 | |
| Author | Robert Skutch |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Laura Nienhaus |
| Publisher | Tricycle Press |
Publication date | 1995 |
| Pages | 32 |
| ISBN | 1-883672-66-X |
| OCLC | 30979383 |
Who's in a Family? is a children's book which depicts a variety of non-traditional families, including interracial, single-parent, and families with gay and lesbian partners as parents. It intentionally emphasizes the normalcy of different family arrangements. [1]
Robert Skutch is an American author born in 1925 and has published multiple books such as Journey Without Distance: The Story Behind a Course in Miracles, The Day the World Forgot, and another children's book named Albie's Trip to the Jumble Jungle. Skutch has also written for television and radio shows throughout his life [2] In an NPR interview from 2005, Skutch says that his inspiration for writing this book was because his niece and her partner decided to start a family. [3]
The book begins by saying "a family can be made up in many different ways" and fills the first two pages of the book with illustrations of six different types of families. [4] Skutch elaborates on this point by acknowledging that animals have families too, and includes illustrations of different animal families. Skutch uses illustrations of bird, pig, kangaroo, penguin, money, elephant, lion, dog, and bear families. [4] Through the course of the book, Skutch designates an individual page for the many different family structures such as. depicts traditional, single-parent, same-gender, inter-racial, extended, and only-child families. The book concludes with illustrations of various family portraits and with the line, "Who's in a family? The people who love you the most." [4]
Who's in a Family? represents some of the ways that a "family" exists today. Years ago, the perspective of a traditional family included two parents, a mom and a dad, raising their children together under one roof. However, today there are many possible variations of a family, as seen in Skutch's book. [5] The book is suited for young children as it introduces how families can look different; it opens the door for parents and children to communicate about family differences, and more importantly, it allows for children to become educated and accepting of various family dynamics. Furthermore, this book allows parents to emphasize the practice of unconditional love for others. [5] The book is suited for young children as it introduces how families can look different. Finally, Skutch said in his NPR interview that "the whole purpose of the book was to get the subject [of same-sex parent households] out into the minds and the awareness of children before they are old enough to have been convinced that there's another way of looking at life." [3]
Who's in A Family? is a fictional, illustrated children's book, specifically intended for kindergarten to second-grade students. [6] This book includes traditional, single-parent, same-gender, inter-racial, extended, and only-child families. [5] The book addresses topics related to LGBTQ, multi-race, and traditional relationships, and how these families navigate through life. Who's in a Family? contains colorful, pencil illustrations which show a diverse array of animal and human families. [6]
In an article from the School Library Journal, Martha Topol claims that children's books like Who's in a Family? are intended to educate children on different family structures. [6] Topol, along with an author for The Spectator, Susan Clairmont, think that this genre of book should be given to children after questions about these topics begin to arise to reassure and clarify but should not just be given to children without background knowledge or questions. [6] [7]
Susan Clairmont also raises the question of whether these genres of children's stories will do "more harm than good" to children who did not ask about these topics. [7]
The book was at the center of a controversy in the state of Massachusetts in the United States when a number of parents objected to their children being exposed to it in school, claiming that it was intended to promote a "homosexual agenda". [8] Parents David and Tonia Parker filed a lawsuit against the Lexington school district to have their children exempted from reading the book in class. [9] Before filing a lawsuit, David had sent various emails in order to ensure two requests from the school: (1) that he would be notified if the school assigned non-traditional literature and (2) that he would be able to opt his son out of being taught such materials. [10] During a meeting with the Estabrook principal and with the district director of instruction, David refused to leave until his demands were met, which resulted in him being arrested for trespassing. [11] The Parkers were ultimately unsuccessful, with the 1st Circuit Court of Appeals finally dismissing their lawsuit, noting that "the mere fact that a child is exposed on occasion in public school to a concept offensive to a parent's religious belief does not inhibit the parent from instructing the child differently". [12] The US Supreme Court declined to hear the case. [13]
James Clayton Dobson Jr. (born April 21, 1936) is an American evangelical Christian author, psychologist, and founder of Focus on the Family (FotF), which he led from 1977 until 2010. In the 1980s, he was ranked as one of the most influential spokesmen for conservative social positions in American public life. Although never an ordained minister, he was called "the nation's most influential evangelical leader" by The New York Times while Slate portrayed him as a successor to evangelical leaders Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson.
Goodnight Moon is an American children's book written by Margaret Wise Brown and illustrated by Clement Hurd. It was published on September 3, 1947, and is a highly acclaimed bedtime story.
Maurice Bernard Sendak was an American author and illustrator of children's books. He became most widely known for his book Where the Wild Things Are, first published in 1963. Born to Polish-Jewish parents, his childhood was affected by the death of many of his family members during the Holocaust. Sendak also wrote works such as In the Night Kitchen, Outside Over There, and illustrated many works by other authors including the Little Bear books by Else Holmelund Minarik.
Clara Mary Jane Clairmont, or Claire Clairmont as she was commonly known, was the stepsister of the writer Mary Shelley and the mother of Lord Byron's daughter Allegra. She is thought to be the subject of a poem by Percy Bysshe Shelley.
