A Is for Always: An Adoption Alphabet

A is for Always is a rhyming alphabet book that explains various aspects of adoption in an age-appropriate manner. Leonie Little Lex provides adorable illustrations of animals and their adopted children. When the readers see chickens holding a baby mouse or a bear cuddling a rabbit, they will likely understand that these animals are not biologically related. The concept of birth parents vs adoptive parents can be difficult for younger children to comprehend, so this creative approach will help them retain that understanding. My favorite symbolic image shows a mother sheep doing her hedgehog child’s hair; this page talks about inherited traits that come from your birth parents. Examples like this will be extremely helpful for children and adoptive parents that come from different ethnic backgrounds.

Linda Cutting uses carefully crafted words that can easily be understood by children ages three to six. This book also includes many references that can be elaborated on by the reader or the story. This book encourages children to ask questions when they feel ready. I highly recommend this book for all families; exposing children to the concept of adoption at an early age will help them understand and accept their adoptive peers.