No matter when or how children hear the word “adoption” for the first time, they'll have questions. And, as one question leads to another, adults may wonder what or how much to say. (It's easy for adoptive parents to forget that we once had to educate ourselves about adoption, too.) What Is Adoption? is a helpful book to turn to for this situation.

The book is written creatively and useful for education at home or at school. At the beginning of the book, a young girl learns that her close friend was adopted. The story line takes us through several conversations she has with her mother and her friend as the girl learns what this means. The long-term, childhood friendship is a comfortable framework for the story, and the questions dealt with are ones that young children naturally ask.

What Is Adoption? is written for non-adopted children. But the book touches on so many realistic question-and-answer scenarios that it could be useful for non-adoptive parents and educators, as well. In the back of the book, adults will find a page about positive adoption language.