Stella Brings the Family ISBN: 9781452111902
Published by Chronicle Books, 2015
When Stella's teacher announces they are to have a Mother's Day party and may invite a guest, Stella is perturbed. What will she do? She has two fathers, Papa and Daddy, who do all the things for her that a mother would do, but she doesn't have a mum to invite. She also has a granny, and aunt and uncle and a cousin who do things for her too, but no mum. Her friend Jonathan has the answer: invite them all. So she does. She is secretly worried about bringing such a crowd to the party, but it all turns out beautifully, and there is even one of her classmates with two mums, both of whom come. I was a little concerned that at the end of the story, we see this child concerned about what he will do if the teacher decides to have a Father's Day party as well. It seems a bit sophisticated for the age group this is aimed at, but the book is a welcome addition to the few stories on the subject of same sex parents. The illustrations are fun - comic style with some scribbly, crayon-type additions around the edges. The story shows us a happy and well-adjusted family in which Stella has no qualms about her special parents even though there is no traditional mum involved.
Age: 5+
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