Initial rate of reaction from the graph?
It seems like you have the right idea to me,

For the "Initial Rate," you're taking a curve and doing a straight approximation of the curve over a small portion, as you appear to be doing. 

Your logic also appears correct to me, a decrease in concentration should correspond to a negative rate.

My guess is that the question, (a poorly worded one?) is actually referring to the rate of product creation, and asking you to assume that there is a 1-1 relationship between the decrease in reactant, and the appearance of product. Thus if your reactant is disappearing at $0.02~M/s$ (as indicated by $rate= -0.02 ~M/s$) , then your product should be appearing at $0.02~M/s$, making A the correct answer.