Six-year-old Rainbow, a Black girl, is excited about surprising her two moms (one Black, one White) on Mother’s Day—two mothers mean “two times the fun,” but also “twice the work.” She enlists the help of an aunt (White), grandmother (White), uncle (Black), grandfather (Black), and friend (White) to help her shop for gifts, make cards, create a breakfast plan. and plan for flowers and balloon decorations. On the day of the big event, however, Rainbow wakes up late. Her moms are already up. Will the surprise be ruined?
Spoiler alert: This first-person narrative is a sweet tale that celebrates the joy of Mother’s Day, so of course things turn out all right—but young readers should enjoy the preparations and suspense along the way.
My only quibble is the inclusion of two spreads with a classmate who questions the idea of having two moms. The child starts by asking why Rainbow is writing two poems for Mother’s Day. “‘Because I have two mothers,’ I boast,” says the text. The classmate responds, “You can’t have two mothers,” to which Rainbow says, “Of course I can … Because I do.” Later, a friend tells Rainbow that the classmate doesn’t have a mom, and Rainbow reflects, “Maybe that’s why he was so jealous that I have two.” We don’t know why the other child doesn’t have a mom or if he ever did. If he did and she died recently, Rainbow’s comment about him being jealous seems mean-spirited. We learn no more, though, and the children never discuss things further.
Additionally, there are already plenty of books in which a character is questioned or teased about their same-sex parents (Asha’s Mums, Molly’s Family, Antonio’s Card/La Tarjeta de Antonio, My Footprints, Papa, Daddy, & Riley, Who’s Your Real Mom?, and several others, not to mention many books where an LGBTQ child is questioned or teased about their identity). Many parents I’ve spoken with recently seem to want books without such incidents. The good thing, at least, is that this story doesn’t dwell on it; the downside of that is that the tension between the other child and Rainbow remains unresolved. Either way, it feels unsatisfying. I would have much preferred the whole scene be left out and that this book about a joyous holiday be pure joy, with no one questioning the fact of two moms. I’ll admit that’s a personal preference based on a long view of the genre, however; this may not bother others as much.
The vast majority of the book focuses on Rainbow’s interactions with family and friends to get ready for her moms’ surprise, though, and is rather delightful, pairing a two-mom family with a celebration of motherhood. If you don’t mind the one scene above, it might be a great gift for the occasion.
