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The White Swan Express: A Story About Adoption
In China, the moon shines on four baby girls, fast asleep in an orphanage. Far away in North America, the sun rises over four homes as the people who live there get ready to start a long, exciting journey. This lovely story of people who travel to China to be united with their daughters describes the adoption process step by step and the anxiety, suspense, and delight of becoming a family. Told with tenderness and humor, and enlivened by joyous illustrations, The White Swan Express will go straight to readers’ hearts. Afterword.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published October 21, 2002
4 people are currently reading
132 people want to read
About the author
Jean Davies Okimoto
35 books14 followers“I’ve always had an appreciation for the constant balancing act between career and family and for women in the arts it can be a high wire act.”
Okimoto, who was born in 1942 in Cleveland, Ohio, knows of what she speaks. An acclaimed children’s author, playwright, retired psychotherapist, wife, mother, and grandmother, she has worn many hats since Putnam published her first book in 1978.
With The Love Ceiling, her eighteenth book and one she calls “my debut novel for my own age group,” Okimoto delivers a charming and poignant exploration of a long marriage and the conflicts that arise in both in retirement and in parenting adult children. The roles of a woman in her sixties: wife, mother, grandmother and artist are richly drawn with complexity and depth.
Many of the themes resonate for women across generations, but the author is especially passionate about reaching older women, a huge segment of the population which Okimoto feels has not been well served by large publishers. With rave reviews from early readers and endorsers such as Christiane Northrup, MD author and host of the PBS television special Mother-Daughter Wisdom, Okimoto’s debut adult novel is fast becoming a book club favorite.
The Love Ceiling won top honors in the 2009 Next Generation Indie Book Awards adding to the author’s numerous awards which include Smithsonian Notable Book, the American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults, the Washington Governor’s Award, the Green Earth Book Award, and the International Reading Association Readers Choice Award. Jean Davies Okimoto’s books and short stories have been translated into Japanese, Italian, Chinese, Turkish, German, and Hebrew. A resident of the Pacific Northwest since 1968, Jeanie Okimoto and her husband live on Vashon Island near Seattle.
Okimoto, who was born in 1942 in Cleveland, Ohio, knows of what she speaks. An acclaimed children’s author, playwright, retired psychotherapist, wife, mother, and grandmother, she has worn many hats since Putnam published her first book in 1978.
With The Love Ceiling, her eighteenth book and one she calls “my debut novel for my own age group,” Okimoto delivers a charming and poignant exploration of a long marriage and the conflicts that arise in both in retirement and in parenting adult children. The roles of a woman in her sixties: wife, mother, grandmother and artist are richly drawn with complexity and depth.
Many of the themes resonate for women across generations, but the author is especially passionate about reaching older women, a huge segment of the population which Okimoto feels has not been well served by large publishers. With rave reviews from early readers and endorsers such as Christiane Northrup, MD author and host of the PBS television special Mother-Daughter Wisdom, Okimoto’s debut adult novel is fast becoming a book club favorite.
The Love Ceiling won top honors in the 2009 Next Generation Indie Book Awards adding to the author’s numerous awards which include Smithsonian Notable Book, the American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults, the Washington Governor’s Award, the Green Earth Book Award, and the International Reading Association Readers Choice Award. Jean Davies Okimoto’s books and short stories have been translated into Japanese, Italian, Chinese, Turkish, German, and Hebrew. A resident of the Pacific Northwest since 1968, Jeanie Okimoto and her husband live on Vashon Island near Seattle.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
September 30, 2017
Banned Book Week 2017. This year I'm reading a few picture books that have been challenged for their content, this one due to its depiction of a same-sex couple adoption.
I found this book to be pretty dull but was a little concerned by it, though not for its matter-of-fact portrayal of a lesbian couple participating in the adoption process. That would be damned idiotic. No, I'm concerned about inter-country adoption. It is a complex issue with lots of repercussions, and I am certainly no expert in the field, but I was troubled to see on one of the final pages that all the adopted Chinese babies had been rechristened with Western names. Regardless of those qualms, I would never question the book's right to exist; I would only use it as an impetus to do more research into the larger issue it represents.
