Welcome to SCBWI-MI's Book Birthday Blog!

Where we celebrate new books from Michigan's authors, illustrators and translators.

Congratulations to Kate Rietema on the release of All the Babies: A First Book About Adoption

This is your second book release this year. What are some unique challenges of multiple releases and how do you stay organized?

I’m very grateful that both books are with the same publisher, B&H Kids! They created joint marketing materials so I can promote the books together, which is really helpful. Pitching myself as a guest for podcasts and speaking events was also easier as both books are written from my experiences with foster care and adoption. It feels less like multiple releases, and more like one extended release.

To stay organized, I keep a running to-do list on my “monthly goals” document.

How did you come up with the idea for your book?

After we adopted our daughter, I became mildly obsessed searching for the “just right” book about adoption. I found several ok options, but I couldn’t find the gentle introduction to adoption I was looking for—so one day, I wrote it. But this book isn’t just for adopted children! It’s an important book for any child that may have a friend, classmate, or relative who is adopted. One day, my daughter came home from kindergarten in a stormy huff because a classmate wouldn’t believe she was adopted. The classmate reasoned that she didn’t “look” adopted. And I don’t fault this classmate; my daughter’s skin tone matches mine, and this was probably in contrast to his previous experiences with adoptees. So, I’m excited to have a book that celebrates the unique realities of adoption: children can be adopted as babies or big kids, they can be adopted from close by or far away, they can be part of big families or small families; and the illustrations show that children might look similar to their parents, or they might look different.

What is something you hope your readers will take away from your book?

My daughter lights up whenever she reads a story about a child who was adopted. “Hey, that’s just like me!” she’ll say. For my daughter, seeing her own experience represented in stories boosts her sense of belonging. That’s what I hope this book does for kids. I hope it lets them see a reflection of their own story. I hope it makes them feel understood, celebrated, and loved.

What are your marketing plans for the book and where can we find it?

My book is available online at Amazon, Target, Barnes & Noble, Christianbook.com, Walmart, and in many local Christian book stores.

Some things I’ve done to get ready for my release:

Updated my website
Created a book trailer with my youngest daughter, see it here
Joined a picture book launch group, #PBbuds24
Set up some book signings and story times
Reserved a table at the Michigan Association of Christian Schools Conference to promote school visits
Worked with my publisher to create printable bonus material, secure endorsements, send out advanced copies for review, and promote on social media

What's next for you?

I’m thrilled to share about my non-fiction picture book coming next summer with Tilbury House, illustrated by Ash Roy! Cheetahs Return to India: The True Story of Aasha and Pavan tells the groundbreaking story of how cheetahs were recently reintroduced to India after becoming regionally extinct in 1952. It’s a beautiful story of a bold step in cheetah conservation.

More about the book . . .

All the Babies: A First Book About Adoption is a celebration of uniqueness, highlighting eleven babies who represent aspects of being adopted that might make a child feel different from their siblings or peers. Using fun language and simple sentences, this board book lays an important foundation for future conversations about adoption, diversity, and belonging. No matter how kids enter their families, they are made and loved by God—forever and always.

Publisher: B&H Kids

More about the author . . .

Kate Rietema and her husband live in West Michigan where they operate a beautiful family campground. They have five forever-children through birth and adoption and have cared for many more in their eleven years as licensed foster parents. Kate is the author of When God Makes Scribbles Beautiful, a picture book about finding hope when hard things happen. In her free time, she works as a nurse, volunteers at her county jail, and hobbies as an amateur potter.

You can find more about my books at https://www.katerietema.com/ and follow me on socials:

Twitter/X: @katerietema

Facebook: Kate Rietema - Children's Author

Instagram: katerietema