MHPG Resources for Children
This list was revised by the MHPG Education Resources Committee, 2021-2022. Contributors (in alphabetical order): Carrie Eichberg, PhD, Stephanie Lane-Hicks, LPC, ATR-BC., Jen Noonan, LPC, Katharine L. Rowny, PsyD.
Please note that the following resources are intended for educational purposes only and are not a substitute for the advice or guidance of a licensed healthcare professional. The presence of any particular item on this list does not represent an official endorsement or opinion of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) or the ASRM’s Mental Health Professional Group (MHPG).
The resources below are listed in alphabetical order. An asterisk indicates the book was written by a current or former member of the MHPG.
Egg Donation
Celcer, I. (2007). Hope and Will Have a Baby: The Gift of Egg Donation. Graphite Press. Available from
Cirisan, W. (2004). The Very Special Ducklings: A Very Simple Story About Egg Donation. Trafford Publishing.
*Eichberg, C. (2017). Building My Family: A Story of Egg Donation and Surrogacy. BookBaby. This book is aimed at heterosexual couples wanting to explain to their children their birth story. It is for children born through both surrogacy and egg donation.
Jover, C. M. (2009). A Tiny Itsy Bitsy Gift of Life: An Egg Donor Story (for boys). Also available in Spanish at www.carmenmartinezjover.com.
Keen, S. (2012). You Were Meant to Be. Castlebridge Books.
*Kluger-Bell, K. (2012). The Pea That Was Me: An Egg Donation Story. Createspace Independent Publishing.
*Kluger-Bell, K. (2019). The Pea That Was Me: Our New Baby. Createspace Independent Publishing. This book is for children whose younger sibling was created via egg donation.
Marie, J. (2018). Happy Together: an egg donation story. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.
Nadel, C. (2007). Mommy Was Your Tummy Big? Moonkind Press.
Stamm, L. (2010 – 2nd edition). Phoebe’s Family: A Story About Egg Donation. Graphite Press.
Embryo Donation
Celcer, Irene. (2007). Hope & Will Have a Baby: The Gift of Embryo Donation. Graphite Press.
Kluger-Bell, K. (2013). The Pea That Was Me: An Embryo Donation Story. Createspace Independent Publishing.
Marie, J. (2018). Happy Together: an embryo donation story. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.
Stamm, L. (2017). Scarlett’s Story: A Tale About Embryo Donation. Graphite Press.
General Third-Party Reproduction
Cordell, M. (2018). Wish. Little Brown Books for Young Readers.
*Gordon, E. (2011). Mommy, Did I Grow in Your Tummy? Where Some Babies Come From. E.M. Greenburg Press, Inc.
Grimes, J. (2004). Before You Were Born: Our Wish for a Baby. Available through www.xyandme.com.
*Kluger-Bell, K. (2012). My Family and Me: A Baby Memory Book for Donor Kids. Createspace Independent Publishing.
*Kluger-Bell, K. (2012). The Pea That Was Me: An IVF Story. Createspace Independent Publishing.
*Kluger-Bell, K. (2018). The Pea That Was Me & Me & Me: How All Kinds of Babies are Made. Createspace Independent Publishing.
Marie, J. (2018). Happy Together: an IVF story. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.
LGBTQ Family Building
Baxter, N. (2003). Our Story. Donor Conception Network.
*Bergman, K. (2019). You Began as a Wish. This book helps parents tell the story of donor conception and/or surrogacy to their children with simple, easy to understand language.
Considine, K. (2005). Emma and Meesha My Boy: A Two Mom Story. twomombooks.com
Stamm, L. (2016). Family Stew: Two moms use a sperm donor to build their family.
Gottlieb, A. (2003). Sons Talk about Their Gay Fathers: Life Curves. Haworth Gay and Lesbian Studies, Routledge Publishers.
Grimes, J. (2004). Before You Were Born …Our Wish for a Baby: A Baby Conceived for Female Partners. X, Y, and Me Books. Available at www.xyandme.com.
Howey, N., & Samuels, E. (Eds.) (2000). Out of the Ordinary: Essays on Growing Up with Gay, Lesbian and Transgender Parents. Stonewall Inn Editions.
Jover, C. M. (2009). The Baby Kangaroo Treasure Hunt: A Gay Parenting Story. Also Available in Spanish at www.carmen martinez jover.com. (Ages 4-8).
*Kluger-Bell, K. (2012). The Pea That Was Me: A Two Mom’s Sperm Donation Story. Createspace Independent Publishing.
Lewis-Long, C. (2011). Why I’m So Special: A Book About Surrogacy With Two Daddies. AuthorHouse. (Ages 2-5).
Marie, J. (2018). Happy Together: a two-mom sperm donation story. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.
Nelson, F., & Barone, B.J., & Donsky, D. (2016). Milo’s Adventure: A Story About Love. CreateSpace.
Newman, L., & Thompson, C. (2009). Mommy, Mama, and Me. Tricycle Press.
Oelschlager, V., & Blanc, M. (2011). A Tale of Two Mommies. Vanita Books.
Oelschlager, V., Blackwood, K., & Blanc, M. (2013). A Tale of Two Daddies. Vanita Books.
Panzini, L., & Newman, L., & Souza, D. (2000). Heather Has Two Mommies. Alyson Publications.
Panzing, L., & Kramer, F. (2012). Some people have two Dads. CreateSpace Publishing.
Polacco, P. (2009). In our Mother’s House. Philomel Publishing.
Rella, T. (2010). Daddy and Pop. CreateSpace Publishing.
