Hope & Will Book Collection

About the Hope & Will Collection

The Hope & Will collection of children's picture books embodies the hope that families have to overcome challenges that sometimes stand in the way of building a family, and their will to take the necessary steps to do so. These books highlight several distinctive ways to build a family, and provide a delightfully new and refreshing way to tell children about their unique beginnings.

A Brief History

The very first book in this collection was conceived while the author sat on the floor of a bookstore in Buenos Aires, Argentina, surrounded by dozens of children's books. Out of those early beginnings grew a collection of four books highlighting the assisted reproductive technology (ART) approaches of egg donation, embryo donation, sperm donation, and surrogacy. Each of these four books follows the lives of Hope and Will, a mom and dad who met, fell in love, and ultimately built a family.

The popular reception of these four books compelled the author to add two more volumes to the collection: one on adoption and a second on traditional conception. Hope and Will appeared again as loving parents eager to build a family.

Forthcoming

In celebration of the many wonderfully diverse family configurations that are possible when building a family, three new volumes will be released in Spring 2018. The first of these new books recounts Hope's joy and love when as a single mom she brings a new baby into her family. In the second book, Hope and Rosie are two moms in a loving relationship who overcome infertility to start their own family. And the third book tells the story of George and Will, two dads who are very much in love as they welcome a beautiful new baby into their lives.

The nine volumes in this collection represent the largest single collection of thematically similar books on family building. With a little perseverance and a lot of love, they recount how families can overcome extraordinary circumstances in their quest to become a family. Most importantly, they provide parents with a wonderful way to share with their children the story of their family's unique beginnings.

This book is about turning hopes and dreams into ‘real’ families . . . a wonderful tool for helping our children learn the truth about their unique beginnings without breaking the bonds of trust. The different roads taken to build families are explained with a warm and honest approach . . . to reassure our children who came into this world by unique means that they belong.

Elaine R. Gordon, Ph.D.Clinical Psychologist, Santa Monica/UCLA Hospital | Author of Mommy, Did I Grow in Your Tummy?

The Hope & Will Have a Baby series is a welcome addition to the children's books genre of non-traditional family building . . . where children . . . are loved and truly cherished. The illustrations are delightful . . . and Celcer uses language . . . in a soft and gentle tone that exudes warmth and comfort. This sweet and endearing series of books are recommended additions to all home libraries in an effort to best appreciate the various ways families come to be.

American Society for Reproductive MedicineASRM, Mental Health Professional Group

Nine Distinctive Books

Follow an inquisitive little boy who learns of his family's quest to have children, some of the obstacles they encountered, and their ultimate success. Told in a language a child can understand, these children's picture books provide a great vehicle to tell kids about the special way they came into being.

Each stand-alone volume recounts the same story from a different perspective, highlighting the many distinct ways of building a family within a multitude of diverse family configurations. Come and celebrate the unique gift parents can receive on their way to becoming a family.

The Hope & Will Have a Baby series by Iréné Celcer is a great way to introduce young children to their birth story. The illustrations are terrific, and these books emphasize that making a family is the important thing. The writing is so clear and engaging that it’s a book to be read to children when they are very young, and it lets children know that as they get older and more curious their parents are there to talk with them.

Margot Weinshel, LCSW, RNFaculty, Ackerman Institute for the Family | Clinical Instructor, Department of Psychiatry, NYU Medical Center | Coauthor of Couple Therapy for Infertility

Hope & Will Have a Baby provides a framework for parents to tell children their own story . . . a wonderful way to introduce children to their unique beginnings, and a wonderful way for parents to become comfortable with answering questions. Parents and professionals will be grateful for this book’s willingness to tackle the many ways families are made. I especially appreciate that the children are told a story that is wrapped in warmth and respect.

Hilary Hanafin, Ph.D.Clinical Psychologist, Los Angeles, California

The purpose of this collection is to help parents tell their children the loving story of their conception, the goodness of all the people that were helpful along the way, and the joyous celebration of their arrival. It accents the caring way that they were planned, how much they were wanted, and the kindness of all involved in their creation, regardless of which reproductive option was ultimately realized.

Iréné Celcer, MA, LCSWAuthor, Hope & Will Collection