I found this book to be pretty dull but was a little concerned by it, though not for its matter-of-fact portrayal of a lesbian couple participating in the adoption process. That would be damned idiotic. No, I'm concerned about inter-country adoption. It is a complex issue with lots of repercussions, and I am certainly no expert in the field, but I was troubled to see on one of the final pages that all the adopted Chinese babies had been rechristened with Western names. Regardless of those qualms, I would never question the book's right to exist; I would only use it as an impetus to do more research into the larger issue it represents.
June 13, 2017
Cute book about different families adopting daughters from China.
May 1, 2010
Summary: From School Library Journal
Lovely Asian-inspired watercolors and an engaging text tell the story of four baby girls from a Chinese orphanage and the families who adopt them. First readers meet the North American families, including a single mother and another consisting of two female partners. They anxiously make the trip halfway around the world to the Chinese city of Guangzhou where they become acquainted at the White Swan Hotel. Juxtaposed against the excited, expectant parents are portraits of darling, slumbering babies. The prospective moms and dads are shown waiting anxiously in a room of the orphanage before they finally meet their children. Then they must negotiate the bureaucracy of foreign adoptions before going home. The four families keep in touch after their homecoming, especially during Chinese New Year.
Theme: Adoption
Curricular Use: Read aloud, Shared reading
Level: Ages 4-8
Illustration: Highly supportive, colorful, lovely
Lovely Asian-inspired watercolors and an engaging text tell the story of four baby girls from a Chinese orphanage and the families who adopt them. First readers meet the North American families, including a single mother and another consisting of two female partners. They anxiously make the trip halfway around the world to the Chinese city of Guangzhou where they become acquainted at the White Swan Hotel. Juxtaposed against the excited, expectant parents are portraits of darling, slumbering babies. The prospective moms and dads are shown waiting anxiously in a room of the orphanage before they finally meet their children. Then they must negotiate the bureaucracy of foreign adoptions before going home. The four families keep in touch after their homecoming, especially during Chinese New Year.
Theme: Adoption
Curricular Use: Read aloud, Shared reading
Level: Ages 4-8
Illustration: Highly supportive, colorful, lovely
August 23, 2022
This book has banned not only in the US but in China as well. I had to look up why. This book is about 4 families that travel to China in the heyday of China’s one child policy. Many family’s that had baby girls would give them up for adoption since in Chinese culture reverence is placed on sons. These four families meet, become friends, and stay connected through their lives. We see these journeys from the adoption being granted, through long flights, and the two weeks spent in China before being able to go home. When I heard this book was banned in China I thought maybe because it showcased a part of Chinese history that is looked down upon across the world. Nope. It was banned because one of the four adopters was a lesbian couple. To be honest, I did not even notice that when I was reading and had to go back and look. This book was honest, but beautiful. It showed the creation of new families and takes place in more places in the world than just China. It is a shame it was so frequently banned.
November 20, 2017
This book is about four families from different parts of North America that go to China to adopt their daughters. There are a variety of family dynamics: two couples, a single woman, and two women who live together. I liked this book because it's based on a real couple's journey to China to adopt their daughter. They also met other families who were adopting daughters at the same time.
July 7, 2024
The illustrations on the cover and each page seem very blurry and are hard to decipher. They do little to describe the story. The story does have an abundance of text for 32 pages and that might be a problem for a young reader or a read aloud.
The story describes the timeline and the experience of parents who adopt children from orphanages in China.
The story describes the timeline and the experience of parents who adopt children from orphanages in China.
February 22, 2017
Inspired by the author;s own experience with adoption, this book follows four families who all go to China to adopt baby girls. I loved how diverse the families depicted were and the inclusion of the importance to the new parents of learning about and maintaining their daughter's cultures.
September 21, 2020
It’s a good book to have on hand to explain how some families are different and how the process works!
April 18, 2020
Informational
All ages
This book is very near and dear to my heart as I can personally relate to it. This book shares light on how the adoption process works. From all the paperwork, interviews, legal forms, and receiving the approval! The book also shows us how families react when they have been matched with a child and receive the long-awaited tiny photograph of their soon to be child! Finally, they travel to China to embrace their long-awaited child into their arms! The White Swan hotel is where my family and I stayed when we traveled to China to adopt my little sister. So many memories come back every time I read this book and look at the pictures!
