To help celebrate, build awareness and tie into World Book Day, LGBTQI+ Adoption and Fostering Week – we caught up with Samuel a children’s author and adopter with WBAS who has recently been using the power of books and story telling to connect with his children.
“I was a children’s author before we adopted. I’ve always been so passionate about inspiring children to pick up a book and read”, explains Samuel when I ask him about the background of how these books were created.
“We then adopted J and I was looking at new ways in which to connect with him. The book I wrote ‘Dragons are… HUGE!’ is aimed at all children from a LAC background who might be struggling with their identity and who they should be. It’s about being yourself no matter what, and how no one should tell you who you should be!”
“There are a lot of other additions within the book too, even down to the use of colours. I worked closely with the illustrator as I wanted to include all the LGBTQI+ colours. A subtle addition but I wanted to allow every child to feel included and hoped to empower them to be themselves. The main character is based on and does look like J, which he of course loves!”
“I did have a lapse in writing but picked it up again to try and reach and engage on a different level. It’s the old adage – if I tell him things it won’t land or he might not listen, but when it comes from a different person or a character in a story it has much more impact.”
Books and storytelling of course play a powerful therapeutic and developmental role for adopted children. Many children have experienced early adversity such as trauma, loss, inconsistent caregiving, or disrupted attachments. Reading stories can offer a safe, structured, and emotionally manageable way to explore their experiences and build resilience.
“I’ve actually got a new book ready to print ‘The Boy in the Invisible Mask’ which I am really excited about. Masking in the school place for example is such an important area in which to raise awareness for adopted children. With challenges such as ADHD present in educational settings, masking means often some of the traits can go unrecognised and the support that is needed will be missed.”
Sam’s passion for reading and helping children to engage with books is rich with the author actually gaining the unofficial title of the Patron of Reading for a local secondary school in Swansea. The children’s author has held book launches at other local schools over the years and coordinated a reading programme which filtered various schools into a central engagement event.
Sam’s other younger son has recently started school and his father’s passion for reading, storytelling and therapeutic parenting will no doubt be utilised again to the full, as challenges arise in an educational environment.
“My books are geared towards any neuro divergent children really and as we look forward to future publications, we are going to focus a lot on ADHD and Autism which is so prevalent these days.”
