Marking the day of adoption as a celebration, this gentle rhyming picture book presents a short, sweet, and heartfelt look at the joy to be found in adding a new member to a family by way of adoption. Pastel-hued colored pencil illustrations add to the uplifting and cheerful tone of the book, with round-faced smiling family members of all ages and skin tones found across all the pages. Simple in premise, Chosen from the Heart delivers a borderline overly sweet celebration of adoption that will most likely appeal to the parents adopting children rather than the children themselves.

Berning-Bowman notes in an “About the Author” section that the story is inspired by her family’s experience fostering (and later adopting) when she was a teenager. Berning-Bowman writes from the point of view of an adopted child, describing a family’s tradition of celebrating adoption day, the “day I met my father and mother,” mostly in upbeat generalities: “Love makes a family / no matter where you start.” Despite the first-person narrator, there’s not much story here, as Berning-Bowman depicts a diverse array of kids and families, united in the warmth and love of her inviting illustrations, both remembering the day of adoption and relishing togetherness in the present. The emphasis in the art is on the kids themselves, as the adults’ faces are out of frame save for hints of smiles.

What Chosen from the Heart lacks in nuance it makes up for with heart, offering a kind-hearted and joyous celebration of a big day for any family who chooses to adopt. The retro style colored pencil illustrations add to the overall twee feel, which is played up by the simple rhyming text and the dainty drawn hearts in the corners of every text page. Well-meaning family members looking to welcome adopted children into their family or those looking to support parents adopting children will certainly find validation and positive reinforcement of this major life change.

Takeaway: Heartfelt call for the day of adoption to be commemorated with celebration.

Comparable Titles: Todd Parr’s We Belong Together, Ame Dyckman’s Wolfie the Bunny.

Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A-
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A-