As countless studies have shown, daily reading shared between parents and children can provide so much more than mere entertainment. When it comes to children’s literature, read-alongs serve as a touchstone for a myriad of formative conversations. I LOVE YOU, FIORELLA, FLAWS AND ALL, by author Cindy A. Bell and illustrator Emily House accomplishes just that, cleverly weaving themes of abandonment and self-worth into a story about a spirited puppy in search of a new home.

I LOVE YOU, FIORELLA, FLAWS AND ALL opens on a small farm where Fiorella, a beautiful puppy, lives a quiet, simple life with her mother, Mama Rose. All is well until their guardian, Doc, decides to take the two dogs to an animal shelter. Fiorella and Mama Rose are all too happy to take a morning drive, and when they finally arrive, they assume that Doc has brought them there to pick up a friend. Unfortunately, Doc has other plans. After instructing the shelter not to separate the two dogs, Doc says goodbye to Fiorella and Mama Rose for the last time. Luckily, a worker named Lucy is there to comfort the heartbroken dogs. Still, Fiorella is inconsolable and begins to wonder if she’s to blame for their predicament. Too much howling? Too much drooling? Mama Rose does her best to comfort her daughter, but Fiorella just can’t shake the feeling that she’s done something wrong. Finally, after months of trying to be a ‘better’ puppy, Mama Rose explains to Fiorella that she’s perfect just the way she is. Fiorella is relieved, and as luck would have it, she and Mama Rose are adopted by a gardener named Abraham the following day.

With I LOVE YOU, FIORELLA, FLAWS AND ALL, Bell channels her background in education and lifelong love of children’s lit into a charming, thoughtful tale. Add to that the stunning illustrations (provided by the talented Emily House), and you have a board book that is a joy to flip through. Unfortunately, there are a couple of different ‘life lessons’ at play here, and the way they are woven together ultimately feels a bit forced. Focusing on a single issue (such as learning to cherish our inherent uniqueness or the feelings of abandonment that often accompany adoption or divorce) rather than mixing the two would have made for a more digestible read. While Bell obviously has the best of intentions, there does exist the possibility that young readers could interpret Fiorella’s adoption as having been contingent on her learning to accept herself, a reductive takeaway that ultimately does a disservice to both issues. The fact that Fiorella is at the shelter with her mother further complicates matters, something that casting Mama Rose and Fiorella as siblings would have easily resolved. On the surface, the story is a quick, pleasant read, but parents may struggle to answer some of the questions inspired by Fiorella’s journey.

Setting aside the complicated themes and somewhat mixed messages, as a thoughtful, vibrant read-along about a dog in need of a new home, I LOVE YOU, FIORELLA, FLAWS AND ALL is a qualified win.

~James Weiskittel for IndieReader