Rella, T. (2010). Mom, Mama, and Me...And How I Came To Be! CreateSpace Publishing.
Richardson, J., & Parnell, P. (2005). And Tango Makes Three. Simon and Schuster.
Snow, J. (2004). How it Feels to Have a Gay or Lesbian Parent: A Book by Kids for Kids of All Ages. Haworth Gay and Lesbian Studies, Routledge Publishers.
Stamm, L. (2016). Family Stew: Two moms use a sperm donor to build their family. (Ages 7+).
Tompkins, C., & Evans, L. (2009). Oh the Things Mommies Do: What Could Be Better than Having Two? Self Published.
Valentine, J. (2004). One Dad, Two Dads, Brown Dad, Blue Dads. Alyson Books.
Miscarriage, Fetal Anomaly & Termination
Blanford, C. & Childers, P. (2008). Something Happened: A Book for Children and Parents Who Have Experienced Pregnancy Loss. Self-published.
Karst, P., & Lew-Vriethoff, J. (2020). The invisible string. Findaway World, LLC.
Katrina Villegas, K., & Herrgott , S. H. (2020). A Five Book Series: Our Baby is Going to Die, Our Baby Died (Labor & Delivery Version), Our Baby Died, (Surgical Termination Version), Remembering Our Baby, The Baby Before You Died
Lacourrege, M., & Wichterich, J. (2019). My sibling still. Bowker.
Mangum, K., & Sanders, S. (2021). The duckling in our hearts: A gentle baby loss story. Wise
Woman Book Collective.
Schwiebert, P. (2018). We Were Going to Have a Baby, But We Had an Angel Instead.
Grief Works.
Teague, I., & Knox, G. (2020). We had to say goodbye before we even met. Irene Teague.
Non-English Language
https://www.fertilitybooks.net/ This author has children’s books covering an array of family building topics. Languages include Spanish, French, Italian & Dutch
http://booksfordonoroffspring.blogspot.com/search/label/spanish?m=1. This website includes children’s books about family building. Spanish language.
Single Parenting
Clay, G & A. (2008). Why Don’t I Have a Daddy? AuthorHouse. (Ages 2-7).
Donor Conception Network. (2002). Our Story - for children conceived through sperm donation into single parent families. https://www.dcnetwork.org/
Grimes, J. (2003). Before you were born... Our wish for a baby.
Hanson, W. (2005). Raising you alone. Tristan Publishing. (Ages 3-7).
*Kluger-Bell, K. (2012). The Pea That Was Me: A Single Mom’s Sperm Donation Story. Createspace Independent Publishing.
*Kluger-Bell, K. (2016). The Pea That Was Me: A Single Mom’s Egg and Sperm Donation Story. Createspace Independent Publishing.
Levin, B. (2008). Just the Baby for Me. (Ages 2-6).
Marie, J. (2018). Happy Together: a single mother by choice story. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.
Moffett, J. & Warren, L. & J. (1999). Do I have a daddy? A story about a single parent child.
Rella, T. (2012). Mom and Me…the Way It Should Be. Guess Who? Multimedia. Available at http://guesswhomultimedia.com/bookstore.html or http://www.lovemakesafamilybooks.com/
Sherwin, A. (2009). The Adventures of Princess Mommy. 13th Moon Press. (Ages 4-12).
Simon, N. (2000). All families are special. (For children Kindergarten-grade 3).
Sperm Donation
Celcer, Irene. (2007). Hope and Will Have a Baby: The Gift of Sperm Donation. Graphite Press.
Donor Conception Network. (2002). Our Story. Published by Donor Conception Network. (Available at www.dcnetwork.org or http://www.infertilitynetwork.org/). Three versions of the book include children who were conceived by sperm donation to (1) heterosexual parents, (2) single parents, or (3) lesbian families.
Keen, S. (2012). You Were Meant to Be. Castlebridge Books.
*Kluger-Bell, K. (2013). The Pea That Was Me: A Sperm Donation Story. Createspace Independent Publishing.
Levin, Barbara Sue. (2008). Just the Baby for Me. Self-published. Written for younger and older children about one woman’s decision to become a mother with help from sperm donation.
Marie, J. (2018). Happy Together: a sperm donation story. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.
Nadel, Caroline. (2007). Daddy, Was Mommy’s Tummy Big? Moonkind Press.
Surrogacy
Celcer, I. (2007). Hope & Will Have a Baby: The Gift of Surrogacy. Graphite Press. Available from
*Eichberg, C. (2017). Building My Family: A Story of Egg Donation and Surrogacy. BookBaby. This book is aimed at heterosexual couples wanting to explain to their children their birth story. It is for children born through both surrogacy and egg donation.
* Kluger-Bell, K. (2015). The Very Kind Koala: A Surrogacy Story for Children. Createspace.
LaMothe, S., & Rella, T.. (2011). Surrogacy Helps Make a Family Grow! Self- published. Written for younger and older children of gestational carriers.
Lewis-Long, C. (2010). Why I’m So Special: A Book About Surrogacy. AuthorHouse. (Ages 2-5).
Marie, J. (2018). Happy Together: a surrogacy story. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.
Pellet, S.P. (2006). The Kangaroo Pouch: A Story About Surrogacy for Young Children. Trafford Publishing.
Stamm, L. (2016) Harry the Helper: A family uses a gestational carrier to have another baby. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. Harry the Helper is a book for children explaining how a carrier can help a couple who is experiencing secondary infertility tell their story to their child.
Summer, M. (2010). Mom and Dad and the Journey They Had! CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. For children conceived with the help of an oocyte donor and gestational carrier.