ABC A Family Alphabet Book [Paperback]

Bobbie Combs (Author)

Book Description

It's family fun from A to Z in this alphabet book that shows kids and their parents laughing, playing and enjoying family life. All of the brilliant watercolors depict families headed by gays and lesbians. "C is for cookies. Both of my dads know how to make great chocolate chip cookies." "L is for lunch. We always pack a picnic lunch when my moms take me to the beach."

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Two Lives specializes in publishing quality books for children in families headed by gays and lesbians. The number of children being raised in alternative families is increasing daily, and we believe that these kids deserve to see their lives reflected in the books they are reading.

From the Author

So far, most of the books published for kids in gay and lesbian families have been very issue-oriented. I wanted to see some books where the fact of the family being different wasn't the focal point of the book. So I thought of making an alphabet book, where kids could say the letters and just see families like theirs having fun in the pictures. I'm glad that the book is being used in daycares and being read to all children. That way kids can see families that might be different from their own.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Two Lives Pub (February 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0967446813
• ISBN-13: 978-0967446813
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 7.9 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,191,811 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

68 of 73 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally, a book written for our family!!!, May 14, 2001

By 

Jennifer Bryan (Northampton, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: ABC A Family Alphabet Book (Paperback)

We are a two mom family with a 5 year old son and a 16 month old daughter, and we have been waiting a LONG time for books that reflect our family constellation. I have been reading to my son since he was born, and "ABC A Family Alphabet Book" by Bobbie Combs is the first book to accurately, tastefully, creatively and humorously reflect the world of lesbian and gay families. Combs' books (see "123 A Family Counting Book" as well) are well written and beautifully illustrated and depict the every day lives of children who live in non-traditional families. What is wonderful about Combs' work is that the books are about learning to count and learning the alphabet foremost, and the illustrations of lesbian, gay, and multicultural families provide a natural backdrop for this learning. There is no heavy-handed political "message," only quality children's books that are a VERY welcome addition to our family library. I look forward to more works by Combs and by Two Lives Publishing, a company dedicated to producing children's books for alternative families.

45 of 58 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Refreshing, yet disappointing, January 2, 2004

By 

Jeremy Michalek (Pittsburgh, PA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: ABC A Family Alphabet Book (Paperback)

I am pleased to see a children's book incorporating LGBT families as characters without presenting LGBT-specific issues as the central topic of the book. Kudos to the authors for choosing to depict a fair amount of racial diversity including interracial families. However, I was disappointed to see a lack of heterosexual couple representation. Heterosexual couples are overrepresented in children's literature generally, so I fear that the lack of representation in books like this contributes to a sense of other-ness: Non-traditional families do exist, but they are so different and separate from the mainstream that they all crowd together in the safety of their own book and are rarely if ever seen interacting with heterosexual families.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Great subject matter, art could use some work, January 6, 2010

By 

E. Botsford "Brooklyn" (Brooklyn, NY United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: ABC A Family Alphabet Book (Paperback)

I don't really have a big issue with this book... it's a nice addition to our kids' library and helps to show families that don't usually make it into children's books. My only problem is with the depiction of the gay dads in the book... for whatever reason, the illustrator has chosen to show just about every one as a stereotypical queen. Thin, wispy moustaches, pinky fingers splayed to the side, effeminate poses. Something about it bugs me. I'm all for representing diversity, but the illustrator seems to have a pretty singular vision of gay men. The lesbian moms, on the other hand, are well drawn and aren't all uniform in appearance. If this book had some dads that didn't appear to be taken from some anti-gay propaganda book, I'd give it 5 stars.