All ages
This book is very near and dear to my heart as I can personally relate to it. This book shares light on how the adoption process works. From all the paperwork, interviews, legal forms, and receiving the approval! The book also shows us how families react when they have been matched with a child and receive the long-awaited tiny photograph of their soon to be child! Finally, they travel to China to embrace their long-awaited child into their arms! The White Swan hotel is where my family and I stayed when we traveled to China to adopt my little sister. So many memories come back every time I read this book and look at the pictures!
August 12, 2016
Pages: 32
Age range: 5-8
Genre: Picture
Race/Culture/Ethnic Group: Asian American (Chinese) / Gay/Lesbian
Summary: Four adoptive families travel to China to adopt four Chinese girls.
Evaluation: This book was listed on the Rainbow Reading list and I was frankly quite surprised to find that my local library had a copy of it. It turns out that the lesbian couple in the story is only one of four adoptive families and was not a large part of the story at all. I was a bit bothered by the fact that one of the women was extremely feminine looking and the other was much more masculine looking – in fact, at first I was confused because the names (two women’s names) didn’t seem to fit the illustration. (There is also a single woman adopting one of the girls and, surprise, she lives with her cat.) Beyond these issues, I liked the book. The story is based on Aoki’s experiences with adopting from China and based on what I know from my own family and a cousin who has adopted two girls from China, the story rings true. So’s illustrations are a bit whimsical, but fun. Each of the baby girls has her own personality which comes through in So’s illustrations as well as in the text. One aspect of the illustrations I really liked was the way many pages had four small illustrations, one highlighting each baby or each adoptive family. The illustrations fit well physically and artistically with the text.
The authors provide an afterward (for adults) describing the adoption process and why there are so many girls up for adoption as well as explaining several cultural traditions and bits of Chinese language which appear in the book.
Even with the lesbian couple (which may make some people uncomfortable), I would not hesitate to recommend this book – especially to my cousin and his wife as well as to a single mom I know who has adopted a girl (from Vietnam, not China) and has had the question asked by her five year old daughter, “Why don’t I have a daddy?”
Age range: 5-8
Genre: Picture
Race/Culture/Ethnic Group: Asian American (Chinese) / Gay/Lesbian
Summary: Four adoptive families travel to China to adopt four Chinese girls.
Evaluation: This book was listed on the Rainbow Reading list and I was frankly quite surprised to find that my local library had a copy of it. It turns out that the lesbian couple in the story is only one of four adoptive families and was not a large part of the story at all. I was a bit bothered by the fact that one of the women was extremely feminine looking and the other was much more masculine looking – in fact, at first I was confused because the names (two women’s names) didn’t seem to fit the illustration. (There is also a single woman adopting one of the girls and, surprise, she lives with her cat.) Beyond these issues, I liked the book. The story is based on Aoki’s experiences with adopting from China and based on what I know from my own family and a cousin who has adopted two girls from China, the story rings true. So’s illustrations are a bit whimsical, but fun. Each of the baby girls has her own personality which comes through in So’s illustrations as well as in the text. One aspect of the illustrations I really liked was the way many pages had four small illustrations, one highlighting each baby or each adoptive family. The illustrations fit well physically and artistically with the text.
The authors provide an afterward (for adults) describing the adoption process and why there are so many girls up for adoption as well as explaining several cultural traditions and bits of Chinese language which appear in the book.
Even with the lesbian couple (which may make some people uncomfortable), I would not hesitate to recommend this book – especially to my cousin and his wife as well as to a single mom I know who has adopted a girl (from Vietnam, not China) and has had the question asked by her five year old daughter, “Why don’t I have a daddy?”
October 25, 2009
Young readers will love this story of how four Chinese babies are welcomed into new families in North America. The story begins in North America with three couples and one woman and her cat preparing for a special trip to China. On the other side of the world, four little Chinese girls are sleeping. The families anxiously make the trip halfway around the world to the Chinese city of Guangzhou where they become acquainted at the White Swan Hotel. The prospective moms and dads are shown waiting anxiously in a room of the orphanage before they finally meet their children. The families must complete endless adoption paperwork, complete interviews, and fill out legal forms of foreign adoptions before receiving approval and heading home. The four families keep in touch after their homecoming, especially during Chinese New Year.
This story is based on the author, Dr. Elaine M. Aoki and her husbands experiences of becoming a family through a Chinese adoption.
