
Reach for this book when your child starts noticing that every family looks a little different, or if they have faced confusing questions from peers about their own home life. It is an essential resource for navigating those first playground social pressures where children try to categorize one another. The story follows Riley, a young girl with two fathers, as she navigates a classmate's insistent questioning about which one is her real dad. While the book centers on an LGBTQ family, its emotional core is universal: it is about the self-confidence required to define your own identity and the realization that love, not labels, creates a bond. The gentle watercolor illustrations and straightforward prose make it perfect for children ages 4 to 8. It provides a roadmap for parents to discuss family diversity, peer pressure, and the importance of standing up for one's own truth with grace and pride.
Your experience helps other parents find the right book.
Sign in to write a reviewThe book deals with identity and social exclusion in a direct, secular, and realistic manner. It addresses the microaggressions children in non-traditional families face without being overly heavy-handed. The resolution is hopeful and empowering.
A preschooler or kindergartner who has two dads and needs a mirror for their experience, or a child who has expressed curiosity (or confusion) about why their friend has a different family structure than they do.
The book is safe to read cold, though parents should be ready to explain that Martha isn't being "mean" so much as she is being narrow-minded, which provides a teaching moment about curiosity vs. kindness. A parent might reach for this after their child comes home from school asking, "Am I different?" or reporting that another child told them their family "wasn't right."
Younger children (4-5) focus on the colorful art and the repetitive "Who is your real dad?" question as a puzzle to solve. Older children (7-8) will pick up on the social dynamics and the emotional weight of Riley's temporary insecurity.
Unlike many books that simply exist as a "day in the life" of an LGBTQ family, this one specifically addresses the external pressure to conform to heteronormative standards and provides children with the language to push back.
Riley is excited for the first day of school, but the mood shifts when a classmate named Martha asks which of her two fathers is her "real" dad. Riley is initially confused and tries to find physical or behavioral traits to choose one, but she eventually realizes that both men fulfill the roles of a parent in unique and essential ways. The story concludes with a warm affirmation of her family unit.
This overview was generated by AI based on the book's content and reviews, and may not capture every nuance.