The Zen of Adoption

I’ve written before about Motherbridge of Love, the new children’s book from independent publisher Bareofoot Books. I just had to share the latest news on this lovely book that explores the unique relationship between a little girl who has been adopted internationally and her mothers, both the one who gave birth to her, and the one who adopted her.

With the help of Amy Tan, acclaimed author of The Joy Luck Club, and Saving Fish from Drowning, who lent her voice to this presentation, Barefoot Books created this wonderful animated e-card that brings the art and poetry of this special book to life.

Click to Play!

Please feel free to pass this along to anyone who’s life has been touched by international adoption - there are links in the presentation to learn more about Motherbridge of Love, Barefoot Books and Chinese Culture.

“Once there were two women
who never knew each other.
One you do not know.
The other you call Mother.
Two different lives
shaped to make you one.
One became your guiding star;
the other became your sun.”

So begins Motherbridge of Love, a new picture book published by Barefoot Books. With gorgeous illustrations and a touching poem that has been a mainstay in many adoption communities for years, this book is going to have a very special place on our shelves.

When we decided to add a child to our family through international adoption, we talked a lot about how we could raise our daughter to value her Chinese heritage, expose her to Chinese culture, and give her the space and the support to feel connected to her birth parents. Due to the nature of of abandonment laws in China, most children who find their way to one of China’s Social Welfare Institutions, don’t have any information about when they were born, where they are from, or who their parents are. That lack of history worries us, it is something we won’t be able to give her, no matter how much we love her - that is a hard thing for a parent to accept.

From the beginning we are going to tell our daughter what we know about her life before she was placed in our arms… it is a part of her story. Hopefully this openness will help her process the emotions and questions that are inevitable as she grows.

It’s so nice to have a book to share with a child as a starting point for conversation, exploration, and understanding… I’m thrilled that Barefoot Books has provided the book, we’ll be sure to create the opportunities to share this with our daughter.

To learn more or to order please visit: Motherbridge of Love on Barefoot’s website.

Many of you know that I work for a children’s publishing company called Barefoot Books. I wanted to share a nice mention that was made in Barefoot’s newsletter regarding our adoption:

“And our US Stallholder Field Manager, Eileen Doll, has recently learned that her application to adopt a little girl from China has been accepted. We’ve all been talking about adoption as our new picture book, Motherbridge of Love a breathtakingly illustrated and touching poem celebrating the special bond between an adoptive child and their mothers, is coming out this September! We’re busy planning lots of exciting ways to get the word out about this wonderful project including an exciting new e-card. Read more about Motherbridge of Love, and its origins on our website.”

You can visit A Barefoot Life for the whole story!

It is so nice when your personal and professional life are connected in some way!

Barefoot’s newsletter also highlights one of our newest artists from Russia and invites you to take advantage of Barefoot Books huge Summer Sale which is running until the end of July. You can even pre-order our highly-anticipated international adoption title, Motherbridge of Love, that I am personally very excited about.

Barefoot Books Presents: Whole World

Click to view an animated version of
Barefoot’s new title: Whole World!

What kind of world will our children grow up in? Join Barefoot Books and Live Earth on 7/7/07 to celebrate the ways you can make a difference!

Check out the sights and sounds of Barefoot Book’s new title “Whole World” and click on the links to discover ways to help your family make changes that will have a positive impact on our planet!

click the image to play!

Putumayo can always be trusted to compile the most unique, engaging collections of music from around the world, regardless of the theme, and they’ve done it again with the enchanting Asian Dreamland.  We’ve been playing this non-stop in the car. Our favorite track: 4. Cradle Song by Zulya, which Alex affectionately refers to as “Ellie Bellie” (which means something in khazik, but is just funny to Alex.) To hear a bit of this catchy tune click here.

I find the selection a little heavily weighted to songs originating in Japan, but each one is beautiful and I love that they include an idea of what the songs are about.

One surprise was track 2. Dokokade Yoruga Naita by Emme, it features Japanese lyrics set to a traditional celtic tune - I recognized it in the first 15 seconds, what a cool cultural-fusion!

If you want to sing along with Alex to “Ellie Bellie” too? you can find Asian Dreamland here!

Raising a Barefoot Family…

I have the pleasure of working for Barefoot Books, a wonderful independent children’s publishing company, that has enriched our family in so many ways. Prior to taking this full-time position with them in 2004, I was involved in their Stallholder program.

