When new tadpole Jessica moves into Port Frogafly, the other tadpoles are “confused” when they learn that Jessica has two mommas. “That’s so weird!” one says. Another quickly tells the first, “That’s so rude!” to which Jessica replies, “That’s okay! Yes, I have two parents, just like you do, except I have two moms—just not a mom and a dad.” I’m not sure why Jessica has to say “That’s okay,” because it’s really not okay to call another person’s family “weird,” but I like that Jessica stands up for herself.
Two of the tadpoles later tell their parents, Freeda and Samson, that they met Jessica’s moms. One of the tadpoles asks them, “Isn’t that wrong?” Samson explains that it’s not wrong, just different. The other tadpole then asks, “But do two mommas love each other the same way a mommy and a daddy do?” Freeda assures him that they do, saying, “Love is love. No two families look alike,” and describes some of the various permutations. One of the tadpoles suggests inviting Jessica and her moms to dinner, which they do. Everyone has a good time and the message is reinforced. The book also has coloring pages, a word search, and discussion questions at the end.
The lesson is about as subtle as a brick, but its heart is in the right place. The book seems geared towards children without same-sex parents (the focus is more on Freeda’s children and their response than on Jessica), which is fine—it’s always good to see books that help people to be allies. Yet if those kids haven’t already heard erroneous things about same-sex parents (they’re “confusing,” “weird,” and “wrong”), this book might not be the best place to start. (Try another book that simply discusses diverse types of families in a positive way.) Still, in cases where children have already heard negative remarks about same-sex parents, stories like this may help them understand why such views are wrong.
