Title: A TALE OF TWO MOMMIES
Author: Vanita Oelschlager
Illustrator: Mike Blanc
Length: 40 Pages
Genre: Children’ s Fiction, LGBTQ Awareness for children
Target Readership: This book is appropriate for children from Kindergarten to Grade 4 – Ages: 4-8 years
Edition: Hardcover
Publisher: VANITA BOOKS
Release Date: September 1, 2011
ISBN: 9780982636664
Price: $15.95
Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars *****
OFFICIAL BOOK DESCRIPTION:
A Tale of Two Mommies is a beach conversation among three children. One boy asks another boy about having two mommies. A young girl listening in asks some questions too. True to a child’s curiosity, practical questions follow. “Which mom is there when you want to go fishing? / Which mom helps out when Kitty goes missing?” To which he answers: “Mommy helps when I want to go fishing. / Both Mommies help when Kitty goes missing.”
This book lets us look inside one non-traditional family, a same sex couple and their son. As the children talk, it’s clear this boy lives in a nurturing environment where the biggest issues are the everyday challenges of growing up.
MY REVIEW:
This book was written by Vanita Oelschlager. Previously, she authored the book “A Tale of Two Daddies” and decided that it was important to write these children’s books so that they could be used/read aloud not only by parents, but also by librarians and teachers. In fact, if you visit the Publisher’s website you can download (for free) “An Educator’s Guide” to “A Tale of Two Mommies.” This guide is amazing and helps parents and teachers learn how to answer questions asked by their children regarding same sex parents. It also is a guide to how the subject of same sex parents can be talked about in a non-threatening way.
Firstly I want to talk about the gorgeous illustrations in this book. Mike Blanc has done a truly great job creating cute but also realistic child characters. The way he has shaped their faces gives them friendly countenance. The fact that the three children in the book are all obviously friends despite the fact that the girl is Caucasian and one of the boys is Asian and the other is African-American is very nice to see. Children do not notice race or colour, they just see potential friends and playmates and his book reflects that fact.
This book takes place on a visit to the beach. The kid’s are asking their friend questions about his two moms. He calls one Mom “Momma” and the other “Mommie”
The kids ask: “Which Mom coaches your T-ball team? Which Mom’s there when you’ve have a bad dream?”
To which he responds: “Mommy is the coach of my T-ball team. Both Mommies are there when I’ve had a bad dream?”
The rhyming, lyrical quality to the writing is perfect for the target age group and I believe they will love to have this book read to them. It is a great way to open up a discussion about the many types of families that exist in today’s society.
The illustrations never include the moms, you see a bit of their hands, or the bottom half of their bodies, but you never see a full image of them. I think this was a brilliant decision because by not including pictures of the Mommies, kids will not get any ideas that Lesbian couples look a certain way. Very smart decision.
Overall I rate this book as 5 out of 5 stars. *****
CLICK THIS LINK TO BUY THIS BOOK:
A Tale of Two Mommies
on Amazon
** ALL PROFITS FROM SALES OF THIS BOOK WILL BE DONATED TO CHARITY**
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Vanita Oelschlager is a wife, mother, grandmother, former teacher, current caregiver and, for almost ten years, author and poet.
She was born and raised near Pittsburgh. She is a graduate of Mt. Union College in Alliance, Ohio, where she currently serves as a Trustee.
She has also supported and helped her husband Jim as he built Oak Associates, Ltd. into a successful investment management firm.
Today, as an accomplished author, Vanita shares openly the experiences that she, Jim and their families have had with multiple sclerosis. She has likened MS to living with an elephant, one that won’t go away or be ignored. Together, she and Jim have found ways to live with this “elephant”, and to share some of the larger lessons about life they’ve learned through the disease.
ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR:
Mike Blanc is a life-long professional artist. His artwork has illuminated countless publications for both corporate and public interests, worldwide. Mike contributes creative direction and illustration. He lives with his wife, Gail, in sunny Doylestown, Ohio. They enjoy their four children, and five grandkids.
Mike was born in Akron Ohio, in 1953. On February 9th, 1964 he witnessed the first performance of The Beatles on Ed Sullivan in the living room with his brothers; Pat, Gene and Joe and also his toddler sister Lisa. He went to Coventry Senior High, Class of 1971. Mike married Gail Smith in 1973 and they have 4 children and 5 grandchildren. Mike is a self-taught artist. He has created many hundreds of designs for t-shirt and textile impressions for Champion Bowling Supply in Akron, Hooper Handprints, Florida, and Air Waves, Inc. in Columbus, Ohio. Mike worked in an artists’ colony, Halbert’s Incorporated in Akron for a year creating heraldic art. Looking back, he believes that his Halbert’s co-worker was Chrissie Hynde, the Pretender and art major (please confirm this, Chrissie). He’s been self-employed at Mike Blanc Studios since 1974. From 1989 till present, he’s a full-time associate at Artists Incorporated and is associated with VanitaBooks, LLC, of Akron an independent publishing corporation.
ABOUT THE PUBLISHER VANITA BOOKS:
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