This story is a must read for all families who have completed the adoption process. It is also a great story to clarify the adoption process to all students.
Recommended ages 8 - 12 years.
This story is based on the author, Dr. Elaine M. Aoki and her husbands experiences of becoming a family through a Chinese adoption.
This story is a must read for all families who have completed the adoption process. It is also a great story to clarify the adoption process to all students.
Recommended ages 8 - 12 years.
October 31, 2012
This narrative is about four different homes of people traveling to China to meet their new baby girls. This story tells about all the different steps and journeys people have to take in order to adopt. The story focuses also on the issue of female babies in China that always need homes. As a literacy teacher, I would use this text to talk about how adoption works (ex. meeting places and traveling in the story). We could talk about issues of why babies get adopted and the policies parents have to go through. Students could share ideas about what they think about adoption. Jean Davis Okimoto and Elaine M. Aoki, wrote this story from their experiences and their awareness of the adoption policy in China. They both do a great job at explaining the process for a child’s understanding. The illustrator, Meilo So, uses her inspiration of her Chinese heritage into her illustration, which provokes interests to children. This adoption story gives awareness to the issues with China, but gives a warm feeling towards the start of four new families.
November 8, 2011
In the United States, four separate couples prepare for the adoption of a baby girl who awaits their arrival in an orphanage in China. The four sets of strangers meet when they travel from various cities and take “The White Swan Express” to their hotel in China. Each of the four sisters receives a traditional silver bracelet with a silver bell from their new family. After spending some time in China, each of the new families returns to their home in the United States. They keep in touch through cards, photos, and celebration of Chinese traditions.
This story takes the reader on a heart-warming journey of becoming a family. The story includes a touch of Chinese culture woven throughout. It would appeal to primary-age children and includes themes of adoption, China, and families.
This story takes the reader on a heart-warming journey of becoming a family. The story includes a touch of Chinese culture woven throughout. It would appeal to primary-age children and includes themes of adoption, China, and families.
September 2, 2016
The White Swan Express: A Story About Adoption by Jean Davies Okimoto and Elane M. Aoki is a cute story about four families from North America who share their journey to adopt four little girls from Guangzhou, China. Four families wake up in different parts of North America and are excited because today is the day they will travel to China to go pick up their baby girl. One white, one lesbian, one single female and one Asian family describe how they get to know one another during their adoption journey and in the end stay in contact through cards and letters. Story is told in a very positive light and has lots of bright pictures to keep the readers attention. This would be a good story to introduce the adoption process to younger children or families contemplating adoption.
February 19, 2016
I’m always tentative about books subtitled ‘A Story About _____’, as there’s a tendency to either overexplain (think Heather Has Too Mommies) and/or not have much story hanging onto the frame of the issue (think a LOT of eco/health/drink/drug awareness stories. South Park’s ‘Sexual Harassment Panda’ is funny because it’s so embarrassingly true). White Swan Express manages to be a lovely and well-constructed story about adoption, following four Chinese baby girls and the four American families travelling to adopt them. It convincingly storytells rather than explaining, and Meilo So’s lively asian-flavoured ink drawings make it vibrant and not at all clinical. Diverse family structures sensitively included always gets a plus from me.
November 23, 2012
Four North American families are about to embark on the most amazing journey of their lives. They fly to China, meet in Guangzho in Guangdong Province, and take a bus to the White Swan Hotel. The next day, they will all become parents of Chinese baby girls.
The White Swan is a real hotel where every adoptive family stays in China. When Xiao-Ling's father and I adopted her, the White Swan was undergoing renovations so we didn't stay there... but we did go there to have our traditional "red couch" photo taken with Xiao-Ling and all the other families in our group from Children's Hope International. Every time I read this, I relive my trip.
The White Swan is a real hotel where every adoptive family stays in China. When Xiao-Ling's father and I adopted her, the White Swan was undergoing renovations so we didn't stay there... but we did go there to have our traditional "red couch" photo taken with Xiao-Ling and all the other families in our group from Children's Hope International. Every time I read this, I relive my trip.
