Finally, we're starting to see some storybooks that speak to the child adopted from Russia or other Eastern European countries - and this one is a treat! Nikolai, The Only Bear tells the story of one little bear among 100 orphans at the Russian orphanage. He growls when he speaks and claws the air when he plays. "Play nice, Nikolai," the keepers say. No one wants to take Nikolai home. Until one day, when a fur-faced man and a smooth-faced woman come to visit from America. They growl with him and play with him, and sing songs that make him feel soft-bearish. And when it's time for them to go home, Nikolai knows that he has found the right family at last.

Based on the experiences of the author's friends, Joosse writes, "It was important to me that this book feel very dignified. Magical and special. And full of delighted love, like his Mom and Dad. Why is Nikolai a bear? To show he is unique. Also, to make every child feel soft-bearish, like Nikolai . . .whether or not he is adopted . . . whether he is a he or a she . . . wherever and whenever he is from." Written by the author of "Mama, Do You Love Me?" and sweetly illustrated in soft earth tones by newcomer Renata Liwska, this enchanting little story talks about belonging in a way that any child who's ever felt like an outsider will easily relate to.