This picture book is about a child whose family grows over time, beginning with just the child and their mummy, then expanding to include Jani (who becomes the child’s other mummy), David (mummy’s best friend and the child’s known donor), David’s partner Elizabeth, and eventually a new baby who is their half-sibling. A gentle refrain runs through the book: with each new arrival, mummy asks the child whether they’d like this person to stay, the child asks whether the things they love — the hugs, the singing, the cooking, the reading, the climbing of trees — will remain the same, mummy reassures them that yes, those things will stay, and the child agrees. It is a story about change held steady by love.
DCP Stories Collection
Review
What They Did Well
- The known donor is named and present, rather than an abstraction or vague “helper”. The child refers him as “my daddy”, acknowledging the donor relationship, and appears to call him by his name socially.
- Acknowledges the sibling relationship directly (the adults state that the child will be getting a new sibling, a nod to both the genetic and social relationship)
- The parent asking for the child’s input with each change models ongoing, open family communication and centers the child’s emotional experience throughout, giving the child agency and voice in how the family grows
- The main character is non-gendered, and all of the characters are racially ambiguous, making the story accessible to a wide range of families
- Treats this evolving family structure as entirely unremarkable
The publisher offers a teacher’s guide mapped to Australian educational standards.