October 25, 2009
In China, the moon shines on four baby girls, fast asleep in an orphanage. Far away in North America, the sun rises over four homes as the people who live there get ready to start a long, exciting journey. This lovely story of people who travel to China to be united with their daughters describes the adoption process step by step and the anxiety, suspense, and delight of becoming a family. Told with tenderness and humor, and enlivened by joyous illustrations, The White Swan Express will go straight to readers" hearts. (Goodreads Review)
February 20, 2010
This story of four Chinese children and their anxious receiving parents from North America is the first book I've read about adoption. It was an engaging story that showed the differences in the parents as well as the differences in the children. When each child finally met their parents, all was well. The group made friends with each other and even sent holiday cards and Chinese New Year cards to each other. I may use this story when discussing the theme of adoption with children, or when studying the different kinds of families.
January 31, 2013
Author: Jean Davies Okimoto & Elaine M. Aoki
Reading Level: 5th grade
Four families around the world are anxious to see their baby girls for the first time. These families are from all around the world, but with one destination, China. They all wonder about their first encounter with their baby.What will they say to them?, How will the baby react to them? I liked the way the book describes each family. They are all very different, it even seems that in one family, their are two women adopting. Being able to adopt is something wonderful!
Reading Level: 5th grade
Four families around the world are anxious to see their baby girls for the first time. These families are from all around the world, but with one destination, China. They all wonder about their first encounter with their baby.What will they say to them?, How will the baby react to them? I liked the way the book describes each family. They are all very different, it even seems that in one family, their are two women adopting. Being able to adopt is something wonderful!
June 24, 2011
Although I did like this story, it was a bit harder to follow for Abbi. This is the story of four couples simultaneously...so she was a little confused by the different people. We loved how it was centered around the White Swan Hotel, which is where most adoptive families stay when they are in Guangzhou completing their paperwork. Abbi loves to read stories about other children who "are from the United States, but made in China" (her words, not mine).
November 5, 2011
Adoption
This story is about four different families adopting baby girls from China. There are four different types of families, one white, one lesbian, one single female, and one Asian. The story shows the process they go through when they go to China for their children. The four families get to be friends during the two weeks it takes to be able to take their babies out of China.
This is a good story for grades Preschool-2. It could be used in a unit on families and adoption.
This story is about four different families adopting baby girls from China. There are four different types of families, one white, one lesbian, one single female, and one Asian. The story shows the process they go through when they go to China for their children. The four families get to be friends during the two weeks it takes to be able to take their babies out of China.
This is a good story for grades Preschool-2. It could be used in a unit on families and adoption.
Read
February 24, 2016This book is a story about adoption. It describes a trip that 4 very different families had to take from North America to China, where they met their daughters. I enjoyed this book because I want to adopt a little girl from China, and this book describes the process I would go through in a way children can understand. This is a good book to keep in the classroom to help explain adoption and let children know how wanted they are and how loved they are.
November 1, 2014
I liked the story very much but the illustrations really took away from the text. The style leaves everyone indistinct and blurry, and the pictures of the babies sleeping are actually quite creepy. Still, a fun insight into the international adoption process, and lots of different family types showcased.
March 31, 2013
Subgroup: Family; Adoption
Genre: Non-Fiction
Synopsis: This is the story of families from around the USA, getting ready, and going to China to adopt their children.
1.) Okimoto, J., Aoki, E. (2002). The White Swan Express; A Story about Adoption. New York, NY: Clarion Books
Genre: Non-Fiction
Synopsis: This is the story of families from around the USA, getting ready, and going to China to adopt their children.
1.) Okimoto, J., Aoki, E. (2002). The White Swan Express; A Story about Adoption. New York, NY: Clarion Books
October 20, 2013
A must-have for all adoptees who had the pleasure of experiencing life at The White Swan at a precious time of turmoil and joy. Sadly, The White Swan may now be a place of the past, with adoptive families being steered in a different direction.
September 29, 2010
Four American families fly to China to meet their new daughters, all on the same day. Liked how this book set up the families, then the daughters, and brought them together at the end.
January 31, 2011
eh, will not be adding this to my collection. it would be good for a family adopting a child from china, though. lesbian adoption themes
October 18, 2019
Nice story about adoption for kids.
April 30, 2017
Good explanation of global adoption. Beautifully illustrated.
Read
May 30, 2018A very entertaining story of the adoption process of girls from China, the illustrations were excellent. Funny, I do not remember the author being in my adoption group, with the change of a few very minor details, no cat, it would have been my group. It brought a tear to my eye.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews