Heather Has Two Mommies: 10th Anniversary Edition (Alyson Wonderland) [SPECIAL EDITION] (Paperback)

by Leslea Newman (Author), Diana Souza (Illustrator) "Heather lives in a little house with a big apple tree in the front yard and lots of tall grass in the backyard..." (more)
Key Phrases: two mommies, Mama Kate, Mama Jane

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
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

Product Description
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.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Alyson Books; 10 Anv edition (June 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1555835430
• ISBN-13: 978-1555835439
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.5 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (36 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #193,835 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #24 in	Books > Gay & Lesbian > Parenting & Families
  #53 in	Books > Teens > Social Issues > Homosexuality > Fiction

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

118 of 141 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars There are better books to read about LGBT Families, March 29, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Heather Has Two Mommies (Paperback)

Honestly, this is not a book that i would choose for my son to read. I'm an out-gay man who adopted an infant ten years ago. It's just not a good quality book for the apparent age-range targeted. The black-and-white drawings do not make it attractive and Alternative/Artificial Insemination is not a topic of interest to kids that age or necessarily appropriate. It's certainly not a book that my son has ever picked off the bookshelves for me to read to him or for him to read to himself. Books like One Dad, Two Dads," "The Duke Who Outlawed Jellybeens (or is it Rainbows?)," and "Two Moms, the Zark, and Me" are the books that he keeps going back to, reading on his own, asking me to read them, or sharing with his friends. Just because a book is written by us about us does not make it a good quality book.

21 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Thanks for the Changes!, June 12, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Heather Has Two Mommies: 10th Anniversary Edition (Hardcover)

A round of applause for Leslea Newman who realized that her book needed a revision for the 10th Anniversary Edition. She focused on the true message of the book, that the "most important thing about a family is that all the people in it love each other." She simplified the writing to better fit preschool audiences, but most importantly, removed the sections about how Mama Jane and Mama Kate got together and then concieved Heather. These were the sections that kept it out of preschools and other settings, in spite of the great message. Thank you Ms. Newman! Now I can't wait to buy several copies for my daughter's daycare, our church, and our local public Library!

34 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good book, wish illustrations were in color, May 29, 2001

By A Customer

This is the ground-breaking book about a little girl who has two mommies, a lesbian couple. Ten years ago the authors had a terrible time trying to get their book published and finally put up the money themselves. I suspect perhaps this is why the illustrations are in black and white, because color is more expensive. Although very sweet and adorable, it would be nice if the illustrations were in color. But there are plenty of books that are beloved classics and have one color illustrations such as "Millions of Cats or "Make Way for Ducklings." That is the only "fault" I find with this book. The book gives children of both gay and straight parents the security of knowing that their families are all just fine the way they are. Today only 25 % of families are traditional, with a dad and mom. As more diverse families have come on the scene more books have been written about this issue so that all children can feel they have a place at the table. After all, a family is a group of people who love and support one another--two moms, two dads, a mom and dad, grandparents, an aunt or an uncle, guardians, foster families, single parents, etc. Kids need to know this, so that they can grow up feeling proud of their families and accepted by their friends. This is in no way a "subversive" book, but one that is eminently useful for children of both straight and gay parents. If children know the truth, they have less chance of being bullies toward those children of families that "appear different." Our children live in a diverse world. They need the facts so they have to tools to flourish in it. Knowing that there are such things as gay parents will not make children gay, because sexual orientation is fixed at birth. Gay parents have exactly the same percentage of gay/straight children as straight parents do, about 10 %. So rid yourself of homophobic fear and do not inject your kids with it. Read this book to your child, and help them understand the simple truths of life: that gay dads and lesbian moms have kids, that they are trustworthy, respectable, devout and loving parents,and that their kids are loved just as much as other children. I look forward to the day when all families and kids are accepted NOT on the basis of their sexual identity but for the content of their character, their courage and unconditional love. I am a straight mom.