Heather Has Two Mommies: 10th Anniversary Edition (Alyson Wonderland)
Originally self-published in 1989, Heather Has Two Mommies became the first title in Alyson's newly formed Alyson Wonderland imprint in 1990. The simple and straightforward story of a little girl named Heather and her two lesbian mothers was created by Newman and illustrator Diana Souza because children's books that reflected a nontraditional family did not exist, but a firestorm of controversy soon ensued. Attacked by the religious right, lambasted by Jesse Helms from the floor of the U.S Senate, and stolen from library shelves, it was an uphill battle for Heather. Thanks to the overwhelming support of booksellers, librarians, parents, and children, however, 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.
This handsome 10-anniversary edition of a minor classic presents the story of Heather, a preschooler with two moms who discovers that some of her friends have very different sorts of families. Juan, for example, has a mommy and a daddy and a big brother named Carlos. Miriam has a mommy and a baby sister. And Joshua has a mommy, a daddy, and a stepdaddy. Their teacher Molly encourages the children to draw pictures of their families, and reassures them that "each family is special" and that "the most important thing about a family is that all the people in it love each other." In the afterword, the author (whose other children's books include Matzo Ball Moon) explains that although she grew up in a Jewish home, in a Jewish neighborhood, there were no families like hers on the television or in picture books. She came to regard her family as somehow "wrong," since there was no Christmas tree in the living room and no Easter egg hunt. Whatever the religious right may wish to think about nontraditional families, there is no denying that any child enrolled in an American school will encounter friends with single parents, gay parents, stepparents, or adoptive parents. This new, revised version of Heather Has Two Mommies offers an enjoyable, upbeat, age-appropriate introduction to the idea of family diversity. The book is essential for children (ages 2 to 6) with gay parents or family members, and a great addition to a Rainbow Curriculum. --Regina Marler
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- ISBN: 9781555835439
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33 Reviews
| From: Amazon Posted: Nov 03, 2007 Type: User Review |
A wonderful book
First of all, I'd like to mention that most of the bad reviews here are for the original edition and not the 10th anniversary edition. The latter contains no mention of artificial insemination or any other particularly controversial subjects. It...
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 4.00/5 |
| From: Amazon Posted: Sep 25, 2007 Type: User Review |
Two Mommies
It is a good book. It would be nice if it had colours and was not only black and white but still one should definitely buy it. It is important to grow our children whether the parents are gay or not with the open mind that one needs to be a human...
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 5.00/5 |
| From: Amazon Posted: Jun 18, 2007 Type: User Review |
Totally Awful
Hey, I'm a lesbian mom myself. I have two great kids. I was given this book as a gift. What a horrible book. Difficult to read, full of 1970s impossible to comprehend propaganda. Almost seems like the crazy right-wing wrote it, there is so much to...
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 1.00/5 |
| From: Amazon Posted: May 21, 2007 Type: User Review |
A Lesbian Couple's Child
Family diversity is the subject of this children's book about a lesbian couple's daughter. This is a groundbreaking book in today's society.
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5.00/5 |
| From: Amazon Posted: Mar 26, 2007 Type: User Review |
A bit dated and stereotypical - but still groundbreaking nevertheless
We are expecting a baby in July - that's the reason we bought the book to seek opportunities and prepare to speak/educate our child about our relationship. I found the book to be a bit general in how it tries to represent family types and maybe a...
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 3.00/5 |
| From: Amazon Posted: Mar 13, 2007 Type: User Review |
didn't realize they book was about a lesbian home
Well, let's see... I have a son that's growing up in a split home... and I'm remarried. I thought this book was more along those lines. I tend to be quite liberal in my beliefs, but felt this was just not appropriate for a highly encouragible...
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3.00/5 |
| From: Amazon Posted: Mar 10, 2007 Type: User Review |
Great book - good story and good message
A lovely book with beautiful pictures and an important story well told. It has been a regular request at bedtime for the last six months from my two three and four year old daughters. They like it because it is a good story with good characters,...
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5.00/5 |
| From: Amazon Posted: Nov 06, 2006 Type: User Review |
Positive Message for All Families!
I think this Heather Has Two Mommies has a fine message about diversity in families...that there are many, many, many family configurations and that they are all fine and hav benefits...that what really matters is that the parents and kids are...
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4.00/5 |
| From: Amazon Posted: Oct 27, 2006 Type: User Review |
All in the Family
Heather, a bright preschooler lives with her mother and her mother's partner. The girl's teacher asks the class to talk about their families and to draw pictures.
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4.00/5 |
| From: Amazon Posted: Dec 30, 2005 Type: User Review |
Excellent Book For Any Child's Library
I read this book through, and imagined reading it to my children when I finally have some and found it to be a wonderful read. Very well written. All children should have this book read to them whether they come from two mothers, two fathers, a...
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5.00/5 |
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