UPDATED: December 8, 2025
“Where do babies come from?” Many parents live in dread of hearing these words from their children. Answering that question can be even more complicated if you have a child born via third-party reproduction, or if you’re a gestational surrogate whose own children have questions about surrogacy. The good news is you can use children’s books that can help explain surrogacy in a gentle and age-appropriate way.
- The books listed below offer a gentle, thoughtful introduction to third party reproduction, making it easier to explain.
- Reassure their young readers that they are loved and special.
- Perfect for both gestational surrogate or an intended parent(s).
- Many books are available in multiple languages.
- Each book celebrates diversity within families.
Children’s Books About Surrogacy
Happy Together, a two-dad egg donation and surrogacy story by Julie Marie and Ashley Lucas
The “Happy Together” series uses rhyming prose and colorful illustrations to teach children about different aspects of and reasons for surrogacy. In this entry, two bears fall in love and turn to surrogacy to add a child to their family. This series also has books about egg and sperm donation, invitro fertilization, and more.
Wanted by Carolina Robbiano and Francesca Massai
Wanted follows a family of hippos who decide to pursue surrogacy to expand their family. Along the way, they learn about the many different ways of building a family, and that all families are unique and special, no matter how they are formed. Wanted is written in both English and Spanish.
Umi & Uma: The Story of Two Mommies and a Baby by Nyesha and Samantha Davis-Williams
Written by the mothers of the child featured in the book, Umi & Uma is a brightly illustrated, semiautobiographical tale. Using the narrative framework of a little girl asking her grandmother for a bedtime story, it follows Umi and Uma as they fall in love and decide to bring a baby into their lives.
A Very Special Lady by Neil Carswell and Sarah Merrigan
There are two versions of this book: one about a boy and one about a girl. Each tells the story of how the child’s parents struggled to have children until receiving help from “a very special lady”: the egg donor who made their dreams of parenthood come true.
My Mom is a Surrogate by Abigail Glass and Riley Robertson
Created specifically for the children of Gestational Surrogates, this book tells the story of two siblings whose mother decides to carry a baby for someone else. Glass not only explains surrogacy in a child-friendly way, she reminds the children of surrogates that they play an important role in the surrogacy process!
Why Do I Have Two Mommies?: A Journey of Self-Discovery by Janai Akerele
As with A Very Special Lady, this book has a “girl” version and a “boy” version. Each child embarks on a quest to learn why they have two moms instead of a mom and a dad. They quiz all of their family members until they discover the answer. This book has more text than some of the other books on this list, making it appropriate for slightly older children or for family reading.
The Kangaroo Pouch by Sarah A. Phillips
The story is narrated by a young kangaroo named Oliver whose mother has decided to help another family have a baby.
Penny’s Pocket by Elizabeth K Hebl
This children’s book helps kids understand infertility and gestational surrogacy. In this tale, a family of opossums use a gestational surrogate to bring home their second child.
The Very Kind Koala by Kimberly Kluger-Bell
The story is about a koala bear and her husband who need the help of a very kind koala to carry their baby in her pouch.
Sophia’s Broken Crayons by Crystal Falk
The story is about a little girl who is heartbroken after she discovers all of her crayons are broken. Sophia’s friends share their crayons with her as she experiences seeing her parents choose to give the gift of surrogacy to their friends.
FSC is Here to Support You
FSC’s third party reproduction journeys are personalized and unique in their own way. Whether you share the IVF story with your child/ren, or not; there is no right or wrong decision.
Family Source Consultants continuously looks for ways to provide support and solutions to our intended parent(s). We are here to help and offer guidance!
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Staci Swiderski, CEO and owner of Family Source Consultants, has been a prominent leader in reproductive medicine for over two decades. Through her strategic vision and dedication, she has developed Family Source Consultants into a globally recognized agency specializing in comprehensive egg donation and gestational surrogacy services. Under Staci’s leadership, the agency has become a trusted partner for intended parents, surrogates, and egg donors worldwide, known for its rigorous standards, compassionate support, and commitment to excellence in third-party reproduction.
Her professional insight is uniquely informed by her own family-building experiences. As an intended parent, Staci welcomed her son via gestational surrogacy in 2005, and as a known egg donor, she assisted an infertile couple in expanding their family. These experiences lend a rare depth to her leadership and have fueled her ongoing dedication to ethical, empathetic, and professional support within the field of reproductive medicine.
