Children’s Books About Family Changes

A child’s family is their base, and when the base feels unstable, it can affect every part of their life. Often times, children also have no control over their family’s changes and decisions which can add it their stress and worry. The books I am sharing today can help adults talk to children about the changes. Honest conversations can help children understand what’s happening and how it will affect them. This develops trust and helps kids find positive ways to cope. These books are great starting place for these conversations. Adults should take a few moments to explore the options and find the book that is right for their child and their situations. I have shared some books about family changes in the past, so please use the blog search bar to find other great titles.

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And Then Came You by Christina Shawn

This book is the story of a book who feels loved by his mom. It is just the two of them and it feels comfortable and special. Then along comes a new man in his mom’s life. After time, he feels the love and says he’s okay with it being three. After that, they get a dog, and then eventually, a baby sister. Each time, the child is resistant to the family growing, and then ultimately, feels the love and connection as a bigger group. This book would be great to talk about change in families including a new parent-figure or sibling and the concept that love can connect them no matter the change. Like I mentioned, the child in this book experiences many additions to the family. So if you only expect only one, be prepared to say that you aren’t getting a dog too! Good for young kids through middle elementary.
https://amzn.to/4ukxQS4

My Family Is Changing: A Drawing and Activity Book for Kids of Divorce by Tracie McConaghie 

This book was written for kids and adults to work through together. Each page tells the story of a child who has parents who are getting a divorce and some of the things they are feeling. Some of the things they are experiencing are positive and negative and happen at different times in the divorce, from a brand new separation to birthdays to later in the divorce. The partnering page has an activity for the child to participate in that partners with the story.  It addresses schedules, having two houses, missing a parent, having big feelings, etc. The entire book could be done in one sitting, but an adult might pick certain pages to read at certain times. The book includes a letter to the parents from the author(LCSW that discusses ways to share the books, how to answer questions kids ask, and being open to big feelings. The families in the book are from a variety of races and include different family structures. This book is good for families looking for an honest way to have conversations about divorce and would be most helpful for school-aged kids. As always, I suggest that a parent look through the book first to make sure it's the right fit for their kid. This book’s Amazon listing actually has a lot of shared pages that can give parents a good idea of what to expect.
https://amzn.to/49fSJW9

I Have Two Homes by Marian De Smet 

This book tells the story of a girl who has two homes because her dad lives in one and her mom lives in the other. She can remember when they all lived in one house and has happy memories of them all being together. She also has memories of them fighting and when “dad did things that mom didn’t like” and “mom said things that made dad sad.” The book talks about being with one parent and missing the other. She copes by calling the other parent. The book also talks about how they are both at some shared important events, and how they sometimes act differently now (sad or distant).  The book ends by saying that she has two homes, and that it is strange, but that it is nice too.  This book could be good for preschoolers through young elementary. Since it is the story of one family, it may include details that don’t match yours and those might need explaining. In general it does cover many common experiences that a young child experiences after divorce.
https://amzn.to/4tHVU1c

a kids book about Divorce by Ashley Simpo

This book is a part of the “kids book about…” series. If you are familiar, you know that the book has only words, no pictures. This book introduces the author as a mom who is divorced. It explains what marriage is and then what divorce is.  It then goes into some of the hard parts of divorce and negative things that many people feel. It then goes into some of the positives such as getting to do special things with each parent, a new community of people that supports your family, and being the most important part of your family. The book also clarifies divorce as not being the child’s fault and that divorce is permanent and not something that kids can fix. This book can be good for adults who want to be clear and that are looking for words to explain divorce to their kids. I would say it is best for young-middle school age.
https://amzn.to/3OzVr1U

Daddy’s Waves /Mama’s Waves by Chandra Ghosh Ippen

In this book, a young child girl is waiting for her mom to visit with Miss K., and her mom doesn’t come. (The book doesn’t clarify exactly who Miss K is - could be a foster mom, social worker, family member, etc) The girl is sad and frustrated. The next day they go to the beach where they meet up with the child’s uncle. He explains to her that her mom experienced big “waves” during her childhood and that those waves make things hard for her still now. They talk about how some people have bigger waves than others and then associate the waves with memories of the girl and  her mom on good and hard days. They talk about how her mom made her feel special, and they mention that her mom needs help. This is an important book that supports families who have a parent that struggles with mental health and/or substance abuse. This could also be an important book for kids in foster care, or even for kids living with one parent while the other one is struggling. Good for preschool-school-age.
Daddy’s Waves- https://amzn.to/4vZI2Rr
Mommy’s Waves- https://amzn.to/4cFlWw6

Maybe Days: A Book for Children in Foster Care by Jennifer Wilgocki and Marcia Kahn Wright

This book explains many aspects of foster care in simple words. This book would be good for a child’s first foster care experience as it explains the roles of the adults involved and emphasizes that all of their jobs are to help the kids. The book also answers a lot of questions, even though a lot of these answers are “maybe”. The book also honestly addresses common feelings and thoughts kids have about missing home and not wanting to tell people at school. These are important conversations to have, but be prepared to have further conversations about many of the pages. The book has a couple of pages at the end of the book that talk to foster parents about how to use the book and address further questions.  Good for school-aged kids.
https://amzn.to/494xuXl