Mommy PR reviews "Red in the Flower Bed"

Mommy PR,
November 29, 2009

Red in the Flower Bed: Children's Book Review
by Dawn Speese

Taking on a subject that is near and dear to my heart Red in the Flower Bed, by Andrea Nepa is an adorable children’s book about interracial adoption.

The story follows a seed’s journey from her original home to her final destination with her new garden family where, although different, she is a perfect fit. The book is beautifully written in a simple and touching way.

I read the story to my 6 year old daughter who has been home with us for two years and she also loved it. I was not sure how she would react since she always gets emotional if she feels like someone is losing something or being left out. She did not relate the book to herself, but was very happy for the flower seed who safely settled into her new home, and since she loves flowers she enjoyed the illustrations as well. When we finished the story I was able to use it to open discussion with my daughter about how even though the seed did not start out with this flower family, she was very well loved and completed the family just like she herself completes our family.

About the author: Andrea Nepa is the author of Red in the Flower Bed: An Illustrated Children’s Story about Interracial Adoption. She is the mother of an daughter adopted from Vietnam in 2001. In 2008 Andera wrote and dedicated this book to her daughter Leah.

My thoughts: This is a fantastic book to add to your child’s book collection and a wonderful gift for any family that has been touched by adoption. I am always on the lookout for ways to encourage open discussions with my daughter and this book is a perfect tool for helping with that!

Money Saving Moms Club names "Red in the Flower Bed" to 2009 Holiday Gift Guide

Money Saving Moms Club,
November 28, 2009

2009 Holiday Gift Guide
by Kristin

Red in the Flower Bed: An Illustrated Children's Story about Interracial Adoption

The journey of adoption is beautifully depicted with the comforting imagery of a poppy flower who is welcomed into a garden family. It is a charming story of "seeds" being planted in the perfect place - exactly where they belong. Children and adults will enjoy this simple yet meaningful story and homespun illustrations. The book's loving approach helps children to understand adoption. Andrea Nepa has captured the essence of adoption and family, and has illustrated it beautifully with images and poetry that even a small child can comprehend and enjoy.

Book Dragon Lair review

Book Dragon's Lair,
November 24, 2009

Three New Review Books
by Gina

Red in the Flower Bed
An Illustrated Children's Story about Interracial Adoption
The journey of adoption is beautifully depicted with the comforting imagery of a poppy flower who is welcomed into a garden family. It is a charming story of "seeds" being planted in the perfect place - exactly where they belong. Children and adults will enjoy this simple yet meaningful story and homespun illustrations. The book's loving approach helps children to understand adoption. Andrea Nepa has captured the essence of adoption and family, and has illustrated it beautifully with images and poetry that even a small child can comprehend and enjoy.

3 Peas in a Pod interview

3 Peas in a Pod,
November 21, 2009

Red in the Flower Bed: An Illustrated Children's Story about Interracial Adoption
by Alyson LaBarge

To go along with National Adoption Month, I have come across a wonderful book, written by an adoptive mom. Her name is Andrea Nepa and she is the author of Red in the Flower Bed: An Illustrated Children’s Story about Interracial Adoption.

The journey of adoption is beautifully depicted with the comforting imagery of a poppy flower who is welcomed into a garden family. It is a charming story of seeds being planted in the perfect place – exactly where they belong. Children and adults will enjoy this simple yet meaningful story and homespun illustrations. The book’s loving approach helps children to understand adoption.

I read it and loved it immediately. As the Mama to a foreign-born child myself, and one who knew the moment my daughter was placed in my arms that my family was complete, this story resonated especially true. I have shared it with my daughter who, although she is only three, loved the bright cheery colors and tender message of the book. Andrea, the author of the book, was kind enough to allow me to interview her.

What inspired you to write this story? How did you come to choose adoption?

Thanks for the interview. I was inspired to write this story when my daughter Leah was a toddler, because she asked questions about her adoption that we didn’t know the answer to (we were not given any info. about her biological parents), and because she sometimes would cry that she missed her birth mother. Although she really didn’t know her birth mother (she was given up the day she was born), I took this to mean that she felt abandoned by someone very close to her. It must be upsetting and confusing for a child to know this. I wanted Leah to know that she was very much wanted and loved by us, but that we would never ask her to forget her roots. The story took on more significance when she was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 5. Since my husband and I are both health professionals, and live 20 minutes from the best children’s hospital in the country (and probably the world), it seemed that she was meant to be with us. In fact, I work at that hospital and that is where Leah was cured (actually she has been in “remission” for 2 1/2 years).

Did you choose to not use the word “adoption” in the story on purpose?

I deliberately did not use the word adoption in the story so that the reader can interpret the book in their own way at their own pace according to their age level.

When you decided to adopt your daughter internationally did you feel that there would be challenges unique to becoming parents of a child with a different cultural background?

As far as adopting a child of a different cultural background, our adoption agency encourages all international adopters to learn about their child’s culture of birth.

