Ten Days and Nine Nights: an adoption story by Yumi Heo

A little girl waits for ten days and nine nights for her new sister to arrive.  As each day passes, she prepares for the new baby, keeping a countdown all the while.  She helps redecorate her room, practices with a doll, washes her teddy bear, and waits.  In between the little girl’s activities, readers will glimpse what is going on with her mother in Korea as she travels there to get the baby. 

Heo’s text is friendly and the countdown keeps the pace of the book brisk.  Her art is filled with sunshine yellows and deep reds, a palate that is warm and bright.  The images featuring the mother in Korea are done in deep blue tones with bright pops of color, making the two settings easily distinguishable for young readers. 

An engaging look at an older siblings waiting for an adoption to be complete, this is a universal story that all readers will relate to whether their siblings are adopted or not.  Appropriate for ages 3-5.