Daddy's Roommate

Daddy's Roommate

by Michael Willhoite

Daddy's Roommate is a wonderful picture book about a young boy life after his parent's divorce. The story is told from the boy's perspective as he watches his father get into a relationship with another man. This is a great story to have in the classroom because it teaches students diversity and to look for the good in differences. Some children will also be able to relate to this story if they are going through a similar situation with homosexual parents. This book teaches that some situations may be confusing or different than others, but that is perfectly acceptable. Schools today need to show acceptance to students with all different types of backgrounds. As a future teacher I place myself in the shoes of children so see how they may feel in particular situations. I think about if I was part of a family with homosexual parents and I came to a classroom that only had books about families with one mother and one father. That would make me feel horrible, different, and not included. The more books with the more backgrounds that do not fit the mold that children's literature had been known to traditionally follow allows children to feel accepted and part of the classroom community. The pictures are bright, cheery and colorful but slightly outdated considering this book was published about twenty years ago. This picture book has been part of a controversy because of some of the illustrations are depicting the two men before they share a kiss as well as the two men getting ready to sleep in bed. In my opinion, this is perfectly acceptable. There are so many children's books that are deemed normal and acceptable that show the same images but with a male and a female. Overall, Micheal Willhoite had written and illustrated a very a heartwarming and wonderful story that is a must have in all schools.

Intended Age 2-5