Two years ago, I wrote about books for kids who were adopted from China.
Since then, there has been a veritable explosion of new books on the subject. One of them, Made in China, is actually a three-way story: the text, the illustrations, and the material inside the covers (more about that later).
Made in China could also be an entry in my Adoption Books with Great Art series. I usually like the books with delicate watercolors, but these illustrations are noteworthy for the medium chosen by illustrator Kristin Blackwood: linoleum cut prints and computer coloring; unusual for children’s books. The artwork’s strong lines and colors will probably appeal to kids.
The story itself, by Vanita Oleschlager, is an account of something I’d never considered: an incident in which a child adopted from China is teased by her blonde sister that she was “made in China” like the broom, the dustpan, the shoes, the dolls….
“You’re made in China,” the older sister says, “it’s stamped right on your head!”
I remember making a humorous comment to my girls once when we saw clothing made in Korea: “Hey, this was made in Korea just like you were!” I also remember my sisters laughing when they passed the “Made in Washington” store. They seemed to be proud that they also were “Made in Washington”. I never considered whether children from other countries found this hurtful or confusing. (Of course, we never said that their history was “stamped on their heads”either.) I can see how these references could get tiresome given that so many things say “Made in China”.
Perhaps more importantly, the words “made in China” can connote—in a way children might sense even if they can’t express—mass production, worker exploitation, and cheap goods.
The story conveys the child’s hurt, but the rhythmic verse style keeps the tone light, and the pictures show the relationship she has had with her parents and her older sister from the beginning, when they came to China to get her. The father explains what gift every child is, and the family’s happiness and feeling that she was meant for them.
“You were made in China, but not like a toy. You were made in China to bring us joy.”
My daughters’ favorite part of the book, though, the photos inside the front and back covers: baby photos and current photos of kids adopted from China. My kids loved to compare the before and after, try to see who looked like whom. It was our own game of “match the baby pictures!” (This is often an awkward school assignment for adopted kids, who may not have baby photos, and for children whose race puts them in the minority in a group, so that matching the pictures isn’t much of a game.)
Please see these related blogs:
Resources for Responding to Racism: Hate Hurts: How Children Learn and Unlearn Prejudice
Kids’ Books Starring Internationally Adopted Kids
Raising an Adopted Child: #4 Ages 6-10 Loss & Differences