Love Comes First

September 15, 2023
In this picture book from the former first daughters, two sisters pledge always to remember what's most important. This pair of "world conquerors" are tightly bonded "partners" surrounded by a close circle of friends. They observe other families getting larger, and they long for their family to expand, too. They yearn for a new addition; it doesn't matter if that someone doesn't look like them. That child will be treasured and loved unconditionally because "love comes first." They're overjoyed when a new brother and new cousin arrive. Of course, those kids are smaller, more mischievous, and move at a much slower pace, so, while the sisters have gotten what they hoped for, the reality isn't quite the fantasy they imagined. Still, they recall that "love comes first." And so it proceeds through the rest of this generic, pleasant book, which presents an uplifting, though unoriginal, message and illustrated exemplars about how to be with new family members: present, playful, patient, accepting--and, most of all, loving. The verse mostly scans well; its central mantra--about differences being OK, the importance of caring for family and being trustworthy, and love coming first--is set off several times throughout in an italicized paragraph. The lively illustrations were created using hand-painted textures colored digitally. The wide-eyed sisters are white; background characters are racially diverse. An inspiring message for all; this will also be appreciated as a new-baby gift. (Picture book. 4-7)

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