ABSTRACT
In capitalist societies children are increasingly seen as priceless and precious, yet at the same time their value is not outside of a capitalist logic. This chapter considers how these messages of pricelessness and value appear in storybooks written for children conceived and born through surrogacy arrangements. It focuses on six such books: The Very Kind Koala, Why I'm So Special: A Book About Surrogacy, Why I'm So Special: A Book About Surrogacy with Two Daddies, Sophia's Broken Crayons, The Kangaroo Pouch, and Will and Hope have a Baby: The Gift of Surrogacy. In examining these books, the chapter considers the messages they contain with regard to intending parents, women who act as surrogates and how they depict children born of surrogacy arrangements as priceless. Focusing on how surrogacy is made intelligible to child readers is thus a potentially important undertaking when it comes to understanding how children as potential future research participants may frame their experiences.
