Experience Chinese tradition and culture through books and magazines

Chinese tradition and culture come to life for our daughter every time we read to her from her favorite books about China, Ruby's Wish and The Story About Ping .

Ruby's Wish usually sparks a conversation about the Chinese tradition and culture behind Chinese New Year. She especially wants to know why the children carry lanterns and recieve red envelopes with money.

In The Story About Ping she is facinated with the part when Ping dives deep into the water of the Yellow River to escape the fisherman and his trained cormorant birds. I explain she is from a city near the Yellow River and that such fishing birds are a part of Chinese tradition and culture.

Cormorant, Fisherman, China

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She is mesmerized and her connection to her distant homeland is strengthened through such books. Even at a young age she seems to be aligning herself with her Chinese heritage while maintaining a definite American flair.

Books written for her level about Chinese adoptions have also expanded her view of Chinese tradition and culture. At some point she will ask “Are you my mommy?”

Right now, however, when she reads her adoption books, she knows that out of the whirl of Chinese tradition and culture, she was specially chosen to have two mommies.

We may never explain why Chinese tradition and culture evolved to encompass such a rich, passionate past. However, at the same time Chinese society has millions of lost daughters. At this point in our lives, we wish to only emphasize her beautiful Chinese heritage.

When the questions come, hopefully our daughter will know from living with us that she is loved. We believe she will also know she is special from reading China adoption stories similar to hers and will form a lasting connection to her Chinese tradition and culture.

Some our daughter’s favorite books about adoption include:

I Love You Like Crazy Cakes: To make this “her own” adoption story, we glued pictures from our adoption travel to China in the book. When we get to her favorite parts, we point to the pictures and tell her this is what happened when we adopted her in China. She feels she owns the story because it does such a good job explaining what happened while we were in China.

Shaoey and Dot
By Thomas Nelson

Little ladybug Dot is looking for a friend, and baby girl Shaoey is looking for a family. When they meet one sunny day, Dot promises to stay with the Chinese orphan until she is adopted, and their odyssey of friendship, faith, and love begins. Based on the Chapmans' own experiences with overseas adoption! 32 pages, hardcover from Tommy Nelson.

We especially like how this book tenderly defines orphanages as places “where babies come to be found.” It does a wonderful job explaining how the babies usually get to the orphanage and how much the orphanage workers care for them before they are adopted.

Adopted & Loved Forever
By Annetta Dellinger / Concordia Publishing House

Adopted and Loved Forever assures young adopted children that, just as God chooses them to be His children, their parents chose them specially, love them very much, and will never leave them. This book reinforces that message by using the voice of a young child to give positive, Christian explanations of many concepts that are confusing to young adopted children. It explains to adopted children:

why and how they are adopted;

why, even though their natural parents brought them into this world, their adoptive parents are Mom and Dad;

why it's okay that they do not look like Mom or Dad'

and why adoption is forever--no matter what happens!

Scriptural references are included as well as a mention of Esther, who was adopted by Mordecai. This book offers support for parents who want to discuss adoption with their children. Recommended for ages 4 to 7.

This adoption story is told from a Christian perspective. It references Bible verses that support adoption as God’s way to add to His family. We like the way it use the Bible character Esther to reinforce the impact adoption can have on a child’s life as well as the lives of his/her adoptive family and others.

Happy Adoption Day! This is actually our son’s favorite adoption book, but our daughter likes it, too. We got the idea of celebrating their adoption days from this book. We already recognized the significance of these days. However, having a small party on these days just solidifies their importance in our children’s minds and hearts.

Some of Mommy and Daddy’s favorite books include:

An Empty Lap: We read this before making our final decision to adopt from China. It was comforting to read how others came to the same decision and the struggles they went through before and during their adoption.

Lost Daughters of China: I read this book after we adopted our daughter. The author does a wonderful job explaining the delicate details of “abandoning” girls in China. It is thought-provoking. I found myself constantly swallowing the lump in my throat as I kept picturing the birth mother of my daughter placing her in a public place so she would be found by the officials much like the one in this book.

Mei Mei (Little Sister): This book is a collection of portraits of children in Chinese orphanages. I especially like what Amy Tan writes in the introduction. Like her, I believe looking at these pictures over and over sparks compassion. Perhaps this compassion will move to effect a positive change in these children's lives.

Beyond Good Intentions: This book is next on my reading list. I am intrigued by the book’s attempt to describe life after adoption from China. Most parents wonder how they are going to bring up their children within dual cultures. Should they ignore Chinese tradition and culture? Should they whole-heartedly embrace it? Should they plow ahead through life, peppering their children with just a few bursts of Chinese tradition and culture? What do adult adoptees have to say? Where are the parents who adopted before us? What advice can they give us? I can’t wait to read this book to find out.

Our favorite adoption magazines include:

Adoptive Families.com: This is an extensive resource for adoptive parents. While it focuses on issues surrounding all adoptions, it offers advice/information about Chinese adoptions also.

Mei Magazine: This magazine is written specifically for girls adopted from China. Finally, there is a resource for our children that reaches them on their level and explores issues unique to them.

Reading China adoption books and magazines is an excellent way to experience Chinese tradition and culture. Our minds are opened via a trip through the pages of these resources to the world of our children.

We can’t explain every contradiction to our daughters of growing up American with Chinese connections. However, we can at least help them find resources about others like them so they know they are not alone on their own red thread journey.

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