By Amy Burke & Melody Zoch Picturebooks can help students construct their understanding of themselves and the world around them–sometimes offering new perspectives and other times affirming what they already know. In our work, we have been interested in examining how children who are adopted and their families are portrayed in picturebooks, an area of analysis that has received little attention. Using critical content analysis (Short, 2017) as our main method, we have identified which picturebooks address adoption and considered the ways in which adoption is portrayed within their pages. In this blogpost, we draw from our analysis of over 60 narrative picturebooks written primarily for grades K-6 as we sought to identify the larger themes and patterns across the books. Three main themes emerged, which we refer to as metanarratives about adoption: adoption is to be celebrated; adoption results in happiness for the adopted child and adoptive parents; and there are some challenges associated with adoption. Within these findings, we also noticed how the broader metanarrative of family was portrayed, namely that families should include a mother, a father, and at least one child. With this blog post, we hope to support teachers in using critical content analysis to examine their text selections and consider the underlying beliefs and assumptions about family students may glean whether explicitly or implicitly. Instructional Implications In our work, critically analyzing picturebooks centered on adoption, larger questions were raised regarding how families more generally are portrayed. Whether or not these representations are overtly discussed or highlighted in a particular book, children may internalize metanarratives about family based on them. Therefore, an important implication is for educators to attune to how families are portrayed in books that will be shared with students. We suggest applying a critical lens to books that may potentially be shared/available to students and asking, How are families portrayed in this book? What larger metanarratives of families are communicated? Who or what is not represented? These questions allow educators to take a critical lens to representations that may be taken for granted or assumed to be “common sense” (e.g., families have two parents). However, it is important not to stop there. Teachers need to go beyond just asking these questions as they make book selections or plan places to stop for discussion. Before doing those things, the next step is to then connect to the students in your classroom. How might they see themselves, or not, in the book? How might they be impacted (positively, negatively, both) by the portrayals in this book? To make those connections, teachers must know about their students’ families. Most educators would agree that family engagement is important, but sometimes we make assumptions about the family constructions of our students. While we certainly are not advocating for invading a student’s privacy or overstepping boundaries, we do encourage teachers to not start with the default assumption that everyone has two biological parents and lives with them, for example. There are so many complexities in the ways in which families are made up, and by asking the questions above and connecting to the students in the classroom, we hope that each child both can see themselves in some books and also see other ways in which families exist, thus expanding their conceptualization of what it means to be a family.
In these examples, we have used books that feature children who are adopted, but these questions can be asked of any texts featuring families. Taking time to ask yourself some of these questions as you consider books to read with your students can not only help you deepen your understanding of the text, it can also help with considering the interpretations your students might make and can help you anticipate the kinds of supports, questions, and follow-ups you may want to provide. Ready to try applying Critical Content Analysis to your own text selection and consider both the explicit and implicit messages students may receive about the construct of family? We offer five steps to begin.  Conclusion How families are represented is an important, often neglected, feature to consider when we consider the books we choose to share with our students. While we rightfully often focus on intersectional representation in terms of gender, ethnicity, and language, sometimes we take for granted that students’ family constructions will be represented. Yet often they are not. There are so many different forms families can take: a heteronormative family with two parents and children (with adopted and/or biological children); foster families; families with more than one child; families with a single parent; families with multiple ethnicities; families with no children. Critical content analysis can be a helpful tool in widening the scope of representation so that all children come to see their experience and experiences different from their own as normal. References Burke, A., & Zoch, M. (2023). Adoption as liminal space: Representations in children's picturebooks. Journal of Children’s Literature, 49(2), 2-55. Dahlen, S. P. (2024). Transracially adopted Korean children in youth literature. Adoption and Culture, 12(1), 37-54. Lewis, R. A. (2000). I love you like crazy cakes. (J. Dyer, Illus.). Little Brown Books for Young Readers. Meese,R.L.