Lost Boys, Wicked Stepmothers, and Hatching Eggs . . . . . A Look at Adoption inChildren’s Literature

The November 1991 issue of Adopted Child, Lois hazy in some of these stories. One television version of Melina’s monthly newsletter, was devoted to the subject the Cinderella saga had the stepmother saying that of “Adopt-a----”programs and the confusion they cause since she was now “legally her daughter” (after the fa- adopted children.That got me wondering. Have you ther’s death), she would have to do all the menial and ever stopped to think where almost everyone acquires disgusting tasks assigned to her and there was nothing their first concept of adoption? Certainly not from the she could do about it.And Snow White, of course, had children’s literature on adoption (such as is found on the meanest stepmother of all, who in rapid succession page 12 of this issue of Thursday's Child and readily tried to strangle her with a blue satin ribbon, and kill her known only to the adoption community), No, the con- with a poisoned comb and apple. cept of adoption in one form or another appears first to There are some stories that provide both negative children in the books that are read to them at bedtime. and positive images of adoption. The Jungle Book re- Favorite stories like the fairy tales of the Brothers lates the story of a baby boy, who is abandoned in the Grimm, Aesop, Hans Christian Andersen, and J. M. Bar- jungle and adopted by a wolf family.He lives with the rie which were popularized by Walt Disney, the classic wolves for ten years and then must “return to his own books of Dr. Seuss, and even Bible stories are sources kind” (the man village) because of the threat of Shere for learning about adoption. So, because I thought it Khan, the tiger, even though Mowgli wants to remain in would be interesting (and also because I had space to fill the jungle. Adoptive parent figures (the wolves, Bag- for this newsletter), let’s take a look and see what the heera the panther, Baloo the bear) are all treated with books we read our kids teach about adoption. dignity and care in the book, but Mowgli is bounced Moses, adopted by the around like an unwanted child Pharaoh’s daughter after she in the foster care system. found him among the reeds by the What about Dumbo the fly- river bank, is certainly the best ing elephant? He was delivered known adoptee in the Bible. The to Mrs. Jumbo by a stork (about Pharaoh, of course, was responsi- as close to the arrival of an ble for Moses being abandoned in adopted child as you can get) the first place, since he issued the and looked nothing like her edict that every son born to the with his huge ears. He is ridi- Israelites should be cast in the riv- culed by his mother’s friends er. And the daughter hired because of his appearance. His Moses’ real mother to nurse him mother loves him despite all the until he was old enough not to be problems and she ends up in any trouble to raise. Hardly ex- solitary confinement for pro- emplary examples of adoptive tecting him. But in the end, he parents and grandparents. becomes the star of the circus. “All children, except one, And how about Pinocchio? grow up”,and that one, Peter Moses is found in the reeds by the river bank. There is no better example of Pan, had a rather raucous band of (The Golden Bible, Illustrated by Feodor Rojankovsky) the wishes, devotion, and love followers called the “lost boys”. of an adoptive parent than Gep- The “lost boys” were children who fall out of their per- petto the woodcarver, who more than anything else ambulators when the nurse is looking the other way. If wanted a son. they are not claimed in seven days they are sent far But my favorite of all, from the late and beloved away to the Neverland to defray expenses. As all fans Dr. Seuss, is Horton the elephant. After Horton sits on of J. M. Barrie know, these orphans shot the Wendy the egg of “that old good-for-nothing bird, runaway bird. (I never forgave them for that, even though they Mayzie” for 5 1 weeks, she returns to find the egg hatch- were inspired by a jealous Tinker Bell.) ing and demands HER egg back. But the egg bursts Wicked stepmothers abound in fairy tales. On apart to reveal a bird with ears, and a tail, and a trunk the other hand, I don’t recall any wicked stepfathers. just like Hortons.And, in the immortal words of Dr. Sexism . . .the stories were all written by men, no doubt. Seuss: (continued on page 19) The line between a stepparent and an adoptive parent is

Page 18 What a wonderful book andstory!! Interpretation? I’ll leave that for you. But I think Horton Hatches the Egg is where, as a child, I got my early concepts of adoption. Yes, it isn’t always, but it should be, it should be, it SHOULD be like that! -W