In this early LGBTQ-inclusive story, a girl named Jasmine deals with taunts at school after she explains (during a class project for Father’s Day) that she has three dads. She and her brother live with their father and his “lover” half the time, and with their mother and her husband the other half of the time. Some of the other children call her dad a “faggot” and a “sissy” and say that two men kissing is “gross.” Jasmine works hard on her Father’s Day cards, but doesn’t want to show them to anyone. Her brother is mad that she revealed their family structure and they are now both being teased. Their fathers try to be supportive. Another boy in their class also stands up for them; we learn later that he has two moms. The dads speak with the school principal and the school holds an assembly with a counselor who explains that there are many different types of families.
The story is a little pedantic, and feels a bit like it’s offering both children and parents a model for how to handle these types of situations—which is probably exactly what the time period called for. It has heart, though, and the queer parents are commendably thoughtful about advising their children that it’s up to them, the children, to decide whether and how to discuss their families with others. While a bit dated, it offers insight into the era and may still hold lessons for some children and communities today.
The pictures and amount of text put this on the border between early reader and middle grade. Some of the slurs used may make this inappropriate for younger children.