How have you chosen to help her have pride in her birth heritage?

We were in Vietnam for 2 weeks when we adopted her, and participate in Asian New Year events, etc. and take Leah to Vietnamese restaurants (along with other ethnic restaurants, too). We enjoy learning about Vietnamese culture, too, which makes these experiences positive. Leah is proud to call herself Vietnamese, but I do remind her that she is also American, so that she feels that she belongs here too.

As your daughter grows older, have you found any unique challenges from being a multi-cultural family?

So far we have not encountered much prejudice, and there are a lot of Asian adoptees in our neighborhood and school system. Leah doesn’t seem bothered by the fact that she doesn’t look like us, but this might change when she is older. She does seem a little jealous, though, that I look like my twin sister!

Those who choose to adopt internationally go through many of the same requirements and experiences as do those who adopt domestically and I found Red in the Flower Bed to be very applicable to my oldest daughter who we adopted here in Texas as well.

We read the book together and she could really seem to relate to the thought process of how she needed to come be a part of our family, just like the seed. It was a great jumping off point for some conversation about her birth mom and how we could not be a family with out her.

There are many children’s books relating to adoption that can help families talk about their feelings and begin conversation that just come as part of the territory when you become a parent of adopted children.

Turning Pages review

Page Turners,
November 6, 2009

Red in the Flower Bed
by Amber Clark

Great story, to discuss adoption (interracial adoptions), I loved the illustrations. There really isn't much I can say about this book, that hasn't already been said in the synopsis. I was excited about reading this book, my mom was adopted and we have family members who have recently adopted. I will definitely, tell them about this book.

The poppy seed has to leave its home; it is carried by the wind. The poppy seed finally lands in a garden. It blooms into a beautiful red poppy. The color red was missing from the garden, so adding a red flower made the garden a rainbow of colors.

Kali's Blog review

Kali's Blog,
November 2, 2009

Answering the Call
by Kali Van Baale

November is National Adoption Awareness Month and November 21 is National Adoption Day—a campaign to raise awareness about the thousands of children, youth and pets waiting in foster care, orphanages around the world, and shelters for permanent loving families. A campaign particularly near and dear to my heart. We are a family who answered the call two years ago when my husband and I adopted our daughter, Gauri, from India.

I’m often asked what made us decide to adopt, and moreover, adopt internationally. I never feel like I’ve got a straight, easy answer. Every family’s decision and journey to adoption is different. Ours was certainly filled with plenty of twists and turns. The summer of 2005, with two healthy biological boys, my husband and I decided to try for a third. Boy or girl, we didn’t care. We just knew we wanted one more to properly fill out the craziness of our household.

Alas, heartbreak and disappointment abounded with two miscarriages, my third overall. It was an agonizing decision, but I couldn’t go through it again. I was done trying. We’d be a family of four. Only…we didn’t feel like a family of four. It was a nagging sense, like an unfinished sentence about our lives. After a time, my husband and I started to talk about how, in the early days of our marriage, we’d both mentioned how much we’d like to adopt a child. I generally don’t like to discuss our three lost babies, but I did, in that moment, have a strange sense that maybe we’d suffered those losses in order to find the child we were meant to have, wherever he or she was.

We quickly settled on international adoption, attracted to the idea of bringing another culture into our family, and simply followed our gut when we chose India. A year later, we had a referral for a little girl in an orphanage in Pune, a city where my husband’s company just happened to have an office. And this little girl just so happened to have the name Gauri—as in Goddess Gauri—a nurturing form of the Goddess Kali. And if that weren’t enough, it just so happened that our Gauri was born July 16, 2005, five days before I lost the second baby, and she was relinquished by her birth mother in mid-September, five days before I lost the third baby. This wasn’t answering a call; it was practically a shovel whack over our heads. And here we are, two years later. As a writer, I sometimes can’t find the words to express what adopting Gauri has been like. Wonderful. Amazing. Frustrating. Fun. Hard. Scary.

But…oh, so worth it.

In the spirit of National Adoption Month, I recently read two really sweet books about adoption. The first, Red in the Flower Bed: An Illustrated Children’s Story About Interracial Adoption by Andrea Nepa, is a beautifully illustrated picture book about a seed that drops from a poppy flower onto ground too hard for it to grow. Soon the wind and change of seasons carries the seed to a garden where it is planted and soon blooms into a brilliant red poppy—the missing color to finally complete the garden family’s rainbow. (Short intermission as I dab my eyes.) The poetry of Red in the Flower Bed is simple but charming, and an easy way to introduce the concept of family diversity to a little one. An added bonus—a portion of each sale benefits Paul’s Kids Vietnam Children’s Charity.

So here’s three cheers for National Adoption Month—whether you’re in the process of doing it, have done it, are thinking about it, or just plain think it’s great!

