Introducing Teddy: a story about being yourself

Introducing Teddy: a story about being yourself
by Jessica Walton
illus. by Dougal MacPherson
Language: English
Self-published, 2015.
Kickstarter Campaign: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/557626078/introducing-teddy-being-yourself-and-being-a-good

Momma days, Mommy days : a story of love, change and hope

Momma days, Mommy days : a story of love, change and hope 
by Isabella Moreno 
illus. by Sonny Heston 
Language: English 
Bloomington, IN : AuthorHouse, [2015] ©2015. 
1 volume (unpaged) : color illustrations ; 22 cm. 
ISBN: 1496974778 ; 9781496974778 
My annotation: A very much loved little girl narrates the story of how her moms no longer want to be married to each other. She tells us that although they chose her “to be their baby long before I was in my mommy’s belly,” that “the truth is, I looked down from the clouds, and I picked them to be my parents.” This beautiful writing sets the tone for the rest of the book, which tells how this little girl feels about sharing two homes, how her moms fought often, how activities are now planned separately, and how she feels sad sometimes because in addition to her parents’ divorce, she does not know any other families like hers. This book, also depicting a multi-racial family, will help other children of same-sex families experiencing a divorce, feel not so alone. In the end, and over time, the little girl’s parents are able to come together to have dinner with her.
Library of Congress Subject Headings:

• Lesbian mothers -- Juvenile literature
• Lesbian couples as parents -- Juvenile literature
• Children of divorced parents -- Juvenile literature

Available: http://www.amazon.com/Momma-Days-Mommy-Story-Change/dp/1496974778

Mom, Mama, and Me... and How I Came to Be!

Mom, Mama, and Me... and How I Came to Be! 
by Tina Rella
illus. by Monica Meza
Language: English 
CreateSpace, 2010. 
26 p. : col. ill. ; 20 x 25 cm. 
ISBN: 9781452875668; 1452875669
My annotation: Told in both the first and third person, this is the story of Jonathan and his two moms. When one day at school, someone asks him what his parents do for a living, he tells them what his moms do. “But where’s your dad?” the other child asks, and Jonathan does not know what to say. At home he asks, “Do I have a Daddy?” to which his moms reply: “...love makes a family, yes it’s true/Love makes a family - me and you/There’s nothing better we could have done/We always knew that you were the one!” The next page features the “Family Fertility Center” about which his parents begin to explain how a “nice young man … donated his sperm,” which a doctor mixed with “our eggs.” Although the book introduces the terms, “sperm,” “egg,” “embryo,” and “donate,” the part about mixing the sperm with “our eggs” might have to be explained as the book’s attempt  at rhyme is confusing in parts: “The doctor mixed our eggs with the sperm/Which stayed in a dish for a very short term.” Still, this is an introduction to sperm donation and in vitro fertilization for young children with two mothers. This book takes a family-building approach and employs the “families are made differently” and a little bit of “the helper” script. Full -color illustrations depict a multi-racial lesbian couple. Recommended for ages 3-5.
Library of Congress Subject Headings:

• Children of gay parents -- Pictorial works -- Juvenile fiction
• Lesbian mothers -- Pictorial works -- Juvenile fiction
• Conception -- Pictorial works -- Juvenile fiction

Available: https://www.createspace.com/3454840

Daddy Dog and Papi Panda's rainbow family

Daddy Dog and Papi Panda's rainbow family
written and illus. by Anthony Hale
Language: English
CreateSpace, 2012.
33 pp. : col. ill. ; 22 x 22 cm.
ISBN: 9781475090888; 1475090889
My annotation: Daddy Dog and Papi Panda were just Mr. Dog and Mr. Panda until the day they received a call about a child monkey who was awaiting a family. Daddy Dog climbed aboard a plane and traveled very far in order to retrieve Mikey the Monkey and so the loving family - formally two - became a family of three. Then one day, Miss Cat announces that she’d like to carry a kitten for Daddy Dog and Papi Panda, but she did not have one kitten, or even two. She had three kittens and so their family of three expanded to a family of six. This is the story of how a two-dad family was built via adoption and surrogacy. It takes a family-building approach and employs the “helper” script. Recommended for children ages 3-5.  
Available: https://www.createspace.com/3833939