Excitement over the pending arrival of a new sibling has a welcome twist in Yumi Heo’s child-centered story: The baby is being adopted. A little girl getting ready for her new sibling details the preparations in a simple countdown narrative (“I wash my old teddy bear. I have four days and three nights”). Brightly colored illustrations show the girl, her dad, and her grandparents as the girl describes the preparations. Occasional wordless spreads in a more subdued palette follow her mother, who is shown leaving on an airplane for Korea, completing the adoption paperwork, taking custody of the baby, and then flying back home with the newest member of their family. Repeated readings of a story that concludes with a happy union/reunion will surely be requested. Heo invites readers to imagine whatever possibility they wish regarding the little girl’s own background: She could be adopted herself, or she could be the biological child of her parents, whose heritage, like hers, appears Korean. What is clear is that they are a joyful family. (Ages 3–6)

How many days until a little girl’s adopted sibling is brought home?

Follow a little girl as she and her family prepare for the new baby that will soon be joining them. And simultaneously, watch the girl’s mother fly off to Korea, meet the new baby, and bring her home. Here is an utterly simple, sweet, and child-centric look at the adoption process through the eyes of a soon-to-be older sibling. From cutting a red paper heart and taping it above the new baby’s crib to telling her best friend about the adoption, the young narrator counts down every day and night with growing anticipation, marking them with a big X on her calendar. Unlike other adoption books which are aimed only at the adoptive child, Ten Days and Nine Nights is also perfect for older children who are about to become big sisters and brothers.