Uncle Bobby's Wedding (Hardcover)

by Sarah S. Brannen (Author, Illustrator) "Bobby was Chloe's favorite uncle..." (more)
Key Phrases: Uncle Bobby

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist
When her favorite uncle, Bobby, announces that he is getting married to his boyfriend, Jamie, Chloe worries that he won’t have time for her anymore. The characters are all guinea pigs in human dress, and the sweet, double-page spreads in watercolor and graphite show the idyllic bond between the child and her uncle, as they walk together in the woods, row on the river, and more. In contrast are the scenes of her sadness and jealousy until she learns to have fun with both Bobby and Jamie together—even as they talk about their plans to raise their own kids. The climax is the joyful, exciting wedding—the couple in tuxedos, Chloe as the flower girl, and the big, extended family all together, smiling and teary. A celebration of same-sex marriage, this is about family happiness. Pair with Justin Richardson’s And Tango Makes Three (2005). Preschool-Grade 2. --Hazel Rochman

Review
"...story and pictures are gentle and serene rather than controversial." -- Jane Langton, Newbery Honor-winning author of The Fledgling

"I love it. It's a beautiful book that needs no explaining." -- Jacqueline Woodson, Newbery Honor-winning author of Show Way

"This is SUCH a lovely, charming book. It's about time." -- Tomie de Paola, Newbery Honor-winning author of 26 Fairmont Avenue

"Valiant, valid, validating, valuable." -- Gregory Maguire, author of Wicked

"...Sarah Brannen's beautiful and moving tale has arrived just in time for the young, twenty-first century reader." -- Robert Sabuda, bestselling pop-up artist

The watercolor-and-graphite illustrations are sweet and tender. -- School Library Journal

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Putnam Juvenile (March 27, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399247122
• ISBN-13: 978-0399247125
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 8.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #169,661 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A charming and inclusive book that doesn't preach, May 7, 2008

By	Dana Rudolph (New York, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Uncle Bobby's Wedding is more than just a good LGBT-inclusive children's book; it is a good children's book, period. It tells the sweet story of Chloe, an anthropomorphic young guinea pig who worries that Uncle Bobby won't keep having fun with her after he marries his boyfriend Jamie. Uncle Bobby explains that their special times together will not end; Chloe will not be losing an uncle, but gaining one. The book ends at the wedding, with Chloe as the enthusiastic flower girl.

Written from Chloe's perspective, Uncle Bobby deftly expresses a young child's concerns about family relationships and change. It stresses the power of love to encompass both old and new. Brannen's rich watercolor drawings match the tranquil but sometimes playful tone of the text.

The book's great strength is that Jamie's gender is a non-issue throughout. Unlike many older LGBT-themed children's books, such as Heather Has Two Mommies, it doesn't focus on a child struggling against negative views of her family. That approach has value for some, but Uncle Bobby indicates it is now possible to present a same-sex relationship without the need to defend it or compare it, however favorably, with a heterosexual norm. (Even the excellent And Tango Makes Three contrasts the same-sex penguin pair with the usual opposite-sex couples.) This leaves Brannen free to concentrate on her other themes, and opens up the book to a wider audience.

The book will likely be criticized by some for "promoting" same-sex marriage, but in reality it is as sweet and inoffensive a children's book as one could ever hope to find. It shows two men (well, male guinea pigs) getting married, but never preaches. Highly recommended.

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful story and illustrations!, April 16, 2008

By	planetsong "Barb" (Wausau, Wisconsin) - See all my reviews

This is a book to wonder at, in all the best ways. The story is straightforward, about a little girl guinea pig (Chloe) and her worries that she will lose her Uncle Bobby's affection when he gets married. Uncle Bobby reassures her that she need not worry about this, and when Chloe meets Uncle Bobby's partner, Jamie, she realizes that she's not losing an uncle, she's gaining one! One of the rapturous things about this story is the way the marriage is presented, as the loving event that it is, such a natural thing (for Uncle Bobby) that the fact that it is between guinea pigs of the same sex doesn't even need a discussion.

The illustrations are a delight. Sarah Brannen is an accomplished artist, and I pored over the pictures, noticing the subtle ways that young guinea pigs are drawn differently from the more sedate adult guinea pigs. You really enter Chloe's world and see the wonder of things from her perspective. This is a book to treasure!

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally a book for gay uncles!, July 17, 2008

By	Joe Kort "www.joekort.com" (Royal Oak, Michigan United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I learned about this book through the incident with the librarian in Colorado defending this gay-marriage storybook.

I was thrilled to learn there is now a book that I can read to my niece and nephews and normalize what is true about their gay uncle.

I have longed for a book like this as I married my partner in 2000 and want to explain to them that my marriage is just like their mommy and daddy's. Now I can!