo adoption.
This book is available as Kindle, Hardback and Paperback.
Happy Together: An Egg Donation Story
Customers gave 4.5 out of 5 stars on reviews
Happy Together was also published in 2019. This book is written by Julie Marie and illustrated by Ashley Lucas.
The synopsis on Amazon states that the book follows mommy and daddy bear on their journey to become parents through embryo donation.
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Happy Together, an embryo donation story, is a heartwarming book to help introduce the concept of embryo donation to a young child. A story told through clear language and cheerful illustrations, readers will join Mommy and Daddy bear on the journey to fulfill their greatest wish of becoming parents!
Testimonials for this book:
”As a mental health clinician who specializes in infertility and perinatal mental health” (was there more testimonial to this?)
”For us, it was the perfect embryo donation story. It is definitely a recipient story, not a donor story, and the words "seed" and "egg" are used to describe in little detail about how a baby is created. “
To read more reviews and order:
Happy Together an embryo donation story .
This book is available as Paperback
Hope & Will Have a Baby: The Gift of Embryo Donation
Customers gave 4.6 out of 5 stars on reviews.
The next book is an older book. It was published in 2007. The Author is a mental health professional. This book is part of a collection of children's books that cover different aspects of assisted reproduction used to grow a family.
This book is written by Irene Celcer (Author), Horacio Gatto (Illustrator). It was published in 2007.
The synopsis on Amazon states that the book follows a little boy who is learning about his parents' journey to create a family.
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Parents can share with their children the loving story of their conception, the goodness of all the people that were helpful along the way, and the joyous celebration of their arrival. It accents the caring way that they were planned, how much they were wanted, and the kindness of all involved in their creation, regardless of which reproductive option was ultimately realized.
”I have two donor conceived daughters and my eldest who is 4 absolutely loves this book, she asks me to read it to her again and again.”
”Well written, unsentimental but endearing book for children 6+ conceived via embryo donation into heterosexual couple family. Recommended.”
This book is really intended for older children between 8 and 12 years old. Several of the reviews mentioned it was long and is more complex in terminology.
To read more reviews and order:
Hope and Will Have a Baby: The Gift of Embryo Donation.
This book is available as Kindle and Paperback.
Treasure Babies: How Two Under-the-Sea Families Came To Be
Customers gave 4.7 out of 5 stars on reviews.
Treasure Babies was published in 2016. This book is written by Whitney Williams (Author), Danielle Escamilla (Illustrator). This is the first book written by Whitney Williams. She also wrote Made with Love: The Sweetest Allegory for Embryo Donation and Adoption
The synopsis on Amazon states that the book explains infertility struggles by following mermaid couple Strive and Ora and their fishy friends through their journey of embryo adoption.
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"Treasure Babies: How Two Under-the-Sea Families Came To Be" was written to help children understand the basic concepts of infertility, conception through IVF/fertility treatments, and the beauty that is embryo donation/adoption. Great for families who have donated their embryos and for recipient families!
”This is my favorite of all of my embryo adoption books. The pictures are well done but the story is the real treasure of this book.”
”This book is written so well. Explains in a child friendly way how infertility affects some families and how beautiful giving hearts can donate and change lives! The gift of life is so precious!”
To read more reviews and order:
Treasure Babies: How two under-the-sea families came to be.
This book is available as Kindle and Paperback.
Having the ability to share embryo adoption with your children in an age appropriate and healthy way is so important. I am very excited to have a selection of books to choose from when I tell my children about our embryo donation and adoption journey.