This customizable book allows families that started via donor conception to craft a book that reflects their own family story and appearance. It builds on the stories first published by author Sharon Leya (Maisie’s Blueprints, Hudson’s Blueprints, and other variations), but gives people the chance to choose their family structure (one parent or two, of any gender(s)), child’s name and pronouns, parental names, conception path (donor egg, donor sperm, double donor, or surrogacy), hair and skin color, hair style, body and eye shape, gender expression, and shared interests or attributes. The book is then printed and shipped to the purchaser.
As with the non-customizable versions, the story is told through the eyes of the child, who comes to understand the role of sperm and egg using the basic analogy of “blueprints” for building a house. The parent(s) explain(s) the basic components needed to create a child (sperm, egg, uterus) in a gender-inclusive way, and reassure the child that love is how to build a family, and that the child can always come to them with questions about how babies are made or about their family story.
It’s a sweet tale that may help some families begin or continue conversations about donor conception with their children, and the customizable aspect makes it particularly appealing—it is the child reader’s own story, and they can see themselves and their parents reflected in it. The book is not infinitely customizable, though; in particular, there are no options for poly families or ones with more than two co-parents, and there are no options for characters using wheelchairs, crutches, or other mobility devices, for example. Pronouns are limited to she/her, he/him, and they/them; there is not an option for those who use neopronouns (xe/xir, ze/zir, etc.) I suspect that all of these limitations are a matter of technology and resources for this independent publisher, rather than any intent to exclude; perhaps more options will be forthcoming. But the book’s customizable approach will make the story more resonant and accurate for a wider range of families than a fixed text, making it a recommended option for many.
