Cousins Scoochie and Skiddles love spending time together and having adventures in this slice-of-life book based on the author’s own family. When the two girls visit their mutual grandparents’ house, they build a Princess Palace out of blankets draped on furniture, play dress up, and have a tea party. When Scoochie’s two dads come to pick her up, however, she gets angry and cries because she doesn’t want to leave. A special present from Gramma and a family hug dispel the tears, though, and soon Scoochie is looking forward to her next visit with Skiddles.
I like that this book depicts a two-dad family without being “about” having LGBTQ parents. (For others, filter my database with the “Incidental queerness” tag.) It is reminiscent of the recent Lola Sleeps Over, another story about a girl visiting a cousin who happens to have same-sex parents (in Lola, two moms). Lola’s story, by the award-winning Anna McQuinn, feels more polished, however. Scoochie & Skiddles is occasionally a little wordy; there are a few minor punctuation errors; and there’s a reference to “peanut butter thing” sandwiches without explaining what these sandwiches are. Nonetheless, those seeking a cheery book about adventuresome girls won’t mind these small bumps.
Skiddles and Gramma appear White, while Scoochie reads as Black or biracial. Some readers may balk at one image that shows Gramma putting Scoochie’s hair up into puffs without asking her. Scoochie doesn’t object, and nothing in the text refers to this act—but given that Black women are understandably tired of White people touching their hair without permission, this doesn’t seem like a good thing to model (even though it may be a consensual activity within the author’s household; readers won’t know that).
Overall, though, the tale celebrates family fun and imaginative play. Families with two dads or two married/partnered uncles may particularly appreciate having Scoochie and Skiddles’ adventures on their shelves. It is the first of an intended series.
