Reviewed by Asher Syed for Readers' Favorite

I Love You, Fiorella, Flaws and All!, written by Cindy A. Bell and illustrated by Emily House, is a children's picture book that centers around a young puppy named Fiorella and her mother, Mama Rose. The story begins with Fiorella happily running around her farm and sharing how much she loves her home. Soon after the mother and daughter are loaded into the bed of their pet parent's truck, expecting to be taken somewhere fun. This is not what happens and the pair are heartbroken when their guardian leaves them behind at an animal shelter with a goodbye and no explanation. As Fiorella struggles to come to terms with abandonment and tries to determine what it was she did to make their guardian give them up, Mama Rose does her best to teach Fiorella that they did nothing wrong and that they are worthy of love, flaws and all.

I Love You, Fiorella, Flaws And All! hit me with feelings almost from the very beginning. Cindy A. Bell describes Fiorella and Mama Rose's pleasure simply and effectively, making the scene that follows so much more poignant. The shock of being offloaded at an animal shelter is profoundly sad and, as a reader, I had to stop and collect myself when the book went in that direction. A standout here is that the dogs' guardian, Doc, is not painted as a bad pet parent. We are not given the reasons why Doc needed to re-home his dogs and Doc even tells the shelter to keep them together, which shows care and concern for them. It also allows us to believe that this transition may very well be in Fiorella's and Mama Rose's best interests. Breathing life into each page are the gorgeous illustrations by Emily House. A bold palette of primary colors is softened with whimsical sketches that reflect emotion and circumstances appropriately. As one would expect in a children's book, we are given a happy ending that lifts the spirits and gives us all hope. This is a fantastic tale and I have no doubt it will touch the hearts of adults and young readers alike.