Heather Has Two Mommies
Encyclopedia
Heather Has Two Mommies is a children's book written by Lesléa Newman
with Diana Souza's illustrations, first published in 1989. It is about a child, Heather, raised by lesbian
women: her biological mother, Jane, who gave birth to her after artificial insemination
, and her biological mother's same-sex partner
, Kate. At Heather's playgroup, her family situation is discussed simply and positively, as are those of other children in non-traditional family units.
Lesléa Newman related:
The American Library Association
ranked it the 11th most frequently challenged book in the United States in the 1990s; a similar phenomenon can be seen in the Sugartime! episode of the American television series Postcards from Buster
. In the 1980s, comparable political controversy erupted in the UK
over the book Jenny Lives with Eric and Martin
.
The book and the controversy over it were parodied in the 2006 Dav Pilkey
book Captain Underpants and the Preposterous Plight of the Purple Potty People
. In it, the parallel-universe Miss Singerbrains (the school librarian) invites the two main characters, George and Harold, to read the book Mommy Has Two Heathers.
Lesléa Newman
Lesléa Newman, born in 1955 in Brooklyn, New York, is an American author and editor. She is Jewish, a feminist and openly lesbian.She has written and edited 57 books and anthologies. She has written about such topics as being a Jew, body image and eating disorders, lesbianism, gay parenting, and...
with Diana Souza's illustrations, first published in 1989. It is about a child, Heather, raised by lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
women: her biological mother, Jane, who gave birth to her after artificial insemination
Artificial insemination
Artificial insemination, or AI, is the process by which sperm is placed into the reproductive tract of a female for the purpose of impregnating the female by using means other than sexual intercourse or natural insemination...
, and her biological mother's same-sex partner
Domestic partnership
A domestic partnership is a legal or personal relationship between two individuals who live together and share a common domestic life but are neither joined by marriage nor a civil union...
, Kate. At Heather's playgroup, her family situation is discussed simply and positively, as are those of other children in non-traditional family units.
Lesléa Newman related:
The American Library Association
American Library Association
The American Library Association is a non-profit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with more than 62,000 members....
ranked it the 11th most frequently challenged book in the United States in the 1990s; a similar phenomenon can be seen in the Sugartime! episode of the American television series Postcards from Buster
Postcards from Buster
Postcards from Buster is a children's television series for children aged 6-12, containing both animation and live-action that originally aired on Public Broadcasting Service . It is a spin-off of the Arthur cartoon series. The show stars Arthur's best friend, 8-year-old rabbit Buster Baxter...
. In the 1980s, comparable political controversy erupted in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
over the book Jenny Lives with Eric and Martin
Jenny lives with Eric and Martin
Jenny lives with Eric and Martin , originally Mette bor hos Morten og Erik, is a black-and-white picture book by the Danish author Susanne Bösche, published in 1981 in Danish and in 1983 in English...
.
The book and the controversy over it were parodied in the 2006 Dav Pilkey
Dav Pilkey
David "Dav" Pilkey was born on March 4, 1966, is a popular author and illustrator of children's literature. Dav Pilkey is best known as the author and illustrator of the Captain Underpants book series. He also uses the pen names, George Beard and Harold Hutchins...
book Captain Underpants and the Preposterous Plight of the Purple Potty People
Captain Underpants and the Preposterous Plight of the Purple Potty People
Captain Underpants and the Preposterous Plight of the Purple Potty People is the eighth book in the Captain Underpants series by Dav Pilkey.-Plot summary:...
. In it, the parallel-universe Miss Singerbrains (the school librarian) invites the two main characters, George and Harold, to read the book Mommy Has Two Heathers.
See also
- Homosexuality in children's literatureHomosexuality in children's literatureHomosexuality in children's literature covers children's books that include mention of homosexuality. With increased mainstream acceptability of homosexuality, the publication of such books has increased, though it faces opposition.-Publication:...
- Daddy's RoommateDaddy's RoommateDaddy's Roommate is a children's book written by Michael Willhoite and published by Alyson Books in 1991 . The book, about a young boy whose divorced father now lives with his gay partner, deals with the controversial subject of homosexual parents.Daddy's Roommate was one of the first children's...
- portrays a gayGayGay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
couple in a similar positive light. It became point of discussion in the 2008 US Presidential Election. - The Rainbow Cubby HouseThe Rainbow Cubby HouseThe Rainbow Cubby House is the third book in the "Learn to Include" series, written by an Australian primary school student and her lesbian mum ....
- similar book in Australia - "Bart Has Two MommiesBart Has Two Mommies"Bart Has Two Mommies" is the fourteenth episode of the seventeenth season of The Simpsons.-Plot:One day, the Simpsons attend a church fundraiser for a new steeple. In spite of Homer's best efforts to cheat, Ned Flanders wins a rubber duck racing contest and wins a female-oriented computer called...
" - an episode of The SimpsonsThe SimpsonsThe Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
parodying the controversy