Review by Allison Martin

Are you excited by your upcoming travel to adopt your child, but concerned for the child you are leaving at home? Mary Petertyl's children's book, Seeds of Love - For Brothers and Sisters of Internationally Adopted Children is a lovely way to prepare your child for your adoption journey.

Big sister Carly looks forward to the arrival of her new baby sister, but she feels unsure about the changes in her life and her mother's pending journey. In this sweet book she learns a bit about adoption and dreams of the fun she will have with her new sister. Carly helps her mother pack for the trip and lays the preparations for her mother's absence. Her mother provides stickers to mark the calendar so that Carly can count down the days till her return. They also plant flower seeds. After her parents leave, Carly finds that even if she does things differently her grandmother can be fun. Several weeks pass and finally her parents return with her new sister! The last scene shows the two sisters playing happily together in the garden.

The young baby/toddler in the story is Asian, the older child (apparently biological daughter) has dark black hair like her mother. The colorful pencil illustrations are attractive to children, with their soft texture and bright colors. Each page clearly and sweetly conveys the story line, making for a very enjoyable picture book for your child.

Seeds of Love has a well deserved reputation in the adoption community, and its wonderful to see it back in print. An excellent resource for parents preparing to travel, Seeds of Love will be treasured long after you return, with its lovely illustrations and the charming story of the creation of a forever family.

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