The Heart That Found You

PreS-Gr 1–This vividly illustrated picture book offers a heartwarming exploration of love, family, and the joy of adoption. The story follows Heart, who longs to fill the empty spaces within. “Heart searched high and low to survey every view, but where love could be found, Heart hadn’t a clue.” After traveling to distant places, baking, performing handstands, and planting seeds, Heart still cannot find what’s missing—until a baby Heart arrives, bringing newfound love and belonging. The story concludes with the touching line, “No matter where your heart began to beat, because of you, our family is complete.” Vibrant spreads fill the book, featuring Heart in red and the baby in yellow. Birds appear throughout, some subtly hidden to encourage visual engagement. Even the youngest children will be enthralled by the eye-catching pictures. The large, simple illustrations by Chevalier (Chaos to Calm: 5 Ways Busy Parents Can Break Free from Overwhelm) and rhythmic AABB rhyme scheme make this story accessible and enjoyable for even the youngest readers. Details at the back of the book reveal that the debut author is an adoptive mother who wrote the story to provide a useful resource for others.