My Adoption: A Max Brown Adventure by Andrea White and Lauren White

It’s a common phrase to describe our four-legged fur babies: dogs are man’s best friend. But while we may know how much we love and treasure our dogs, the question on many pet owners’ mind is, do our dogs know how loved they are?

If your child has the same worry many adults do, or what the family dog’s past was before being brought into the home, a picture book can be a helpful tool to help them process these questions. My Adoption: A Max Brown Adventure , written by Andrea and Lauren White, is one such book. This compassionate story gives us keen insight into the world through a rescue dog’s eyes as he experiences the world around him, and his heartwarming story of finding his forever family.

In Search of a Home

“Hi. My name is Max. I live a happy life. But it wasn’t always that way. Let me tell you my story.”

When we first meet Max, our four-legged protagonist is without a home. Wandering on the streets, he searches for a family, until at last he’s picked up by a kind man wearing some sort of uniform that reads “animal rescue.” From there, Max is brought to a place almost like a hotel, but for pets. There are food and toys and kind people who take him for walks and rub his belly. But even as Max enjoys it, he knows in his bones that it’s not where he’s meant to be forever. There’s a home out there for him somewhere.

But then one day, a family comes in to say hello to Max, and he can feel there’s something different. Sure enough, Mr. and Mrs. Brown soon sign some papers, and the next thing he knows, Max is going home with them and their son, Tommy! Max’s new home is full of toys and cozy places to sleep; but that all pales in comparison to the love he receives. Here, Max knows that he has finally found a home with what’s most important — his forever family.

A Best (Four-Legged) Friend

With illustrations by Mike Forshay, My Adoption teaches valuable lessons to children, regardless of whether they have furry family members of their own. By demonstrating curiosity and open-mindedness, Max encourages young readers to share empathy and kindness with those around them. Max doesn’t even consider any differences between him and the Brown family when they bring him into the fold — all he cares about is the love they share with each other.

It means even more, knowing that this is the story of a very real dog named Max. Author Andrea White describes him as a sweet soul who “makes friends easily, no matter how different they are.” Max’s real-life story of rescue and adoption shows us that if we treat them with kindness, dogs give us just as much love as they receive. And if you’re still worried our beloved furry friends don’t understand how much we cherish them, rest assured — scientists are confident that they do indeed know.