The Day We Met You

``The sun shone bright the day we met you''--and it continues to radiate its warmth throughout this unadorned tale of an adoption. Eager to pick up their new baby, the parents-to-be describe their preparations and purchases: ``We bought diapers and pajamas . . . so you would be dry and warm.'' Friends and neighbors share the excitement by providing a quilt and a cradle; Grandpa brings reassurance in the form of a teddy bear. When the happy couple hold their smiling infant for the first time at the book's conclusion, the joy is almost palpable. Designed to be read aloud to an adopted child, Koehler's first picture book addresses an important issue in a loving, direct style. Her pastel crayon drawings, bordered in warm yellows, oranges and greens, strike the perfect note of childlike innocence. Ages 2-5. (Apr.)