Citation:
De Haan, Linda, and Stern Nijland. King & King & Family. Berkeley, CA: Tricycle, 2004. Print.
Review:
King and King just recently got married and are on their way to their honeymoon in a far away land. They meet many families of animals that are all unique in their own way. After seeing all of the babies, King Bertie exclaims, “all those animals with their babies, I wish we had a little one of our own”. When they get home, they open their bags and find a girl from the jungle! She becomes the child they always wanted and they complete the paperwork to adopt her.
This book is technically based around the idea of different families and accustoming children to adoption but since the author included two fathers, it is also aimed at families with LGBTQ parents. It shows a couple that has fun together and the concept of them being gay is never even brought up, so it just seems very casual. The Kings are obviously married since they are on their honeymoon but no LGBTQ concepts are mentioned or explained. The illustrations are unbelievably vibrant and uses many different textures which makes the book very interesting and eye-catching for children. The book is also very humorous and children may read this without even thinking about the fact that the Kings are married and are both male. I feel that this is a good book for families with LGBTQ parents because it addresses the topic very casually and it may make the children feel that it is not a big deal, which makes it easier to accept and understand. The Kings have fun together and form a loving family, and I believe this is what the students would take away from the book.