(2012). Modern family: Adoption and foster care in children’s literature. The Reading Teacher, 66(2), 129-137. Sun, L.(2021). Children of “a dream come true”: A critical content analysis of the representations of transracial Chinese adoption in picturebooks. Children’s Literature in Education, 52(2), 231-252. Williams, V. (2016). Home at last. (C. Raschka, Illus.). Greenwillow Books. Yi, J. (2021). Memoirs or myths? Storying Asian American adoption in picturebooks. Journal of Children’s Literature, 47(2), 22-34. Zoch, M., & Burke, A. (2025). Adoption representation in picturebooks: a critical content analysis. English Teaching: Practice & Critique, 24(2), 111-123. https://doi.org/10.1108/etpc-03-2025-0052 Amy Burke is a professor in the division of literacy and language at Texas Woman’s University in Denton, TX. Melody Zoch is a professor in teacher education at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. By Andrea Page & Meghan Valerio READ THIS  Synopsis Those who feel the same are kindred spirits. In 1845, Choctaw people gathered to help Irish people weather the potato famine. In 2020, an Irish community remembered the kindness of the Choctaw Nation and reached out to help tribal nations during the pandemic. “An inspiring true pay-it-forward story that bridges two continents, 175 years, and two events in history—connecting Ireland, Choctaw Nation, Navajo Nation, and the Hopi Tribe.” Source: Charlesbridge Publishing website Review An act of kindness created a friendship that lasted over a century. During the devastating potato famine that struck Ireland in 1845, people were hungry. The dire news reached the Choctaw Nation from across the ocean. Choctaw people understood the danger, remembering their ancestors’ hardship on the Trail of Tears with little food and severe weather. Even though they had little to share, they collected money and sent a donation to Ireland. The Irish people didn’t forget this generous act from strangers in the United States. In 1995, Ireland’s President visited Choctaw Nation to give thanks, strengthening their special bond. Then in 2017, they commissioned a sculpture titled Kindred Spirits (created by Alex Pentek) to honor their friendship. And the global bond continued. During the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, Irish communities showed gratitude, gathering donations to help the Choctaw, Navajo, and Hopi Nations. Widener (Choctaw) uses a lively, lyrical language to weave the narrative with Choctaw phrases throughout. Detailed sidebars give young readers more context about the true events on each spread. Yazzie’s (Diné) striking and colorful artwork conveys a feeling of strength and resilience. The back matter includes a timeline and additional historical details. Sources: Choctaw Nation website; Kindred Strangers Who Became Kindred Spirits Reader Recommendation A deeply moving and uplifting story about true kindred spirits, this book resonates far beyond its intended audience. Although written for young readers, Kindred Spirits will touch the hearts of readers of all ages. Through its heartfelt narrative, Leslie Stall Widener and Johnson Yazzie emphasizes that everyone, regardless of background, has the ability to contribute to positive global relationships. This is truly a must-read for all ages. TEACH THIS Pay-It-Forward Across Time: Mapping Kindred Spirits This activity invites students to explore the theme of reciprocal kindness across history while engaging in close reading, discussion, and culturally responsive reflection. It centers Indigenous perspectives, highlights interconnection, and positions students as meaning-makers rather than passive recipients of historical facts. Overview: Students will analyze acts of kindness depicted in Kindred Spirits and trace how generosity moves across time, geography, and communities. They then apply this understanding to contemporary contexts and consider how communities respond to one another in moments of crisis. Implementation Steps:  Suggested Connected Texts To extend the topics of friendship, generosity, and building community by Indigenous authors, please check out the picturebooks:
Andrea M. Page (Hunkpapa Lakota) has previously served as board member of the Children’s Literature Assembly and as the Co-Chair for the 2023 CLA Breakfast Committee. She is a children’s author, educator and speaker. Meghan Valerio, PhD, is a District Literacy Coach (K-12) in Canfield, Ohio. She teaches literacy education courses for graduate students at Bowling Green State University. Meghan is currently serving as the CLA Secretary. |
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