10 of Our Favourite Children’s Books About Donor Conception & Diverse Families
Research shows that talking to donor-conceived children about their origins as early as possible is beneficial for their well-being and self-identity. It is important to recognise that you don’t need a perfect explanation. Instead, you want stories that make space for yours and allow children to see themselves and their families in print.
6 min. read
With this in mind, we collected our top 10 children’s books that open up conversations about donor conception, different family structures, and where babies come from in ways that feel inclusive, honest, and age-appropriate.
Our top 10 list of books
- Flowering – Clare Mansfield
- What Makes a Baby – Cory Silverberg & Fiona Smyth
- Our Village – Ann Reddy & Robbie
- Families Can – Dan Saks & Brooke Smart
- Blueprints Collection – Sharon Leya & Janne Maru
- Zak’s Safari – Christy Tyner & Ciaee
- The Every Baby Book – Frann Preston-Gannon
- The Family Book: El Libro de la Familia – Todd Parr
- My Mommy, My Mama, My Brother, and Me – Natalie Meister
- Happy Together: A Single Mother by Choice Story – Julie Marie & Ashley Lucas
1. Flowering – Clare Mansfield
Perfect for: donor-conceived families
Age: Baby to 10
Flowering is the beautiful title shared by each book in the Paths to Parenthood series. Featuring 10 books, each of which covers a different type of family journey, the collection includes titles on egg donation, sperm donation, surrogacy, IVF, solo parenthood and double-donor journeys, among others.
The books are written by Clare Mansfield, founder of Flowering Fertility Support. As well as the expertise acquired through her professional support work, Claire has personal fertility experience and created the first book in the series to help her own child understand their egg donation story. The result is a fantastic collection that balances information delivery with a compassionate and nuanced approach to storytelling.
2. What Makes a Baby – Cory Silverberg & Fiona Smyth
Perfect for: every kind of family
Age: Baby to 8
Like many books, What Makes a Baby explores the basic science behind conception, gestation and birth. Unlike almost every other book we have encountered, it does so without gendering the people or body parts in the book, or prescribing them a particular identity.
The result is a wonderfully clever picture book that gives families the space and narrative framework to educate their children without ignoring or erasing their own experience. It is a brilliantly simple idea that is executed exceptionally well, and frees families from the assumptions made in similar children’s books.
3. Our Village – Ann Reddy & Robbie
Perfect for: donor-conceived families
Age: 2 - 7
Our Village follows a family on its journey to make a baby. As the title suggests, the book introduces the idea that creating a child can be a collective effort that involves more people than two parents.
Gorgeously drawn, the use of animals to represent human diversity and the many different forms family can assume is a lovely touch, and offers an easy way to introduce the subject to younger children. An excellent option for families looking for books to help explain IVF and donor conception, it takes readers on a journey to meet all the people who help bring babies into the world.
4. Families Can – Dan Saks & Brooke Smart
Perfect for: every kind of family
Age: 1 - 3
One for younger children, Families Can celebrates families that love, sing, play and live together. Crucially, its families come in all types, sizes and configurations, from families with two dads and families with a solo mum to multi-racial and multi-generational families.
Written in rhyming couplets, the book benefits from a beautiful sing-song rhythm that will delight younger readers (or listeners). Above all, it reinforces the idea that it isn’t structure that defines a family, but personal connections, care and shared moments.
5. Blueprints Collection – Sharon Leya & Janne Maru
Perfect for: donor-conceived families
Age: 3 - 10
Another series that adapts its narrative to different types of families and means of conceiving, the Blueprints collection includes popular titles like Liam’s Blueprints (for Single Moms by Choice families) and Kenzie’s Blueprints (for two-dad families). Using the metaphor of “blueprints” to explain genetics, the book helps children understand biological origins while reinforcing the idea that love, intention and care are the key building blocks for a healthy family.
There are 26 ready-made books in the Blueprint collection, and you can also create personalised versions featuring your child’s name and tailored to your family’s journey.
6. Zak’s Safari – Christy Tyner & Ciaee
Perfect for: donor conceived families
Age: 3 - 8
A story about a donor-conceived child in a two-mum family, Zak’s Safari follows the titular Zak as he explains how his parents met, decided they wanted a baby, and had him with the help of a donor. Its age-appropriate approach to donor conception and family diversity make it especially useful for younger children.
While the first half of the book focuses on the biology of having a baby, and how a donor is part of that process, the second half celebrates family diversity and the strength of love parents have for their children, no matter what their origins.
7. The Every Baby Book – Frann Preston-Gannon
Perfect for: every kind of family, especially those welcoming a baby with siblings
Age: Baby to 3
This inclusive board book follows six families from breakfast to bedtime, showing the everyday moments different families share. Showcasing families of all types, including two-mum families and single parents, it features a host of familiar early experiences, from changing a nappy to playtime at the park.
Along with the stunning illustrations, much of the joy of this book comes from the fact young readers will recognise parts of their own routines and enjoy following each family through to bedtime.
8. The Family Book: El Libro de la Familia – Todd Parr
Perfect for: every kind of family, especially bilingual families
Age: 5 - 6
A bold and colourful classic that celebrates all kinds of families, including those with two mums, two dads, a single parent and many more. Using bold, bright colours and rich with Parr’s much-loved sense of silly humour, this bilingual edition is a great choice for Anglo-Spanish families or those looking to introduce other languages into the home. Traditional monolingual versions are also available.
9. My Mommy, My Mama, My Brother, and Me – Natalie Meister
Perfect for: two-mum families
Age: 3 - 7
A gentle, lyrical story that follows everyday moments in a two-mum family. Rather than trying to over-explain things, My Mommy… shows just how joyous a loving family can be and the power of spending time together. Centred on the beachcombing adventures of two young brothers and their two mums, it is a poetic, heartwarming tale with wonderful watercolour illustrations.
10. Happy Together: A Single Mother by Choice Story – Julie Marie & Ashley Lucas
Perfect for: solo mums by choice
Age: 3 - 8
Written by Julie Marie, Happy Together is a story about becoming a solo mother by choice and follows the protagonist’s emotional journey to becoming a family. The book introduces the role of a donor in a considered and age-appropriate way, giving parents an opportunity to talk about intention, support and how their child came to be. It is a story of hope, help and love, and one that younger children especially will adore.
Tell your story with European Sperm Bank
At European Sperm Bank, our commitment to families goes beyond helping aspiring parents have a child. We are also there for you and your little ones as they grow up. With this in mind, we offer each of our families a free, personalised book entitled The Magic of You that helps you explain donor conception and tell your story in an engaging and age-appropriate way.