Love Rules by Andrea Melvin, Dave Eaton, Michael Clark Jr. and Danielle Parchment - ESSENTIAL

Love Rules: A Family's True Story of Adoption and Unconditional Love by Andrea Melvin, Dave Eaton, Michael Clark Jr. illustrated by Danielle Parchment. PICTURE BOOK, NON-FICTION Fiewel and Friends. 2022. $12. 9781250780560

BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K, EL (K-3), EL - ESSENTIAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

Will I stay? This was a question that Michael constantly asked himself. After meeting Andrea and Dave, he hoped that the answer to his question would be "Yes!" They made him his favorite food, macaroni and cheese, and had a friendly dog named Rory. As Michael started a new school, made new friends, and went camping, he always wondered to himself, "Will I stay?" Michael noticed that he looked different than his new family and wondered if that would matter. 

This picture book is written by his adoptive parents, Andrea and Dave, and the journey they went through to become a family. This was a well-written book about adoption. There need to be more books like this to help kids understand what adoption is, and the feelings that are associated with it. The illustrations are authentic and the book is written by the main character's parents. It does a great job showing the fears and anxieties that are felt by children that are in foster care. Michael's ethnicity is unknown, but it is different from his adoptive parents. 

A. Criswell, English Language Arts