“Billy’s family was not what you’d call ordinary”—but it’s not because he has two mums. It’s because they love sea shanties, have a pet parrot, and prefer navigating by old maps. That’s why Billy is hesitant when his teachers asks the mums to chaperone a class trip to the seaside. He tries to stop them, but to no avail. They start to head out dressed in their finest pirate wear. “Can’t you be normal? Just for today?” Billy asks in frustration. In deference, they tone down their clothes. On the trip, though, the ship is caught in a sudden storm, and it’s up to the mums and their sea savvy to save the day. In the end, Billy agrees that sometimes not being ordinary can be a good thing.
I love this book first of all because it’s simply a fun and rollicking adventure that should resonate with any kid who was ever embarrassed by their parents, i.e, most of them. Author Jodie Lancet-Grant also cleverly avoids giving us yet another story about a kid who feels different because of having same-sex parents—we have tales aplenty like that. Instead, the parents’ queerness is not even mentioned and is probably the least interesting thing about them. At the same time, there’s a message here about finding strength in difference that kids with queer parents (or any kind of “different” family) should particularly appreciate. Queer readers and their kids will get an extra smile seeing the rainbow-colored flares set off by the mums, implying that it’s their difference that gives them their power, but the story loses little if the flares are simply seen as colorful. In other words, the story will appeal to a wide range of readers and families, even though there’s a message in it that kids in queer families may pick up on faster than most.
While this is a British book, the only word U.S. readers may be unfamiliar with (other than “mum,” which is easily understood), is “pongy”—“smelly” (which is sort of a fun word anyway, and deserves wider use).