I love my job. I am constantly amazed at the wonderful community we’re creating. It is a community that believes it is important to teach children about other cultures and traditions, challenge them with complex stories, and captivate them with art, that while certainly fit for gallery walls, is so much more accessible and appreciated by little ones in the pages of a book.

So that’s what we do; we make beautiful, unique books full of rich language, and breathtaking art and then we try to get them onto every family’s book shelf. This is not an easy task in an industry dominated by large publishing houses and massive distribution channels. However Barefoot’s strength lies in it’s attention to detail, uncompromising quality and it’s grassroots strategy of spreading the word, and connecting to like minded individuals who believe in our message.

Barefoot’s message has taken on a new relevance in our family. We’ve always tried to instill a sense of curiosity and wonder in our son, Alex, and help him explore our world. Now Barefoot Books takes on a new significance in our family’s journey, as we begin the process of adopting our daughter from China. We are so lucky that we already have, at our fingertips, exceptional books and resources to help us share with our daughter, a sense of understanding and pride in her birth country.

If you have never heard of Barefoot Books before you can explore further at www.barefootbooks.com

Some titles of particular interest to families who have adopted from China:

Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush (HC/music CD) $16.99
Sing Along with Fred Penner as you follow four children from different countries, each getting ready for school. See what the pictures tell you about different ways of life in Europe, Mali, India, and China.Comes with a music CD so you can sing along as you explore the bold art!

The Great Race: The Story of the Chinese Zodiac (HC $16.99)
Race long with Rat, Monkey, Dragon, and their companions while discovering the origin of the Chinese Zodiac. This bright and colorful book includes intriguing notes about the Chinese calendar, the festivals, and the animal that rules each year. A great book for the Chinese New Year Celebration! Discover which animal didn’t make it into the Zodiac…

We’re Riding on a Caravan: An Adventure on China’s Silk Road ($16.99)
Explore the world of stunning silk, delicious spices and exotic trade locations in this rhyming tale about a Chinese family’s journey along the Silk Road, the trade route that runs thousands of miles through Asia. The rhyming text is lovely and the notes in the back provide a map of the route and further information about the prominence of the the silk road throughout history.

Stories From the Silk Road (PB ) $12.99
The Spirit of the Silk Road is your guide as you journey through this book from Chang-an to Samarkand, following one of the arterial caravan routes of the silk traders. As you travel across treacherous deserts and through lonely mountain passes, you will learn about the importance of silk as a commodity, see some of the distinctive customs of the Central Asia people, and join in many storytelling sessions at starlit oases and campfires.

The Barefoot Book of Princesses (HC) $19.99 (PB w/CD) $14.99
This warm and humorous collection presents much-loved favorites such as “The Princess and the Pea” from Denmark and less familiar figures including “The Beggar Princess” from China and “The Horned Snake’s Wife” from the Iroquois of North America. Caitlin Matthews’s wonderfully dramatic retellings are perfect for reading aloud, while Olwyn Whelan’s bright and witty illustrations are a feast in themselves. Full of strong clever heroines, the stories in this book present a cross-cultural look at the idea of “princesses”

Mother Bridge of Love

Once there were two women who never knew each other.

One you do not remember, the other you call Mother.

Two different lives shaped to make you one.

One became your guiding star; the other became your sun.

The first one gave you life, and the second taught you to live it.

The first gave you a need for love. The second was there to give it.

One gave you a nationality. The other gave you a name.

One gave you a talent. The other gave you aim.

One gave you emotions. The other calmed your fears.

One saw your first sweet smile. The other dried your tears.

One sought for you a home that she could not provide.

The other prayed for a child and her hope was not denied.

And now you ask me, through your tears,

The age-old question unanswered through the years.

Heredity or environment, which are you a product of?

Neither, my darling. Neither. Just two different kinds of Love.

-Anonymous

This poem is featured on Xinran’s wonderful website The Mother’s Bridge of Love. http://www.motherbridge.org Her organization was founded to foster understanding between the East and the West and to help internationally adopted children understand their Chinese heritage. She also works in China to improve the lives of children still in the orphanage system.  Xinran has written several intriguing books that capture the experiences of women in China, in beautiful and heartbreaking detail, part memoir, part social history The Good Women of China is a must read for anyone who has adopted from China, or is curious about the lives of women, since China’s cultural revolution. Her newest book Sky Burial is also outstanding.