Tabby McTat

[DoctorGilbertson]

Is a great book, and it has lesbians in it. I am struggling to think of any others - any ideas?

[AitchTwoOhOneTwo]

the song is murder, though.

[DoctorGilbertson]

And I like the way that it has the same rhythm as the owl and the pussy cat I think, and that the park at the end is ?Victoria Park in Hackney

But no other suggestions, oh well

[DoctorGilbertson]

Thanks

[Northernlurker]

'Meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee you andthe old guitar, how puuuuuuuurrrrrrrrrrfectly happy we are'

Love that.

[Northernlurker]

Sorry no book suggestions though

[WipsGlitter]

I hate that book. I can never get the reading rhythm right. Are you looking for books specifically with lesbians?

[WipsGlitter]

As opposed to gay men?

[DoctorGilbertson]

Yes, childrens books with lesbians in was what I was looking for, but always interested in other suggestions. Not really childrens books about having two mums, just normal childrens books that happen to not be completely straight (like Tabby McTat!).

[yellowflowers]

Harry Potter - Dumbledore is gay

[DoctorGilbertson]

You know I was kind of thinking about our books and there are lots that are completely neutral to family make up (Hairy MacLairy, the Gruffalo for example)

Lots that aren't about single parent families but only have either mums (e.g. Billy Bear) or dads in them - we are enjoying "What does Daddy do" at the moment - so kind of make these kinds of family set ups part of the normal stuff that I read to the kids

Lots about fantastic single women (Meg and Mog as a prime example)

But almost all the stuff that I read is in the context of a family with a mum and a dad - I am really enjoying reading Shirley Hughes at the moment, but again a very trad family set up in all her books.

[DoctorGilbertson]

oh, of course re: Dumbledore

[AitchTwoOhOneTwo]

the gruffalo is a single dad, isn't he?

[AitchTwoOhOneTwo]

and of course charlie and lola's parents are invisible, which is fairly alternative...

[ninah]

jeez i just read that and completely missed the lesbians
was more interested in that the thief gets away and there isn't a resolution of that bit

[AitchTwoOhOneTwo]

i reckon the lesbians are scheffler's input, one of the names is non-gender specific.

[duchesse]

Love love Tabby McTat. Never mind the lesbian couple- I love the fact that it has and older woman as one of the main characters. Love love love Julia Donaldson's output- somehow even after many repetitions they don't become boring (although Stick Man does have some dodgy rhyming to be honest.)

[duchesse]

Well, the Gruffalo is a single dad in The Gruffalo's Child. And one of the fish in Tiddler lives with his granny. All JD books.

[AitchTwoOhOneTwo]

i'm sure there are lone parents in the smartest giant.

[Devora]

I love love love the incidental lesbians in Tabby McTat. You're not expecting them; it's not integral to the plot; it just IS. Very affirming and very unusual.

I'm racking my brains to think of any other incidental lesbians. Can't think of any. When I want my girls to hear stories about children with two mummies, like them, we're usually turning to something specialist: wholesome and American (usually by Leslea Newman or Todd Parr) or If I Had 100 Mummies or Spacegirl Pukes.

[Devora]

Have we had Julia Donaldson on for a MN chat yet?

Or Axel Scheffler? His new Pip and Posy series is a thing of joy and obsession for my 2 year old. And The Tickle Book is just genius.

[swanker]

The Sarah Garland books- doing the garden, and Coming to Tea have what appears to be a single gay mum in them... dont recall ever seeing any dads anywhere in them.

[Devora]

I've never seen those before, swanker. Am off to Amazon now

[swanker]

Hmm... Charlie Cook- single mum
Winnie the Witch - single woman

I love Tabby McTat though, my DCs adore it too.

Shirley Hughes' Christmas Eve Ghost is a single mum, albeit a widowed one.

[AitchTwoOhOneTwo]

i loathe the tickle books, what a bloody stupid idea for bedtime...

[swanker]

Oh- just read that Sarah Garland is Deborah Moggach's sister! How interesting.