Heather Has Two Mommies is a children's book written by Lesléa Newman with illustrations by Diana Souza. First published in 1989, it was one of the first pieces of LGBTQ+ children's literature to garner broad attention.
Wisconsin v. Jonas Yoder, 406 U.S. 205 (1972), is the case in which the United States Supreme Court found that Amish children could not be placed under compulsory education past 8th grade. The parents' fundamental right to freedom of religion was determined to outweigh the state's interest in educating their children. The case is often cited as a basis for parents' right to educate their children outside of traditional private or public schools.
Lesléa Newman is an American author, editor, and feminist best known for the children's book Heather Has Two Mommies. Four of her young adult novels have been finalists for the Lambda Literary Award for Children's and Young Adult Literature, making her one of the most celebrated authors in the category.
King & King is a children's picture book co-authored and co-illustrated by Stern Nijland and Linda De Haan. King & King tells the story of a young prince whose mother is forcing him to find his princess. However, after meeting many princesses, the prince falls in love with another prince. King & King was originally written in Frisian and has since been published in ten languages. The book's illustrations have received both positive and negative reviews, as has the storyline. The book has been analyzed for both its usefulness in the classroom and its challenges to social norms.
One Dad, Two Dads, Brown Dad, Blue Dads is a children's book written by Johnny Valentine and Melody Sarecky. The intended audience is elementary school children, and it discusses all kinds of different fathers, including having two dads.
Daddy's Roommate is a children's book written by Michael Willhoite and published by Alyson Books in 1990. One of the first children's books to address the subject of homosexuality, the story follows a young boy whose divorced father now lives with his life partner. The book's depiction of a gay household has led to its inclusion in many educational programs, and Willhoite's work was awarded a Lambda Literary Award in 1991.
And Tango Makes Three is a children's book written by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson and illustrated by Henry Cole which was published in 2005. The book tells the story of two male penguins, Roy and Silo, who create a family together. With the help of the zookeeper, Mr. Gramsay, Roy and Silo are given an egg which they help hatch. The female chick, that completes their family, is consequently named "Tango" by the zookeepers. The book was based on the true story of Roy and Silo, two male chinstrap penguins who formed a pair bond in New York's Central Park Zoo.
Daniel Edward Cohen was an American non-fiction author who wrote over one hundred books on a variety of subjects, mainly for young audiences. He also fought for justice for the death of his daughter and the other 269 victims of the terrorist bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland.
Black and White is a 1990 postmodern children's picture book by David Macaulay. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company, it received mixed reviews upon its release, but it was the recipient of the Caldecott Medal for illustration in 1991. The book tells four overlapping stories, each drawn with a distinct visual style. The four stories are "Seeing Things", about a boy on a train trip by himself, "Problem Parents", about siblings whose parents behave differently one night, "A Waiting Game", about people waiting for a train, and "Udder Chaos", about cows who escape and then return to their field.
Julie Markes is an American children's book writer. She has also worked as a photographer for the Los Angeles Times and the Associated Press.
Justin Richardson is an American author and psychiatrist best known for co-authoring And Tango Makes Three with Peter Parnell.
Corwin "Corky" Clairmont is a printmaker and conceptual and installation artist from the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Nation. Known for his high concept and politically charged works, Clairmont seeks to explore situations that affect Indian Country historically and in contemporary times.
I don't put work out that gives solutions but provokes questions. - Corky Clairmont
Duncan Tonatiuh is a Mexican-American author and illustrator of several award-winning children's books. The illustrations in his books are influenced by Pre-Columbian art. The themes in his stories relate to the Latino experience, with subjects that include social justice issues, art, history, and immigration. He is an advocate and activist for workers’ rights.
Eric Rosswood is an American author and LGBT activist, best known for writing books about parenting. As of 2022, he has released five books. He is the author of two children's books, starting with My Uncle's Wedding in 2011 and Strong in 2022. His parenting books include Journey to Same-Sex Parenthood in 2016 and The Ultimate Guide for Gay Dads in 2017. We Make It Better, released in 2018, is compilation of biographies on LGBTQ people.
Grand Canyon by Jason Chin is a 2017 children's picture book. The book tells about the plants, animals and habitats of the Grand Canyon, both now and in the past, using the premise of a hiking trip there. The inspiration for the book was a trip in high school; Chin had originally conceived of a Grand Canyon origin story. The book marked the first time Chin used die cuts, in addition to his normal use of pen and ink, watercolors, and gouache. The book was awarded a 2018 Caldecott Honor for its illustrations and a 2018 Sibert Honor for its informative text. Grand Canyon is one of only a few non-fiction books that are not biographies to be recognized by the Caldecott.
Donald L. Babets & others vs. Secretary Of Human Services & another, 403 Mass. 230 (1988), known informally as Babets vs. Johnston, was a Massachusetts Supreme Judicial court case relating to Don Babets and David Jean’s struggle to become foster parents as a gay couple. The case resulted in Massachusetts settling the lawsuit by returning to the “best interests of the child policy”, eliminating policies that considered the sexual orientation of potential foster parents when looking at foster placement.
