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This paper is part of a larger project on children’s literature and emotional support for orphan children. It focuses on fiction that includes the theme of family blending. When death has made the absence of a parent irreversible, family blending compels the orphan child to confront a new disruption in their family trajectory and contemplate the place occupied by the new partner without jeopardising the enduring connection with the permanently missing parent. 22 books, for children aged 3 to 11, published in French in the 21st century, show the young protagonists’ questionings, from initial rejection of the intruder to conditional acceptance. Children’s literature acts both as a mirror and as a lens, capable of working as a mediator, helping the orphan child deal with the arrival of a potential future step-parent.