ABC, Adoption & Me - Hardcover

Swift, Gayle; Swift, Casey

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0990904016 ISBN 13: 9780990904014

Publisher: Gayle Swift, 2015

Synopsis

This is the ORIGINAL Hard Back Version. When this orignal edition was published in 2013, it was named a Favorite Read of 2013 by Adoptive Families, (the award-winning national adoption magazine.) Named a Notable Picture Book for 2013 by Shelf Unbound in their Dec/Jan 2014 issue; Honorable Mention - Gittle List of 2014; Finalist; IPNE 2014 Book Awards (Independent Publishers of New England), Honorable Mention 2014 Purple Dragonfly Book Award  

 A child's review: "Most adoption books only talk about the good part of adoption. ABC shows adoption from the kid's side." ABC, Adoption & Me expresses their complicated feelings in a way that makes them feel normal and which makes it easy for them to discuss with their families. Includes a parent guide. ABC, Adoption & Me celebrates the blessing of family and addresses the difficult issues as well. Exuberant, multicultural illustrations depict a wide range of families.  Includes a parent guide.

About this title

About the Author

An adoptive mother of two now-adult children and a former foster parent, Gayle H. Swift is also a certified coach, co-founder of GIFT (Growing Intentional Families Together, an NLP practitioner, former teacher, and former newsletter editor. A fifty-year survivor of ovarian cancer, she believes in the joy of the present moment and the blessing of family relationships. In her travels with her family, Gayle paraglided in Peru, hiked to the Sun Gate above the citadel of Machu Picchu, and trekked the Mendinhall glacier in Alaska but parenting proved to be the greatest adventure of her life.

Gayle collaborated on ABC, Adoption & Me: A Multicultural Picture Book with her daughter Casey A. Swift (an adoptee,) and trusts that it will support adoptees and the families who love them. She writes two blogs. The first is"Growing Intentional Families Together," on adoption and multicultural issues. Her second blog "Writing to connect" reviews books through an adoption-attuned lens to help parents use general interest books to open essential adoption-related conversations. 

Gayle co-wrote Reimagining Adoption: What doptees Seek from Families and Faith  to help readers become better Christian parents, clarify Christian adoption beliefs and practices. Readers will learn about some of the harsh realities of adoption. The book includes effective ways to reshape the way Christians look at adoption and recognizes the importance of the adoptee's voice. It will help readers understand how to serve the adoptees and their families, and how their church families can offer them better support.

Gayle has presented at the North American Council on Adoptable Children Conference and is available to speak. She also contributed to It's Not about You: Understanding Adoptee Search and Reunion and Open Adoption. Gayle believes in the power of books to inform, heal, inspsire, comfort, and create community.

From the Back Cover

Award-winning author Gayle H. Swift drew on her experience as an adoptive parent, adoption coach and former foster parent to create ABC, Adoption & Me. Co-founder of GIFT Family Services, she is dedicated to serving adoptees and the families who love them.

Casey A. Swift, adoptee, teacher and co-author of ABC, Adoption & Me collaborated with her mother on this project. Together they have created a book designed to support and encourage adoptees as they travel their adoption journey.

Paul Griffin, owner of "Spike's Designs" illustrated ABC, Adoption & Me. Paul thoroughly enjoyed collaborating with both authors to bring the message of love, acceptance, and understanding to support adoptees and their families. Paul also illustrated The Family Zoo which shares this message.

From the Inside Flap

AQ*(Adoption-attunement Quotient) includes:

• Adoption-sensitiveparenting techniques
• Sound adoption language
• Knowledgeof the attachment process
• Consideration of grief and loss issues
• Respect for birth parents
• Modeling healthy boundaries
• Educating family, friends and teachers on adoption
• Remembering that a child's story belongs to him
• Recognizing that adoption is a family experience
• Encouraging playfulness and good humor as a family value
• Integrating a child's birth heritage
• Parents work through their own grief & loss issues
• Validate child's need to know & connect with birth family

from ABC,Adoption & Me: A Multicultural Picture Book for Adoptive Families
--by Gayle H. Swift withCasey A. Swift

Edition details

• Publisher: Gayle Swift
• Publication date: 2015
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0990904016
• ISBN 13: 9780990904014
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Griffin Paul
• Number of pages: 36