(4) K-3 Illustrated by Karen A. Jerome. Taking a fresh (if overly purposeful) approach to the subject, McMahon tells her daughter, Claire, about her adoption from China while assembling a scrapbook about the journey. The conversational tone lends intimacy, while her son's journal entries offer the perspective of a new big brother. The watercolor illustrations show an engaging mix of photos, souvenirs, and scenes from the narrative.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Karen A. Jerome. A boy mourns the death of his best friend by thinking of all the fun they had together, choosing something to put in a class memory box, and making overtures toward Nathan's sister. This quiet book is illustrated with soft-focus watercolors and written with a first-person voice full of longing, though death is not overtly mentioned in the text.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth