For the Post Below

I don't know why the title is all weird for the post below, but it is :

Book Reviews: Children's Books with Same Sex Parents

And Tango Makes Three

Richardson, Justin and Peter Parnell. And Tango Makes Three. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2005.

Richardson and Parnell have created a heart warming and endearing book that opens the door to young readers about different family units. And Tango Makes Three is a story about two male penguins, Roy and Silo, in the Central Park Zoo who do everything together, like and other male and female penguin partners do; they swim, eat, sing and build a nest together. When the zoo keeper notices that they have built a nest and are trying to hatch a rock, like the rest of the penguins are trying to hatch an egg, he slips an egg that needs a family into their nest. Roy and Silo take turns sitting on and taking care of the egg, until it hatches and a girl penguin chick joins their family, named Tango. This cute story introduces readers to the concept of same sex partners in a way that does not label them as anything different than a family. Its colorful and playful images of Roy and Silo shows their personality and there love of each other and Tango. This book sends the message that there is nothing wrong about Tango having two fathers because they love and take care of her the same as all of the other penguin families. This story ends with Silo, Roy and Tango being celebrated members of the Zoo’s families by the people in the community. Richardson and Parnell make this concept easy to understand for children they may have no understanding of the concept to begin with. At the end, the author notes that it is a true story, and that Roy, Silo and Tango are real penguins at the Central Park Zoo, showing that this is not a story that was created for a book, but a story and situation that is real and a concept that could be reality for many children.

One Dad, Two Dad, Brown Dad, Blue Dad.

Valentine, Johnny. One Dad, Two Dads, Brown Dad, Blue Dads. Los Angels: Alyson Wonderland, 1994.

In this easy rhyming story, Valentine tries to address the questions that kids might have about families with same sex male parents while showing that they are still wonderful and caring dads. One Dad, Two Dad, Brown Dad, Blue Dad focuses on trying to show through the questions by a little girl to a little boy named Lou who has two dads, who are both blue. The fact that the Lou’s dads are blue is another thing that makes them different than other parents. This concept of two male partners having a different appearance that other people is something that takes away from the central message of the story and may be confusing to children. As Lou answers questions about the things that his dads can do, we see in the illustrations two men that are blue in color completing everyday tasks. These images of blue people are ridiculous within the story. It is showing kids that there is a certain look that homosexual couples would display. Not only that but further in the story, the little girl asks “if they hug you to hard does the color rib off?” and the question is never answered by Lou. This could lead children to think that someone could become “blue” by being in contact with people who are gay, and enforce negative perceptions and stereotypes. The story is trying to address the curiosities that children could have about same sex parents and couples, but takes a wrong turn by characterizing them by a color. By the end of the story Lou concludes the question session when the little girl asks how they became blue, by simply saying that they always were and that they are “remarkable” fathers. This is the only place in the story were they are referred to as being a good dads. This book is trying to use a good concept of question and answer for children who do not know about families with same sex parents, but the presentation of Lou’s two fathers needs to be taking into great consideration when trying to explain the concept of same sex parents to young children to avoid confusion and misconceptions.

Heather Has Two Mommies

Newman, Leslea. Heather Has Two Mommies. Los Angels: Alyson Wonderland, 1989.

Newman confronts different family types in a way that shows that it does not matter what kind of family you have because all families are different and filled with people who love each other. Heather Has Two Mommies centers in on the life of a little girl named Heather that loves the number two because of her tow eyes, arms, pets, and of course her two mommies. Heather loves everything about her two moms, who are portrayed as happy and loving people through the black and white illustrations. Newman shows the reader that there is nothing different about this family unit in the beginning, not once drawing attention to the fact that Heather does not have heterosexual parents that the majority of the population may have. Newman shows that Mama Kate and Mama Jane love and care for Heather and they do things like going to the park, and cooking that other parents do. It is not until Heather attends a play group that she is exposed to the fact that she does not have a father like many of the other children there. This is where Newman addresses the issues of different family types through the role of the play group teacher Molly. Molly comforts Heather as she points out the different families that the other children have. More than just the issues of same sex parents are addressed in this part of the book. Newman incorporates children who have parents that are divorced and remarried, single parents, and even a girl who has two daddies. The discussion between the teacher in the book and the students is a great discussion that a teacher or parents could use with there own children to answer questions and explain the differences in families in a positive light. The story concludes with the children drawing pictures of their families and Molly explaining that all families are special and have people that love each other. Newman does an excellent job of painting different family structures in a radiant light. Though her story, she gives every child something to relate to in Heather or her classmates. This story avoids the negative stereotyping and misconceptions and is focused on the total acceptance and appreciation of same sex parents, but also the acceptance of all families. This book offers many great discussion points for children and drives the central message of loving families home to the reader.

TE 448

This class has taught me a lot about adolescent literature and what to look for when introducing new concepts and cultures to children. It is a class that I have benefited a lot from and I would recommend it to anyone who is in the teacher education program. I have learned many things that
I will use in my classroom as well as stepping stones in creating a multicultural library in my classroom.

Confessions

The portrayal of Catholics in the book Confessions of a Closet Catholic is something that i found interesting. I know the question was brought up in class if it offended anyone who was catholic. Being a Catholic myself, i can say that i did not find it offensive at all. I thought that parts, like the seven deadly sins, were funny. My mom is also a devoted Catholic and I had her read the book as well and she thought that it was cute and did not take offense to it at all. I think that this book was interesting in its portrayal of Catholic and Jewish families.

New Show Preview

A preview for a new show caught my attention last night. While I cannot remember what the new shows name is, or what channel it is on (multi-tasking when that info was shared) but I do remember that Bob Saget stared in it. The part that I caught was a clip from on of the shows where Bob say to a woman (probably his wife in the show) "I was arrested for pretending to be a cripple so I could cut in line" and then flashed to a clip of him in a powered scooter chair. Cripple? Really? I understand that the show is trying to be funny, but I don't know how funny it would be to anyone who is in the position of needed to use wheelchairs or scooters for their mobility. I think that I would have been offended by the line. I don't know if it is the fact that it is poking fun at someone with a disability or if it was the word "cripple". Would it have been different if the line would have said "Handicapped" or "Disabled"? I think before this class I don't even think my ears would have been perk by the line, but now I must admit, I look at things a little differently now.

Project Mulberry

Project Mulberry was a book that i enjoyed a lot. I found some of the parts related to my own life. I know what it is like to mistake someone for a different ethnicity, and I felt terrible about it when it happened. It was when I was moving into a different apartment, and I was going in blind. The housing manager had told me that my new roommate was a girl that was studying here from China. When I went to meet her, I asked her why she decided to come here from China. I should have asked her where she was from first, but I was trusting what the manager had told me. She is in fact from South Korea. I explained to her what I had been told, and she said that she was not surprised that he would have automatically thought that, but she was really bothered by the fact that she had talked to him many times before and told him more than once where she was from. Even though it did not directly happen to me, I had a sense of what Julia must have been feeling in the book. I would be extremely annoyed if someone had not taken the time to think about my culture and group me with whatever they think I look like. It is ignorance, and I think that it is hard to fight since most people are rather ignorant to the fact that they even are being ignorant.

Literature Awards

Before this week I had never really questioned whether or not specific awards for children's literature could be view as a negative. I like the idea that different cultural groups are being recognized and celebrated for the texts that they produce. It was not until, after researching the Pura Belpre award (and with a push from the readings) that I saw how limiting the awards can be and how they can not include writers and stories of their own cultural group. For example, the Pura Belpre award is for recognition of Hispanic/Latino authors and illustrators. Their definition of a Latino is limited to only descendant of a Spanish-speaking culture. This completely leaves out any author or illustrator that is Brazilian or Portuguese, since the language they speak is Portuguese even though they are considered Hispanic/Latino. I still like these awards, however I hope that the committees and organization that sponsor them will better evaluate the criteria for the category so that no author or illustrator is overlooked for an award because they do not fit the "criteria".

A shocking observation

After reading the book Habibi and discussing the different stereotypes that are often held about Arab Americans, I was on the look out to see some of these terrible stereotypes in play. Sure enough the next day I heard one. On a bus, I can't remember which number, a new driver was being trained. Upon picking up new passengers at a stop, a man that looked of Arabic decent entered the bus and swiped his card like everyone else. The bus driver watched him intently get on, pay, and walk to his seat before turning to the driver training him and saying "You never know since 9/11". I was shocked. I could not believe that kind of ignorance was still being fueled. September 11th was an attack by an extreme group of terrorist, not the entire Arabic ethnic group. I think that people need to take much more time to educate themselves on what is going on in the world, and with the people in it. I am embarrassed for others who would rather perpetuate hatred and harsh stereotyping of people that may be different from themselves, and wish that there were more people willing to gain knowledge on issues, and less people resisting to accept that people are people, and one person cannot define a nation, a ethnicity, or a race.

Insider/outsider debate

When it comes to writing a meaningful work of literature for children or adults, who is writing it is secondary to the content of the book. Some authors may be able to write a great work on a diverse ethnic group that they themselves are not apart of. This does not mean that they have not researched and interviewed many people that could add correct insight and information to the subject. It is when the outsider writing the book does not take the time to research facts, keep cultural references and detail consistent, and put effort into the overall accuracy of the work is when it becomes a problem. As long as the outsider takes the time to find the inside information, there is no reason why they would not be able to write as well on the topic as an insider.

First Posting

This is the first time that I have ever used a blog, and I'm not going to lie, I was getting confused on even setting it up. This seems like something that I could enjoy doing so hopefully you will be hearing some interesting things from me on my views on children's literature.