Adoptees Who Changed the World

Lorri Antosz Benson is a 2-time Emmy Award-winning producer/writer, and family advocate based in CA. She has written four books, including two others on adoption, To Have And Not To Hold and Adopting Hope. She is currently working on a documentary, and serves as Strategic Advisor for Harvest Home, an organization supporting pregnant homeless women in LA.

Here’s one more book to add to your collection if you’re looking for age-appropriate books to introduce adoption among kids: Adoptees Who Changed the World. This small board book is packed with big names such as Nelson Mandela, Faith Hill, Steve Jobs, Jamie Foxx, Simone Biles, and Kristen Chenoweth. Each page of this little board book tells a different story about how real-life characters were adopted at a young age and what they did later in life.It was the first time my son heard the word ‘adoptee,’ so I had to explain it to contextualize it. While he is exposed to kids living with their adoptive parents, he doesn’t seem to know they were adopted. So, the book helped lay down the concept in short, simple descriptions appropriate for a young audience.This children’s book on adoption’s storytelling presents how adoptees eventually find a family in their newfound parents and pursue their passions. We love that the narrative doesn’t say they became successful despite being adopted; instead, they are famous people who also happen to be adopted.