MY FAMILY IS FOREVER

Any parent and young child involved in adoption can relate to cozy well-composed snapshots of the generic experience, especially with the perky voice of the adoptee narrating. But she’s a puppet for the purpose rather than a charming new character, fed lines in order to complete Carlson’s purpose: “Families are formed in different ways, so they don’t always look alike.” A worthy undertaking, nonetheless, with the added element of this being a different-race adoption, as a loving Asian child has found her place in a forever family. Here she is nurtured by parents who teach her their specialties—cooking and dancing—and stand by with pride and love in their eyes with every standard accomplishment and milestone recorded in their photo book and revealed in their daughter’s account. Hard issues come off smoothly: she confidently wonders about her birth parents, and if she is like them. Even though a minor error where tears of joy on one page look like an extra set of eyes, it’s a small matter; bright, simple, consistent art matches the textual tone, and more important, mission accomplished. High-end bibliotherapy. (Picture book. 3-5)