Big Red Hen & the Little Lost Egg (Margaret Wild)
A motherly (but childless) hen finds an abandoned egg and looks after it, waiting for it to hatch, not knowing what type of baby bird will appear. I enjoy reading this book as much as my daughter does. It embodies the instinctive love a parent has for their child, regardless of who they might turn out to be. I think it would actually be the perfect book for adoptive parents to read to their child. My favourite line in it is when the hen says to the egg: "Do not be afraid. I am here. Waiting". I said much the same thing to my belly while I waited for Rowan to arrive.
As for Amelie, she loves the pictures and the description of all of the various types of birds that are mentioned in the story, especially if I use a different voice for each one.
