Carson's Book

About the Book

This story conveys a father's perspective about adoption. To this end, the often complex adoption process is simplified to help moms and dads describe “what happened” to their children.  Mr. Busby says “It is a picture book, designed as a vehicle to gently explain how families come together through adoption.”  In sharing his personal story, the author hopes to provide a starting point for discussions between other parents and their daughters from China.  The author hopes that other adoptive families will find the picture book helpful as a facilitative tool as they tell their own family stories.  The story is punctuated with several questions to elicit imaginative responses from children about what they think the little girl might do when she gets older.  The author hopes you enjoy Carson’s Book, one of many storys of the little girls that come from China to become members of families in locations throughout the world.

About the Author

Words from the author Richard  Busby: 

The idea for this book came as I sat in one of the latter sessions of a day long adoption conference.  The question I wanted to answer was simply. "How will I describe this adoption process to my daughter?"  The story formed as I reflected on my own experience. For me, the adoption was a journey into the unknown, with clarity unfolding as I moved through the process.  My wish for my daughter is that she sees adoption as a description of how we came together to become a family. I believe that information about the process helps to remove any stigma the word "adoption" may have.

Words from the Illustrator: 

Phil Marcelo is delighted to be Dad to both Nathan and Maggie and lucky husband to Karen — all gifts to him from the Big Daddy above. Like Rich, Phil’s daughter blessed his family through adoption. Many years prior to fatherhood, Phil worked with Rich and a friendship was formed. Fast-forward through the first years of their marriages, and Rich asked him to illustrate this personal project. Grateful for the opportunity to be a part of this special book, Phil looks at this project as a way to share the Busby’s adoption experience with others and hopefully provide encouragement to interested parents-to-be, insight to those unfamiliar with adoption, and fun pictures to engage kids in the greater story of adoption. When not changing diapers or taking imaginary train rides with stuffed animals, Phil can be found designing magazine layouts, churning out cool graphics, or getting lesson plans ready for his design class.