Month 5 Books

As I have written about before, each month that we are on the wait list, Carla and I each purchase one book that become a part of our child's library.  That way, when our baby finally finds us, he or she will have a library full of books ready to come home to.

We are just days away from being on the wait list for six months, so I thought I would write about the books that we bought for month five of waiting.

The first book is one that has been recommended to us by multiple people. In fact, the first time that we went into our favorite bookstore, Women and Children First, one of the store owners suggested this book for us.  She was the same woman who helped us find books about adoption when we first began our whole journey and she has been there on several occasions when we have returned to that very store to buy our monthly books.  The book is called Mommy, Mama, and Me.

Mommy, Mama, and Me by Leslea Newman

It is an adorable books about a child with two moms and all the things they do together.  The book doesn't attempt to preach or send any calls for action.  Instead, the book simply shows a family of three (one child and two moms) going about their daily activities.  Again, it is one of the books that makes me feel confident that our child is going to grow up in a world that, while not perfect, has come such a long way.  It fills me with such joy to know that our child will see families like ours reflected in the books that we read.  As a teacher, I know the importance of books needing to be both windows and mirrors.  Books should be windows to let our children see into worlds that are unlike their own, but they also need to be mirrors where our children can see themselves reflected on the pages they read. This lets our children know that they are not alone and that there are many people like them in the world.  It shows them that they matter and that there is absolutely nothing wrong with who they are.  I am so happy that this book is now a part of our collection.

The next book is one that Carla has looked at every time we have gone to the bookstore.  The book is called Hippopposites.

Hippopposites by Janik Coat

The book is an adorably simple book that uses a delightful hippopotamus to demonstrate opposites.  Carla loved the bright drawings and happily pictured herself looking through the book with our child one day.

The last book was a last minute addition that we just couldn't pass us.  The book is called I Am Small.

I Am Small by Emma Dodd

This book is such a cute story told from the point of view of a baby penguin.  The baby penguin talks about how small he feels and how big and fast the world can seem to a little guy like him.  The end of the book reads, "I am small. But you are big and you are kind. When I'm with you, I do not mind.  I may be small, but I can see the biggest thing to you...is me." I absolutely loved the message of this book and the way that the baby penguin just snuggled right up to his parents.  I love that being with his parents helped him to face the biggness of the world around him.  Adorable! 

So those are our newest additions.  They will soon work their way upstairs, into the one-day nursery, and onto the shelf with all of the other books waiting for our child to read them one day.  

And because I uploaded it by accident, here is a parting shot of our pup, Frankie, helping me to take pictures of the new books.  

Thanks for the help, Frankie!