Adoption stories

Janet Morgan Stoeke
Waiting for May
Dutton, 2005

Jean Davies Okimoto and Elaine M. Aoki (authors)
Meilo So (illustrator)
The White Swan Express: A Story about Adoption
Clarion, 2002

Janet Morgan Stoeke's story of adopting a Chinese girl is told from the point of view of a soon-to-be big brother. The boy's voice is yearning, patient, eager, and gentle. He is also inquisitive, asking his mother all sorts of questions about the adoption process, and he wonders about whether his sister is well cared for. His mother's answers are optimistic and thoughtful. Stoeke emphasizes the capacity to love someone you haven't yet met.

Jean Davies Okimoto and Elaine M. Aoki take a different approach. They simultaneously tell the stories of four Chinese girl orphans and the North Americans who will be adopting them. Apart from the joy experienced by all the characters, the authors pay special attention to diversity. Lewis and Beth Maynard are from Miami; Andrea Lee and Charlotte Appleford live on an island near Seattle; Rebecca Mandel hails from the midwest where she lives with her cat, Ralph; and Howard and Jessica Suzuki call Toronto home. The parents meet aboard the bus dubbed "White Swan Express," which takes them to the hotel where they are to meet their daughters, Wu Li, Li Shen, Qian Ye, and Chun Mei Ni. The families continue to correspond, celebrating their familial good fortune.

Not having experienced an adoption, I am unable to comment on the accuracy of these stories, whether the logistics of adopting or the emotional portions. Both of them were effective in tugging at my heart. I invite readers with more experience to comment.

Young family grows

Ed Young
My Mei Mei
Philomel, 2006

Jieh Jieh (jiejie 姐姐), older sister Antonia, tells the story of wishing for a little sister and of that wish coming true. But before adopting Mei Mei (妹妹), Antonia practices by wiping Mommy's nose and changing Baba's diapers. Only after Mei Mei finally joins the family does Antonia come to a full realization of the consequences bad, namely less attention, and good, pride and camaraderie beyond her imagination, of having a sister. Of Ed Young's books, My Mei Mei, is probably most personal. His illustrations, combining a range of vintage floral patterns and dreamy color drawings, have the feel of a beloved family album, and appropriately, he includes a photograph and short note about his daughters at the book's end.

Just ducky

Chih-yuan Chen
Guji Guji
Kane/Miller 2004

Chen's sweet story about a crocodile adopted by a principled and loving duck drew inspiration from her American friend of Korean ancestry who was adopted into a non-Korean family. And although Guji Guji was first published in Taiwan, it transcends national, ethnic, and cultural boundaries to give us a valuable lesson about what really matters.