Molly's Family

Molly's kindergarten class is preparing for Open School Night and decide to decorate their classroom for the visiting parents. Molly's contribution is a picture of her family, which includes Mommy, Mama Lu and her puppy, Sam. This, of course, is greeted by speculation from some of the other children in her class, who tell her that families cannot have two mothers. This crushes Molly and she is embarrassed to display her picture with the other children's art. One of the greatest parts of this book is that not only does Molly's two mothers explain to her that family's are based on love and commitment, but even her teacher takes time to explain to her students that families are different. The other children respond well to this and began describing their own families, each comparing the differences openly and proudly.

The presentation of this book is fantastic - the art is playful and colorful, very appealing to the target audience but also enjoyable for the mature reader. Molly is simply adorable and her facial expressions are captured beautifully. But its the simplicity and the gentle nature of the storytelling that makes "Molly's Family" so inspirational. Children who are read this book will come away with an important lesson: that all families are families as long as they are based on love. Bless your heart, Nancy Garden!