When the lesbian mom who’s also the head of the world’s largest LGBTQ media advocacy organization writes a children’s book with her spouse, you can bet your rainbows it’s going to be LGBTQ inclusive. Read on for a review and a sneak peek inside!
All Moms, by GLAAD President and CEO Sara Kate Ellis and musician Kristen Ellis-Henderson (Little Bee), is an ode to the many different types of moms and the many different things they do. “Some moms are sporty. Some craft and paint. Some moms are early and others are late,” we read in the book’s bouncing rhyme. Some moms play guitar, fly planes, fix cars, and are doctors or bosses, the following pages tell us. Some moms also help children make friends, comfort them when they cry, or encourage them when they feel shy. Some give snuggles, play pretend, or read stories. “All moms will help you and come to your aid,” however, and all moms are “there to help us get strong.” Perhaps it’s a stretch to say “All moms love birthdays and yummy desserts,” which might not be true for moms who dislike getting older and/or who have health reasons for avoiding sweets, but the families on that page look so happy that maybe we shouldn’t quibble.
Notably, one spread shows a Pride parade with a variety of LGBTQ flags as we read, “Some moms make signs and march in parades.” On this page and several others are some moms who seem masculine of center—a nice bit of often overlooked representation. On one page, a person with a beard and a slightly protruding belly could be read as a pregnant (or just heavyset) trans man, some of whom may choose to be called “Mom” (or not; always check what title the person uses).
There is also a page specifically about single moms, one recognizing families with grandmothers in parenting roles, and one that shows a girl with two dads, who “give hugs just like moms.” That’s a nice recognition that parental hugs are parental hugs, regardless of gender, and that dads can do what has traditionally been called “mothering,” too.
Max Rambaldi’s bright and dynamic illustrations show moms of various racial, ethnic, and gender identities playing, caring, guiding, and loving, because as the final page tells us, “All moms’ love is as big as the sky.”
Ellis and Ellis-Henderson said in a statement about the book:
At a time when legislators across the country are attempting to ban books which help our youth understand LGBTQ people and other marginalized communities, this book sends a powerful message about the importance of inclusivity, empathy, love, and acceptance. All kids deserve to see themselves and their families in books, and we hope that All Moms does just that, while also helping children understand the many different ways a family can look.
Children should love this sweet and simple book (but you might even consider it as a Mother’s Day gift for your favorite mom).
Want to learn more about Sara Kate Ellis and Kristen Ellis-Henderson’s family, including their simultaneous pregnancies? Check out their memoir Times Two: Two Women in Love and the Happy Family They Made.