The Day of Your Arrival

Two parents-to-be eagerly await their adoptive child in this loving tale. In sparse prose addressed to the anticipated addition, Brown conveys the impatience and abstraction of expectation: “We did not know what your name was,/ or if your eyes were brown or blue.” As the two affectionately prepare for the child, tidying a room and providing a stuffed bunny (“A rabbit always makes winter warmer”), Dalvand’s delicate, heavily patterned art shows toys waiting restlessly at a window, sweeping the floor, and cozying the bed and bath. And when the parents meet their child at last, the muted, springlike palette shifts into saturated reds, yellows, and greens, invoking the joy and warmth of contented family life. Tender and contemplative, this volume is an apt ode to the process of welcoming any lovingly awaited child. Ages 4–9. (Oct.)