"I got more children than I can rightly take care of, but I ain’t got more than I can love."
–Ossie Guffy

Reading for Sanity review

Reading for Sanity,
October 24, 2009

Red in the Flower Bed - Andrea Nepa
by Mindy Oja

Many children will be attracted to Red in the Flower Bed's beautifully simple, yet colorful illustrations. It shares a universal message about familial acceptance and love. In a broader sense, this book could be applied to fitting in everywhere with the message that we "bloom where we are planted."

I thought this story was very sweet, had great pictures. It's cute.

A great read for any adoptive families, interracial or not, with young readers.

Collingswood Book Festival

Andrea Nepa and daughter Leah promote Red in the Flower Bed: An Illustrated Children's Story about Interracial Adoption at the Collingswood Book Festival on Saturday, October 3, 2009.

Marilyn's Musings review

Red in the Flower Bed

Red in the Flower Bed is a children's book with a simple message about embracing someone who is different.

A rhyming book, this would be a good book to read to pre-schoolers and has beautiful illustrations.

The author's intent is to explain about interracial adoption which she manages to do in the simplest manner.

It's the kind of book that could be a good teaching tool not only about interracial adoptions but about anyone who is not exactly like everyone else.

Having once been a pre-school teacher, I know this age group would enjoy having the book read over and over.

Marilyn

http://marilynmeredith.blogspot.com/2009/09/red-in-flower-bed-by-andrea-napa.html

Cherry Hill Public Library Event

Red in the Flower Bed
An Illustrated Children's Story about Interracial Adoption
by Andrea Nepa

Thursday, September 17, 2009
7 p.m.
Cherry Hill Public Library
1100 Kings Highway North
Cherry Hill, NJ 08034
(856) 903-1233

Interview with Grown in My Heart - An Adoption Network

Grown in My Heart - An Adoption Network,
July 24, 2009

Red In the Flower Bed: a book review
by Michelle McNally

I was recently introduced to the new children’s book, Red in the Flower Bed: An Illustrated Children’s Story about Interracial Adoption, by Andrea Nepa. This gentle, rhyming children’s story tells of a poppy seed who blows out of her original garden in search of a place to bloom and grow. It’s a sweet metaphor for an adoption placement. When reading any story about adoption, I’m alway curious to find out how the author is connected to adoption. I was fortunate enough to find out that a whole lot more when I had the opportunity to ask the author a few questions.

What inspired you to write this story as symbolic, rather than use people?

I chose a flower since it is easy to see how a flower develops from a tiny seed into a beautiful being if it receives good care, and I wanted the story to be fun for a child to read. Mostly I wanted the child to be able to identify with the seed/flower in their own way. For example, if I used an Asian child as the setting for the story, then it would mostly only appeal to Asian children.

The adoption message is clear for the adults reading the story–did you not use the word “adoption” in the story for a reason?

I purposely didn’t use the word adoption so that the child can interpret the story at his/her own pace in a way that they are ready for. A parent reading this story with their child could discuss the theme with their child to see what their understanding of their adoption is and discuss it from there.

When you decided to adopt, how did you come to chose trans-racial adoption?

We were quite open to any child when we first considered adoption, but I think we liked the idea of a foreign adoption so that the birth mother couldn’t change her mind (although a disadvantage has been that we don’t know anything about our daughter’s birth mother). Also, the process of adopting from Vietnam at the time was very quick (only 9 months), and the children are beautiful.

Did you think, at the time, that there would be unique challenges to becoming parents of a child with a different cultural background? Were there fears you had that weren’t realized or did obstacles you didn’t anticipate pop up?

Our adoption agency prepared us for these issues ahead of time, although it wasn’t a surprise to learn about the challenges of raising a child in a multi-racial family. We have always been very open with our daughter about her background and expose her to Vietnamese culture. She is proud of her background and likes to tell people that she is from Vietnam. We know many other families with adopted Asian children, so I don’t think that it seems unusual to her. I grew up with a Jewish father and Catholic mother, so I can relate to growing up in a “mixed” family, which was quite difficult for me. One thing that surprised me was how sad I was for my daughter when we flew her out of Vietnam. I felt like she was being ripped away from her homeland.

As your daughter matures, do you find the challenges of being a multi-racial family change?

Right now my daughter is only 7 1/2 years old, so there will no doubt be issues that arise when she is a teenager. So far it has been hard when she asks questions about her birth family that we don’t know the answer to, and when she sees how similar I look to my mother and twin sister I think she feels left out.

This is a story that can be read again and again, and each time, your child will be able to take a little more away from the story. With illustrations inspired by Lois Ehlert and Eric Carle (two of Nepa’s favorites), it’s bound to become a favorite on the bookshelf.

Collingswood Book Festival

Join me!

