Book Review: HEATHER HAS TWO MOMMIES

A. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Newman, Leslea. 1989.HEATHER HAS TWO MOMMIES. Los Angeles CA: Alyson ISBN 1555835708.

B. PLOT SUMMARY
Heather is raised in a lesbian family, and she loves her two mothers not only because “two” is her favorite number, but also because they can play different things with her. Kate is a doctor and she plays make dramatic plays with Heather. They like to play patients and doctors. Jane is a carpenter and Heather likes to search her toolbox for nails, screws and the tape measure. Heather also likes to spend time with her two mommies together, going to the park on sunny days or baking cookies at home on rainy days. Heather feels happy living with her two mommies until she finds that she is the one who has two mommies without a father at home. In the classroom, the teacher lets the children talk about their families and share their family’s drawings. Then Heather realizes that no one has the same family structures and each family has his or her own family members which are diverse.

C. CRITICAL ANALY SIS
Leslea is an inside author realizing that children who come from this community need to read books related to their life’s experiences and see their portraits in stories. Readers can predict that the book is about the lesbian family from the title on the cover page but not from its illustrations. They clearly know the theme when the two mommies and Heather are illustrated on the third page. This illustration is a cultural marker. The story begins with the concept of similarity and difference. Heather’s favorite number “two” related to her possessions, such as arms, pets and mommies. Heather does different things with her mama Kate and mama Jane separately, and they also do something together. Heather feels satisfied and happy living with her two mothers until she goes to school.

The teacher, Molly, is the person helping Heather to cope with the conflict of having two mothers. She helps Heather to realize that everyone is unique and has different family members by sharing children’s life’s experience in the classroom, and drawing and sharing family sketches. Meanwhile, it also help Heather build self-image and self-confidence. These strategies provide ideas for teachers and parents to help their children to deal the similarity and difference in gay and lesbian families.

This is a well-designed book because both texts and illustrations provide diverse images for readers. Helping people understands diversity with in family structures through children’s skin tones, hair styles and clothing. The author uses simple language and words which are easy to read. Meanwhile, the book also shows that adults’ support and parents’ love are the power of children’s growth in all type of families.

D. REVIEW EXCERPTS
From the Publisher: “ Heather Has Two Mommies has sold over 35,000 copies, launched a minor industry in providing books for the children of gay and lesbian parents and, as attested to by a recent New Yorker cartoon, become part of the cultural lexicon.”

Lesbian Review of Books: “A frank, unapologetic, and ultimately cheerful portrait of a high-spirited preschooler who has two gay moms.”

Children's Literature: “I like the idea of sharing a large range of family books with young children to show life's diversity. Among those books there ought to be some that picture gay and lesbian families. When it comes to gay and lesbian children's books, Alyson Press is far and away the forerunner. They are known as the company that stirred up the original controversy with Heather Has Two Mommies and Daddy's Roommate. Both are good introductions for younger children to the subject of families with gay and lesbian parents.”

E. CONNECTIONS
1. Daddy's Roommate by Michael Willhoite

2. Daddy's Wedding by Michael Willhoite

3. Is Your Family Like Mine by Lois Abramchik

4. Mama Eat Ant, Yuck! by Barbara Lynn Edmonds

5. Best Best Colors (Anti-Bias Books for Kids) by Eric Hoffman, et al

6. When Grown-Ups Fall in Love by Barbara Lynn Edmonds

7. ABC A Family Alphabet Book by Bobbie Combs, et al

8. 123 A Family Counting Book by Bobbie Combs

9. Felicia's Favorite Story by Leslea Newman

10.How My Family Came to Be: Daddy, Papa and Me

by Andrew R. Aldrich

11.Emma and Meesha My Boy: A Two Mom Story by Kaitlyn Considine

12.The Duke Who Outlawed Jelly Beans and Other Stories

by Johnny Valentine

13.One Dad, Two Dads, Brown Dad, Blue Dads by Johnny Valentine

14.The Daddy Machine by Johnny Valentine, Lynette Schmidt

15.Molly's Family by Nancy Garden, Sharon Wooding
16.King & King & Family by Linda De Haan, et al.

17.While You Were Sleeping by Stephanie Burks, Kelli Bienvenu

18.Lucy Goes to the Country by Joe Kennedy, John Canemaker
19.Asha's Mums by Rosamund Elwin, et al.

20.A Boy's Best Friend by Joan Alden, Catherine Hopkins

21. Two Moms, the Zark, and Me by Johnny Valentine, Angelo Lopez

22. Gloria Goes to Gay Pride by Leslea Newman, Russell Crocker

23. Saturday Is Pattyday by Leslea Newman, Annette Hegel