Customer Reviews

Generous Jefferson Bartleby Jo (Alyson Wonderland)

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GENEROUS JEFFERSON BARTLEBY JONES by Forman Brown, is a story told in rhyming verses about young Jeff and his two fathers. Jeff has a lot to feel good about because of the four days out of the week he spends with his dads, they always find exciting things to do like hiking, farming, horseback riding, or taking trips to the zoo. Jeff's best friends, Chad and Kim, don't feel as lucky as Jeff because they have only one dad each. Jeff generously loans out his dads, sometimes to Kim and other times to Chad. One day he loans both other dads out on the same day and is left alone. In the space of only four lines, we are told that Jeff lives with his mother on unspecified number of days out of the week, and with his two fathers the remaining time. The accompanying illustration gives a profile of the mother. Each page is filled with illustrations and verses which add more detail to the characters. Kim, who is Asian, loves baseball and is a Little League catcher. Chad, portrayed as a Black or Latino child, enjoys trips to the zoo and playing checkers. The author has nicely displayed children engaging in cross-gender play.

Kim and Chad's fathers are too busy to play with them, but one of Jeff's dads are always around. As the story continues, we get a glimpse of some of the activities Jeff and his fathers engage in: farming, because one of his dads knows a farmer; the zoo; swimming; horseback riding; camping and carnivals. These are all activities which may not be in the experiences of children from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, particularly those who live in urban areas.

Although a bulk of the story focuses on Jeff and his fathers, some further explanation would help the reader better understand this situation than the lines which read, "He moves in with Joe and with Pete, and his friends think his system's a hard one to beat." For children living everyday with their gay parents the experience of "moving in" with their father(s) on weekends would not directly speak to them. For others, who are the subjects of joint custody arrangements, the book may offer an important legitimization of their lives. The black and white illustrations depict great details in the characters and glimpses of their elaborate homes. The verses are fun to read and the message is quite clear that having two dads is something to feel good about. The book is most suitable for children ages four and older.