I Grew you in my Heart

Book excerpt: David is a curious two-year-old who loves to laugh and hide from his mother in the garden. When his pregnant older cousin visits one day, David asks his mother if her tummy was that big when she grew him. David’s mother tells him that she didn’t grow him in her tummy; she and his dad adopted him, and she grew him in her heart. As the years go by, David’s family adopts a cat and a bird, and he understands that this means they will take very good care of them forever. As David gets older, he has more questions about being adopted, and his conversations with his mother become more complex—and sometimes harder. I Grew You in My Heart is a warm account of parental love based on real conversations between the author and her son about what it means to be adopted. It provides a simple and reassuring starting point for conversations with children about adoption and will be a valuable addition to the libraries of many families, both with adopted children and without.