Kate Gaynor - Joes Special Story

Text copyright Kate Gaynor, 2008

Illustrations copyright Aileen Murphy, 2008

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the owner of the copyright and the publisher of this book.

The names, characters and incidents portrayed in all these works are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead is purely coincidental.

Published in 2008 by

SPECIAL STORIES PUBLISHING

Member of CL The Irish Book Publishers Association

ISBN 978-0-9555787-1-7

ISBN 978-0-9555787-8-6 (Ebook)

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

Printed by

BELVEDERE PRINT LTD. DUBLIN, IRELAND

Special Stories Publishing

www.specialstories.net

Acknowledgements

Many thanks to Kieran, my father Michael, my brother George and my extended family and friends, my uncle Liam Gaynor, Liz ODonoghue, Eva Byrne and the Louth County Enterprise Board for their endless encouragement, support and invaluable advice.

A special thanks to social worker Grainne OMalley from The Adoption Authority of Ireland and also to Bronagh McKenna, H.S.E. Foster Care Services Team, Dundalk, Co. Louth.

Special thanks also to Dr. Gerard Molloy Ph.D C.Psychol. whose time and effort with this project was so greatly appreciated.

About the Illustrator

Aileen Murphy is an artist who lives in Dublin. She grew up in the country side of Co. Wicklow and studied in the The National College of Art and Design. She now works in her studio in Dublin City drawing and making various 3D art. Aileen's artwork usually relates to Fairy tales, girlhood motifs and wacky dreams. In the future she wants to travel to Iceland, illustrate many more children's books, have many art exhibitions and eventually move closer to the country side so she can own a dog and a vegetable garden.

To read more about the special stories collection, visit the Special Stories website at:

www.specialstories.net

For Aisling OLeary Collins

Hi! my name is Joe. I am five years old.

I live with my Mum, Dad and older brother George in a big blue house near the sea. But I didnt always live with the Mum, Dad and big brother that I do now.

A lot of children grow up and live with the same mums and dads their whole lives and they are called a family.

But other children, like me, live with a different mum or dad than the ones they had when they were born and they are called a family too.

Even though we all have a birth mum and dad, not everyone can stay with their birth mum and dad for their whole lives. There are lots of reasons why this happens and everyones story is different.

But when it does happen, a mum and dad from another family can become your new mum and dad instead.

When you become part of a new family and have a different mum and dad to the ones you had when you were born it is sometimes called adoption.

My mum says that adoption stories are very special. Sometimes she tells me the story about when I was adopted, which I like a lot.

The story always starts with the long journey that she and my dad had to take to bring me home when I was only a small baby.

My dad says that everyone, even Bonnie the big black and white dog, was so happy when I finally arrived.

They couldnt wait to have a little boy just like me to come and live with them and become part of their family forever and ever.

Sometimes I think about the country where I was born and about my birth mum and dad. Sometimes I feel sad that I cant see them.

When I feel like this, my mum and I take out the very special book that my mum and dad made for me. It is called Joes Special Story Book.

It has pictures and stories about the country that I came from and where I was born. My mum says that its ok to feel sad sometimes and to think about your birth mum and dad.

She says that talking to someone always helps you to feel better. My Dad says that some day when Im older, I might learn more about my country and about my birth mum or dad.

In my big blue house near the sea I have my very own room with my own bed and my own little window looking out at the waves.

Thats where I keep my special book about the country that I came from and how we all became a family.