Saturday, October 3, 2009
10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Collingswood Book Festival
Haddon Avenue
Collingswood, NJ 08108
jean@collingswoodbookfestival.com

Interview with Mormon Mommy Blogs

Mormon Mommy Blogs
July 3, 2009

Red In the Flower Bed
by Jennifer Jackson

Andrea Nepa's new children’s book, Red In the Flower Bed: An Illustrated Children’s Story About Interracial Adoption fills a great void in the canon of books for transracially adopted children. While the body of "books for adopted kids" includes many wonderful books that would be a treasure on any adopted child's shelf, the presence of transracial adoptive themes are noticeably underrepresented. As I read and re-read this book (all the while picking the brain of the author), it was clear that this literary effort was certainly rooted in love.

Red In the Flower Bed tells the story of a small poppy seed and its long journey to a beautiful garden where it doesn't resemble any of the other flowers. As it grows tall and blooms, it learns that our differences are beautiful and needed - and we, the readers, take away the idea that transracial adoptive families are more complete and radiant because of those differences.

The author and her husband adopted their daughter, Leah, from Vietnam more than seven years ago. A registered dietician by trade, Ms. Nepa didn’t consider writing a children’s book until Leah was diagnosed with cancer at age five. In an interview with the blog Road to Ethiopia, the author said, "The idea started when my daughter started asking questions about her adoption, and we didn’t have the answers. One especially sad memory is her at 5 years-old sitting in a hospital bed receiving chemotherapy and asking, 'Does my birth mother know I’m here?'…Her journey as a young infant to the other side of the world and then fighting cancer seemed like a big journey for a little girl."

Though the author clearly intended this book to benefit adopted children - especially her own - it’s obvious that residual benefit resulted. I asked Ms. Nepa how the book-writing process was for her, as an adoptive parent, and she responded, "I think that writing this book has been good for me possibly because it has forced me to see adoption from my child's point of view and it has helped to define how I feel about adoption. More than anything it has allowed me to use my artistic abilities in writing and illustrating that I wouldn't normally use in my career. It has also allowed me to have more contact with other adoptive families."

Those contacts with other adoptive families that have come in the sharing of this book and through their adoption experience have also been of great benefit to the author. When I asked how those interactions have impacted her family, she replied, "We are in close contact with several of the families that we traveled to Vietnam with to adopt, and they feel like a second family to us. The kids call each other 'cousins' and know that they all came from the same orphanage… I think it is important for the kids to see that not all kids look like their parents and that families can be different from other families."

Through simple (but beautiful) illustrations, Ms. Nepa has created a subtle-yet-profound venue in which parents can open an age-appropriate dialogue with their children to answer the inevitable questions of "Why don’t I look like you?" and "How did I come to our family?" and the heartstring-tugging "Didn’t my birth mom love me?" Having a catalyst for those important conversations - in this case, for transracial families - is a valuable tool to create unity and understanding while celebrating the differences.

The idea of a seed and a flower is powerful, yet a concept that even young children can understand. The author said she chose a flower and a seed "because of several reasons: The seed blossomed into another red poppy like its birth mom to represent the fact that a child retains his/her heritage no matter where it lives…When my daughter asks what her birth mom looks like, I say 'She looks like you,' which she loves to hear."

You really can’t place enough value on the books written for kids that are about kids who are just like your kids. And while Red In the Flower Bed was intended for transracial adoptive families, it has great value for adoptive families at-large. As the mother of a Caucasian, adopted child (who is often mistakenly pegged as biological), I found this book to be an asset to our ongoing adoption dialogue - a conversation that grows and matures as our son does. And while "being adopted" is part of our everyday vernacular around these parts - and is as essential to our son's identity as his blue eyes and wide feet and monstrous cowlick - it's always refreshing to know that through such a routine activity as simply reading a book, we can maintain those lines of communication - the goal of which is to ensure our son that he is loved from more directions than he could possibly imagine.

After all, isn't it all about love?

Interview with AdoptionBlogs.com

AdoptionBlogs.com
June 18, 2009

Talking with Andrea Nepa, Author of Red In the Flower Bed
by Robyn Chittister

I was recently contacted by Tribute Books with a great opportunity - to interview Andrea Nepa, adoptive mom and author of Red in the Flower Bed: An Illustrated Children's Story about Interracial Adoption. I read the book and asked Andrea a few questions.

Andrea Nepa and her husband adopted their daughter Leah from Vietnam in 2001. Although she is a dietician, she took on the challenge of writing and illustrating a children's book for her daughter. Red in the Flower Bed was published in December 2008, and has received several positive reviews.

In the book, a seed who is unable to grow in the garden she starts it travels the world until she settles in a far off flower bed. The other flowers are anxious to see what the new flower will look like, who she will be. When the seed sprouts, she becomes a beautiful red poppy. Though there aren't any other red poppies in the garden, she and the other flowers are happy because she completes their rainbow of colors.

Now, more from Andrea herself...

RobynC: Has writing always been a favorite pastime?

Andrea Nepa: I've always loved to read, but creative writing isn't something I do all that often.

RC: When did first think about creating a children's book?

AN: I was inspired to write this story when my daughter was about 3 years old. We felt so lucky to have such a beautiful little girl from all the way on the other side of the world. Her background was a mystery to us and when she asked us questions about her birth mother we didn't know the answer. She seemed to have feelings of abandonment when she was able to understand the concept of adoption, and it was important to make her feel loved and wanted.

RC: How long did it take the idea to become reality?

AN: It took a few years to finish writing the story. I would think about it and write a little then put it away for a while. I didn't intend on illustrating it, too, but I wanted the pictures to be appealing to children and put the words into pictures. So I decided to make it look the way I wanted it, which took another year or so.

RC: The illustrations for the book are beautiful. What techniques did you use to create them?

AN: I used a collage technique for the illustrations. My favorite children's book illustrators are Eric Carle and Lois Ehlert, so I was inspired by their styles.

RC: Finally, a more personal question, because it's one I get all the time. Are you and your husband thinking about adopting again?

AN: We originally planned on having a sibling for our daughter Leah, but when we started to seriously think about adopting again she got very sick so we put things on hold. Now not only is Vietnam closed for adoptions, but we feel that at this point she would be too much older than an infant or toddler, plus we really can't afford it anyway. So that is the honest answer (I don't mind when people ask).

Interview with Road to Ethiopia Blog

Road to Ethiopia
June 16, 2009

Red in the Flower Bed
by Alicia Grinberg

I had the wonderful chance to interview the author of a children’s book about transracial adoption, Andrea Nepa. She is an adoptive parent herself, her beautiful girl is from Vietnam and is already 7 1/2 years old.

Even when there are many books about transracial adoption for adults, I wasn’t able to find any other book about that subject for children. We always wonder how are we going to explain to our children, once they are old enough, about their journey and ours, about how they became part of the family. It’s a delicate subject and each of us are trying to find a way to discuss it with the children without hurting them but also without lying to them.

Every age is different and it’s important not to say more than the child needs at each stage, more than he or she is able to understand. And we need to talk about adoption and for many of us about race too.

That’s what happened to Andrea Nepa and it is the idea behind her book at a very special time in the life of her child, when the little girl was diagnosed with cancer and many more questions about her identity were asked.

And the answers took the form of a book titled Red in the Flower Bed. The book tells about the journey of a little poppy seed that needs to go in search of a place where she can grow up.

Here is what I asked Andrea and her answers:

Can you tell us about your transracial adoption experience?

“We chose to adopt from Vietnam because we were told that young, healthy infants were available and the wait wasn’t long. We were able to choose the gender of the child we wanted, but after that it was a first come, first serve basis. We didn’t have any choice in who the child was (and no information about the birth parents or the circumstances of the adoption were known), but in many ways it seems like we were destined to have this child. From the moment I first saw photos of my daughter I couldn’t imagine any other child as mine. We went to Vietnam when she was only 4 months old to get her. As soon as she was placed in my arms at the orphanage I felt bonded to her. I can’t say it was love at first sight, but it didn’t take long. By the end of the 2 weeks that we stayed in Vietnam she seemed fully bonded to us. The opportunity to have experienced her place of birth was priceless. I remember suddenly having an intense feeling of sadness for her when we were at the airport on the way back home. It seemed like she was being ripped away from her homeland and forever separated from her birth mother. But one thing was sure: she was a beautiful baby in need of a loving home. She is now 7 1/2 years old, and we are in touch with many Asian adoptees of her age, including those in our travel group. We also attend Asian New Year celebrations through our adoption agency and other events. Her favorite restaurant is a Vietnamese restaurant near us in Philadelphia, although she enjoys many other "ethnic" foods as well!”

How did you come up with the idea of comparing a transracial adoption to the journey of a seed?

“The idea started when my daughter starting asking questions about her adoption, and we didn’t have the answers. One especially sad memory is her at 5 years old sitting in a hospital bed receiving chemotherapy and asking "Does my birth mother know I’m here?" She often expressed sadness about "missing" her birth mother, and I suspect she had a lot of feelings of abandonment, too. She had come so far away from her place of birth and had "landed" with us. It seemed like more than coincidence that she ended up being 20 minutes away from the best children’s hospital in the country, if not the world. Her journey as a young infant to the other side other world and then fighting cancer seemed like a big journey for a little girl. I chose a seed because when you adopt a child you don’t know who that child is, but end up loving him/her for whoever they become. It is wonderful seeing a child’s personality emerge as they grow up. In the story the garden flowers accepted the seed for who she was even before they knew what kind of flower she would be. I chose a flower seed because of several reasons: The seed blossomed into another red poppy like its birth mom to represent the fact that a child retains his/her identity no matter where it lives; heritage can’t be denied or ignored. When my daughter asks what her birth mom looks like I say "she looks like you", which she loves to hear. Another reason is that with love and good care the seed blossomed into her full potential, much like a child would in a good family.”

The illustrations are beautiful. What technique did you use?

“My main goal was to attract the attention of young children with colorful, eye-pleasing pictures. It’s important in children’s books for the pictures to bring the words to life. I was inspired by the collage techniques of Eric Carle and Lois Ehlert, two of my favorite children’s book illustrators.”

Are you planning to write more books?

“I think I would be more interested in illustrating another children’s book than writing one. I asked my daughter if she would like me to write a book about her hospital experience, but she said no. So I have to respect that.”

Personally I found the book very moving and it’s a beautiful and poetic way to explain a small child how he/she became a part of our “garden” and that we love him just they way he is, with his own “colors”. The identity of the child is an important part of who he is and should be protected and celebrated, not ignored and the same goes for his/her birth parents no matter the circumstances of the adoption. If you want to read more about Andrea’s story, please visit her blog, and if you want to know more about the book and see some examples the illustrations visit Tribute Books.

Interview with Children's Hope International

Children's Hope International
June 12, 2009

Interview with Andrea Nepa: Red in the Flower Bed (Children's Adoption Author)
by Jennifer Newcomb

Andrea Nepa is the author of the new adoption-themed children's book, Red in the Flower Bed. Andrea is the mother of an adopted Vietnamese daughter named Leah. She is a registered dietitian at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Red in the Flower Bed is for recommended for readers ages 6-8. This interview was conducted over email in June 2009. Thank you for sharing, Andrea!

1. When and why did you begin writing Red in the Flower Bed?

When my daughter was 4 months old we brought her home from Vietnam. She understood from an early age that she was adopted, and sometimes would cry that she missed her birth mother. She would also ask questions that we didn't have the answer to, as we were not given any info. as to who her birth parents were or why she was given up. Her saddness and my inability to answer her questions was inspiration for writing this story. I started writing it when she was about 3 or 4, and from time to time I would work on it. The story just wouldn't leave me. Then just when she turned 5 years old she was diagnosed with Ewings sarcoma, a rare form of childhood bone cancer. (After major surgery and 8 months of chemotherapy she has now been in remission for 2 years). The concept of the seed's journey took on even more significance, as it seemed that she had already journeyed very far (both literally and figuratively) for a little girl. She was taken from her birth place half way around the world as an infant and then fought cancer a few years later. Furthermore, I couldn't help wondering if she had "landed" in the right place, as we live only 20 minutes away from the best children's hospital in the country, if not the world. I also happened to work there. It seemed more than coincidence that she ended up with us.

2. In Red in the Flower Bed, the poppy seed flower is beautiful but does not look like the other flowers in the family garden. Although it is not mentioned in the text directly, this story is an illustration of interracial adoption. How old is your daughter now and how does she react when you read your book to her?

I deliberately did not use the word adoption in the story so that the reader can interpret the book in their own way at their own pace according to their age level. My daughter is now 7 1/2 years old. She loves the idea that I wrote a book and asked me to read it to her second grade class and is hoping that I will end up on TV! Her favorite page is the last page with the rainbow. I think she interprets this to mean that she is wanted and needed in our family, even though she does not look like us and is not a birth child like most of her friends. She also seems to be comforted by the mother poppy being sad, as it helps her feel that she wasn't just thrown away by her birth mother. Also, I made the seed turn into a red poppy flower like its birth flower, since when my daughter asks what her birth mom looks like I can say with some confidence "she looks like you", which she loves to hear. She is proud of her Vietnamese background and always answers that she is from Vietnam whenever someone asks where she is from (even if they just mean what state). I hope that she will never feel ashamed of looking different from her family or classmates. In this story the seed retains its identity no matter where it lands since its heritage can't be ignored or denied. Note that the garden flowers accepted the seed for who she was even before they knew what kind of flower she would be. The seed blossomed into her full potential because she was given the care and love she needed.

3. What are some good questions / statements an adopting parent might add to this story to further relate to their child?

Questions to prompt the child to think about the story could include: Why do you think this story is called Red in the Flower Bed? Even though the poppy did not look like the other flowers in the garden, was she still part of its family? Who did she look like? What did the seed need to grow in the garden? Do all flowers need this? How was the garden changed by the poppy flower?

4. Can you explain the choices made in the illustration technique?

My main goal was to attract the attention of young children with colorful, eye-pleasing pictures. In children's books it's important for the pictures to bring the words to life. I was inspired by the art techniques of Eric Carle and Lois Ehlert, two of my favorite children's book artists. One adult reader commented that the collage style using different prints makes that point that "we are all one and can come together to form a single family".

5. Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?

I think that it's important to accept your child unconditionally for who they are, and to acknowledge your child's place of birth and heritage. It will always be a part of them. It is also important to respect your child's desire to know their background. It is their right to know. Allow them to talk about it and ask questions, even if you don't know the answer. Be honest.

Interview with the Extraordinary Mom's Network Blog

Extraordinary Moms Network
May 29, 2009

Special Book for Adoptive Families
by Heidi Saxton

The book I’d like to review today is entitled Red in the Flower Bed, by Andrea Nepa (Tribute Books). Andrea is an adoptive mother of a little girl from Vietnam, and I had the pleasure of asking her a few questions about her book:

1. Tell me a bit about your international adoption story.

Our adoption journey began when we went to Vietnam to get our daughter when she was 4 months old. We stayed there for 2 weeks, which was an incredible way to get to know a little bit about her place of birth. We loved watching her spunky personality emerge as she grew. Our biggest challenge so far was when she was diagnosed with Ewings sarcoma, a rare pediatric bone cancer, at the age of 5. (After major surgery and 8 months of chemo, she has now been in remission for 2 years).

She understood from an early age that she was adopted and sometimes would cry that she missed her birth mother. Her mourning and my inability to answer her questions about her adoption (we were not given any info. as to who her biological parents were or even the circumstances of her being given up) was part of my inspiration to write this story. Plus, I felt that somehow perhaps she was meant to be with us, since we live only 20 minutes away from the best children’s hospital in the country, if not the world.

2. What advice would you give parents who adopt an older child, and run into difficulties parenting that child — if the “flower” has difficulty fitting in their particular garden?

You have to acknowledge and respect the child’s cultural heritage no matter what age they are adopted at. The idea isn’t necessarily for the flower to have to fit in to the garden, but for the flower and garden to complement each other with their differences. It is no doubt much harder for an older child to adjust to a new family in a new culture than for a very young child. Ideally, the child should be accepted by their family unconditionally for who they are and not have to live up to expectations for the kind of person they “should” be. The garden flowers accepted the seed for who she was before they knew what kind of flower she would be. Also, I believe that parents need to be flexible in adapting to the personality of their child (whether or not they are adopted, but of course this is just my opinion!).

3. The image of “seed” can be a loaded one for some adoptive families, especially those whose children come from neglectful or abusive backgrounds. The suggestion is that — no matter what you do to raise the child, all he is and will ever be is already determined in the “seed.” How would you respond to this?

The seed retains its identity no matter where it lands, since its heritage can’t be denied and shouldn’t be ignored. Looking different is not something to be ashamed of. In the story the seed thrived and blossomed into a healthy, beautiful flower because it was given the love and care it needed. Superficially the poppy looks like her birth flower, but also in a good environment she is allowed to reach her full potential. Likewise, a child who experiences an abusive home will likely be influenced in a negative way. This is one good reason to adopt a needy child! All children deserve a loving home.

4. What do you say to grown international adoptees who long to know more about their roots, but don’t know how to begin?

I don’t have direct experience with this, but from an adoptive parent’s perspective I will say that it is important to be honest with your child as much as possible even if this means saying “I don’t know”. The child should not be made to feel guilty about asking questions about their past; it’s their right to know. The only question that my daughter asks that I can honestly answer with some confidence is when she wants to know what her birth mother looks like. She loves to hear “she looks like you”. This is another reason why I made the seed turn out as a red poppy like its mother flower. In terms of dealing with adoption issues, it is important for adoptees to have contact with other adoptees.

Recommended by Adoptions from the Heart

Adoptions from the Heart
Book Review
by Heidi Gonzalez

Red in the Flower Bed: A Story About Inter-racial Adoption by Andrea Nepa - Written by one of AFTH's families, this abstract story is about a small poppy seed that makes a long journey to find itself in a garden with other flowers that don't look anything like the beautiful red poppy the seed grows into. It is a story of acceptance and teaches that you don't have to look the same to fit in. It's a good way to introduce the topic of diversity to children.

People on the Move

The Valley Advantage
February 20, 2009

People on the Move

Andrea Nepa is the author of the book "Red in the Flower Bed," which explains the interracial adoption process for young readers. Andrea lives with her adopted daughter Leah and her husband, David in Haddonfield, NJ. David is originally from Archbald and graduated from Valley View and the University of Scranton. His father, Felix Nepa, is a resident of Archbald.

More Reviews

'A poppy by any other name..., January 25, 2009 By Grady Harp (Los Angeles, CA United States) RED IN THE FLOWER BED is a storybook for children and grownups alike, a charming extended rhyming poem that tells the story of a seed that drops frrm a poppy flower onto ground too hard for it to grow and thus begins a journey through nature's seasons and climes, carrying the wandering seed to a family garden where the seed drops by the grace of seasons and climate changes and grows into the bright red poppy - the missing addition to a garden longing to have all the colors of the rainbow. It is a simple tale but one rich in meaning and a subtle but poignant statement about interracial adoption. Part of the beauty of this book is the choice of illustration. Since a separate illustrator has not been named, we can only assume that the poet, Andrea Nepa, has provided the colorful accompaniments. Her selection of using collage - using pieces of paper from a wide assortment of resources - enhances the book's message: we are all one and can come together despite our varied backgrounds and form a single entity of a family. This is a lovely little book that can be either appreciated as a story of nature's taking care of her elements, or as a warm statement about interracial adoption. A very nice touch! Grady Harp, January 09 Adorable Story, January 21, 2009 By Sandra Heptinstall "Reviewer" (Louisiana, USA) What an adorable book on interracial adoption. The only problem I had was, if it had not been for the cover, I would not of known it was a book about interracial adoption. We follow a poppy seed along it's journey until it finds a place to land. It is cared for and flourishes in a garden filled with many beautiful flowers. It grows into a beautiful red poppy. The red poppy completes the color that is needed to create a perfect rainbow of colors. While this book is about adoption, it also applies to life in general. We all want to belong and to be loved by others. Especially children who have no family, or the ones who are of a different race. Color is what you see, and often times a childs heart and soul is never seen. There are times no one looks into a childs eyes to see what lays there. The fear and the longing to belong. I applaud all of you out there who see a child for what they are and not for the color of their skin. I honestly have no choice in my mind and heart, but to give this book a five star rating. Whispering Winds Book Reviews A wonderful tribute to a blessed event., January 31, 2009 By Robert Muir (Robbinsville, NJ United States) With simple eloquence and beautiful illustrations, this wonderful children's story describes the core or interracial adoption. This a terrific book for any family or a great gift for a friend adopting. Red In A Flower Bed, January 30, 2009 By Leonard Braunstein (Concord, NH) As parents of an adopted grandchild, we sure welcome the interracial adoption story by Andrea Nepa. While our granddaughter is a loving, affectionate child, every once in a while she does question why would someone "just give her up/abandon her?" Andrea Nepa managed to explain this difficult and complex aspect of adoption in simple terms that are easy for the child to relate to. We are sure happy to have come across this story. Sincerely, Len and Mira Braunstein, both psychologists; Concord, N.H. The subtitle is not obvious, yet it is still a good book about diversity, January 15, 2009 By Charles Ashbacher "(cashbacher@yahoo.com)" (Marion, Iowa United States(cashbacher@yahoo.com)) The subtitle of this book is "An Illustrated Children's Story About Interracial Adoption", but it is hard to discern that part of the story. It is about a poppy seed that falls from the flower and drifts with the wind until it lands in a garden. Once it germinates and grows into a flower it finds itself inside a garden containing all types of flowers and it feels happy to be a part of such a diverse family. It is a red poppy and all the other flowers welcome the color because it completes the rainbow. While an adult can see the theme of interracial adoption after being told that is what the story is about, it is not self-evident. Nevertheless, it is a nice story about the fundamentals of belonging and accepting differences, one that teaches children a valuable lesson about accepting and appreciating those that are different from us and that come from different places. "A Story About Interracial Adopotion" , March 11, 2009 By Debra Gaynor "ReviewYourBook.com" Red in the Flower Bed Written by: Andrea Nepa Published by: Tribute Reviewed by: Stephanie Rollins for ReviewYourBook.com 3/2009 ISBN: 13: 978-0-9814619-9-1 "A Story About Interracial Adopotion" 5 stars In simple terms, Nepa explains why some children who are adopted do not look like their family. The focus is on interracial adoptions, but any adopted child who does not feel they look like their adoptive parents will benefit from this book. Nepa explains that as a seed is carried with the wind to settle in fertile soil, a child sometimes is taken to another family to fully blossom. The illustrations are simple and child-like. They are very appropriate for this right-on-point book. This is the perfect introduction to a difficult topic. It is appropriate for the toddler years through elementary school. Red in the Flower Bed book review by Katie Hines, March 16, 2009 By katiebug57 "katiebug57" - BOOK REVIEW by Katie Hines This beautifully illustrated book about interracial adoption follows the story of a poppy seed that couldn't thrive and grow in its host environment. Through a journey, the poppy seed comes to rest, grow and blossom in a flower bed where there were other flowers of different types. Just as a child is incorporated with joy into a new adoptive home, so was this poppy welcomed and allowed to thrive and grow in her new home of rainbow flowers. The book treats the subject of interracial adoption with tender, loving gentleness. A must read with your adopted, biracial child. very subtle reference to adoption, June 29, 2009 By Tammy "landon's mom" (nc) The idea of adoption is very subtle in this book but I find it to be a very easy way to introduce the idea of family diversity to a little one.

Mother explains interracial adoption with book

The Abington Journal
February 4, 2009

Tribute Books announces the release of “Red in the Flower Bed” by Andrea Nepa. The picture book explains the interracial adoption process for young readers. Nepa is an adoptive mother. She adopted her daughter, Leah, from Vietnam in 2001.

Above, author Andrea Nepa and daughter Leah.

The book tells the journey of adoption depicted with the comforting imagery of a poppy flower who is welcomed into a garden family. It is a charming story of “seeds” being planted in the perfect place - exactly where they belong. The book’s loving approach helps children to understand adoption.

The book has already received a lot of positive attention.

“What a charming story of ‘seeds’ being planted in the perfect place, exactly where they belong,” said LeAnn Thieman, co-author of “Chicken Soup for the Adopted Soul.”To order “Red in the Flower Bed” or for more information visit http://www.tribute-books.com/minicart/products.html