Born from the Heart

K-Gr 2—In this story about adopted children, Rose and Charlie dream of starting a family. A doctor gives them a recipe for parenthood: "1 pound of love, 2 cups of enthusiasm, 1½ tablespoons of patience," which they follow with great results. The doctor sees something shining in Rose's heart and it grows and grows as the couple plan for the arrival of their baby. Rose's heart grows, protruding from her chest, until the day she meets her infant, who "was born-from her heart." There is a wonderful message for children in this book, but it is most powerful at the beginning and the end of the story when it is explicitly stated. In between, the parallel made between Rose's growing heart and a pregnant woman's growing belly is interesting, but perhaps too literally interpreted. It is jarring to see a heart shape sticking out of a character's chest, and to have her shop for special clothes to fit her changing body seems unnecessary. The illustrations are modern-looking with long faces and limbs, which may not be appealing to children. The bright, simple cover is the most attractive illustration in the book; other spreads are too busy. Stick to tried-and-true titles like Jamie Lee Curtis's Tell Me Again About the Night I Was Born (HarperCollins, 1996).—Marian McLeod, Convent of the Sacred Heart, Greenwich, CT