Does anyone know of any children’s books in which a mother didn’t change her name when she got married?

[YankSplaining]

I’ve come across a few children’s books in which adult female characters are married but kept their birth names. But not very many, and it’s never anyone’s mother. If the main character is “Rosie Jones” and her parents are married, her mother will be Mrs. Jones. Maybe one time in a thousand it’ll be Mrs. Smith-Jones. If she’s married to Rosie’s stepfather, “Bob Nelson,” she’ll be Mrs. Nelson. But she’s never Ms. Smith. The same always goes for “Rosie’s” friends’ mothers.

If a woman in a children’s book didn’t change her name, it’s probably the feminist teacher in a chapter book for older kids.

I find it bizarre that no one’s mother ever seems to keep their birth name in kids’ books. Can anyone think of a book in which that happens?

No, I can't think of any either, OP.

I can't think of one, and I wouldn't lose sleep over it either

No, but I think it's ok really. I mean most women in UK do. It's just describing the world around them.
In other countries, women don't change their names, so maybe you want to look up books from them.

For some reason I’ve a got a niggling idea one of the newer Jacqueline Wilson books has this in. But I can’t remember which one.

I’m American, and between my own childhood and my kids’ childhoods, I’ve read literally thousands of books from both the US and the UK. (I was a little Anglophile kid.)

Most kids don’t have parents in prison, but I can think of at least four books in which the characters do. I could sit here all day listing more examples of rare family situations that I’ve seen multiple times in children’s literature, but I’ve never seen one single solitary book in which someone’s mother didn’t change her name when she got married. And I think that’s weird.

Thanks. 🙂

I'm not certain, but I think that Mia's mother in the Princess Diaries keeps her name when she marries Mr Gianini - she is a feminist with a long career as an artist under her birth name, and was never married to Mia's father.

I agree, it's bizarre... but it'll change gradually as it's becoming more common that women keep their name.

However, your prison analogy isn't that relevant because a) a parent in prison makes for more of a story and b) it's a bigger issue that a child might need a book to help them with.

Fwiw, I've kept my name while my SIL chose to change hers. We explained this to my 3yo and she didn't bat an eyelid. I don't think kids "need" a book about that to help them.

By contrast, I've specifically bought a book to help my dd understand "Mummy has a C-section". But "Mummy chooses not to change her name" is more of a redundant book imo

It doesn’t have to be a whole point of the book - just a character’s name. As for “more common,” it’s not like it’s terribly rare.

What’s the name of the C-section book? I had two, and while I’m done having kids, I’ve thought several times that a kids’ book about C-sections is a great idea.

Thanks! 🙂 I never read any of those books.

It's a picture book called "Mommy has a C section" and it was really useful, explaining that I wouldn't be able to run, lift my dd etc for a while after having DC2. But that Mommy can still do puzzles or read books, Mommy still loves you etc. It's aimed at 2-3yo sort of age (common age gap).

It’s probably easier for the characters in the same family to have the same surnames and saves the author needing to come up with a second surname. I imagine there are lots of books where the child has the mums maiden name as she isn’t married.

Following as I’d be interested to know if you find any. Me and my DH put our names together and both changed our names so I would also be interested in a book where this happens, if it exists!