A Family for Jamie: An Adoption Story

New York, New York, U.S.A.: Crown Publishers, 1991. From School Library Journal PreSchool-Grade 1-- After a favorable interview with an adoption counselor, Dan and Molly dream of and plan what they'll do when they have a child to share their lives. In the fall there is a baby for them; friends and relatives rejoice at the arrival of Jamie. This is a well-done addition to the meager adoption literature accessible to very young children. The parents' longing for a child is clearly explained without sentimentality, and the adoption procedure is appropriately simplified. Bright, detailed illustrations abound in equity--Molly builds, Dan bakes; family friends are multiracial and of various ages; the endpapers show a child in a wheelchair; even Jamie is portrayed generically. On some spreads, full-page illustrations stand opposite brief text surrounded by the accoutrements of childhood. A book that will fit nicely with I Am Adopted (Bodley Head, 1983; o.p.) by Susan Lapsley and The Chosen Baby (Lippincott, 1977) by Valentina Wasson. --Virginia Opocensky, formerly at Lincoln City Libraries, NB Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. . First Edition.. Hard Cover. Fine/Near Fine. Illus. by Color Illustrations.