Ten Days and Nine Nights: An Adoption Story by Yumi Heo Ages 4-8 40 pages Schwartz and Wade May 2009 Hardcover     This utterly adorable little book begins with a young girl circling a date on a calendar. She has ten days and nine nights left to go! The next day, she and Daddy say goodbye to her Mommy at the airport - now she has nine days and eight nights to go. As the little girl counts down her days, we see her help Daddy and Grandpa redecorate her room. She draws and cuts out red hearts for her room and washes her teddy bear. She watches Grandma make a little pink dress. She carefully practices holding her doll. She tells her friend Molly. Her Daddy prepares by closing his store for the day. The story weaves in the little girl’s eager anticipation with wordless illustrations of her mother going through the process of adopting a baby girl from Korea and returning home with her. At last, the day is here! The little girl runs to greet her Mommy and baby sister at the airport, and the last illustration shows her holding her new baby sister proudly. Ten Days and Nine Nights combines an appealing main character, a heartwarming narrative, and colorful yet soothing artwork into a pitch-perfect story about family ties. Many children’s books address the sibling rivalry triggered by the new addition to the family; this book provides a nice counterpoint by depicting a young child’s pure joy at the arrival of a longed-for sibling. Highly recommended for any family expecting a new baby, whether by adoption or any other means.     web reviews   Usha Reynolds/2009 for curled up with a good kid's book   For grown-up fiction, nonfiction and speculative fiction book reviews, visit our sister site Curled Up With a Good Book (www.curledup.com)