Based on a true story, this is an empowering tale of allyship and community in the face of hate.
Cari and Lauri, a lesbian couple, live in Natick, Massachusetts. It’s a town where “everyone is welcome”—until the Pride flag outside their house gets stolen and eggs are thrown onto the walls. The act distresses their dogs and causes Lauri to doubt the welcome of the neighborhood; she doesn’t want to put up another flag just to have the same thing happen again.
Three neighborhood kids, however, decide they have to do something. But what? Do they simply buy another flag for Lauri and Cari? Take turns guarding their house? Find out who did it and egg their house in return? Their solution is a lovely act of allyship and community, but it is a spoiler, so I’ve written it in white on white in the space below; click and drag if you wish to know:
They get rainbow flags and hand them out for everyone in the neighborhood to display, so that all of the houses have rainbow flags.
The text never explains what the rainbow flag symbolizes, nor why someone might have taken it and egged the house; we simply get Lauri and Cari’s musings that maybe someone doesn’t like the flag or them (for unspecified reasons). Adults may need to explain to young readers just why the women’s home was targeted. In some ways, though, it’s a good thing if this needs explanation; as the backmatter notes, kids will be welcoming of all families unless they are taught differently. If they can’t figure out why the flag was stolen, it may mean they have not yet encountered anti-LGBTQ bias. A tale like this, however, may be a gentle way to open up conversations on the topic and on why being an ally is so important, making this a recommended title.
Award-winning author Nancy Churnin knows how to pace a tale and balance description and dialog, crafting a story that is a pleasure to read, while Izzy Evans’s illustrations are warm and evocative. An Author’s Note explains a little more about the real incident behind the story, and compares the neighborhood’s solution to that of a community in Montana, who responded similarly to an act of antisemitism. Brief backmatter offers some tips on “How to be an LGBTQ Ally,” based on advice from Lauri and Cari’s neighbors.
(One tiny quibble: The use of “opposite-sex” once in the backmatter would have been better as “different-sex,” in order to acknowledge the spectrum of genders and accord with current style guides.)
The publisher is also offering free, downloadable printables so kids can color their favorite characters, play Bingo, and learn more about How To Be an Ally. Educators can also download the Teacher’s Guide.
Cari and Lauri are White, as are two of the three organizing kids; the other has tan skin and brown hair. Other neighbors reflect a variety of racial/ethnic identities.
