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Stella brings the family
OverDrive Inc.  Ebook
2015
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Stella brings her two fathers to school to celebrate Mother's Day. - (Baker & Taylor)

Stella's class is having a Mother's Day celebration, but what's a girl with two daddies to do? It's not that she doesn't have someone who helps her with her homework, or tucks her in at night. Stella has her Papa and Daddy who take care of her, and a whole gaggle of other loved ones who make her feel special and supported every day. She just doesn't have a mom to invite to the party. Fortunately, Stella finds a unique solution to her party problem in this sweet story about love, acceptance, and the true meaning of family. - (CHRONICLE)

“A tender story about the variety of people that make children feel loved and supported.” —Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
 
Stella’s class is having a Mother’s Day celebration, but what’s a girl with two daddies to do? It’s not that she doesn’t have someone who helps her with her homework, or tucks her in at night. Stella has her Papa and Daddy who take care of her, and a whole gaggle of other loved ones who make her feel special and supported every day. She just doesn’t have a mom to invite to the party. Fortunately, Stella finds a unique solution to her party problem in this sweet story about love, acceptance, and the true meaning of family.
 
“Told with both a light touch and an astute eye toward a child’s perspective and heartfelt concerns.” —School Library Journal
 
“A raucous happy ending.” —The New York Times
- (Open Road Media)

Author Biography

Holly Clifton-Brown has a degree in illustration from the University of the West of England and has illustrated many books for children. She lives in London.

Miriam B. Schiffer is a co-author of the children's book review column "The Reading Chair" in Young Children, a journal of the National Association for the Education of Young Children. This is her first book for children. She lives in Brooklyn.
- (Grand Central Pub)

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Booklist Reviews

Every other child in Stella's class knows who to invite to the Mother's Day party, but all week long, Stella worries. When the other kids learn that she has no mother to bring, they ask who packs her lunch (Daddy), who reads her bedtime stories (Daddy and Papa), and who kisses her when she is hurt ("Papa or Daddy or Nonna or Aunt Gloria or Uncle Bruno or Cousin Lucy"). In the end, Stella invites them all, but she promises her teacher that on Father's Day she will bring just her two dads. Written with simplicity and emotional clarity, the text and dialogue read aloud well. The crisp, clean artwork, a mixed-media collage featuring gouache and crayonlike elements, creates a cheerful, supportive atmosphere in Stella's home and her multicultural classroom. One inviting spread shows the children's art projects: hand-drawn group portraits of their families. Children will enjoy watching Stella solve her own dilemma in a logical yet creative way. With its validation of nontraditional families, this picture book offers a welcome change of pace for Mother's Day reading. Copyright 2014 Booklist Reviews.

Publishers Weekly Reviews

It's time to celebrate Mother's Day in Stella's class. Everyone has a female parent coming, including Howie, who has two mothers. But Stella is the only kid in her class with two fathers. And while her school is clearly progressive and multicultural, her peers are nonetheless perplexed (even Howie asks, "But who reads you bedtime stories like my mothers do for me?"). When Stella realizes that several people—in addition to her fathers—play maternal roles in her life, the problem is solved, although it does add quite a few folks to the guest list. "For Father's Day," Stella promises her exhausted teacher, "she wouldn't bring nearly as many people." First-time author Schiffer and Clifton-Brown (Big Bouffant) make a great team. The writing is warmhearted but sharply observed, while the winsome artwork—which features a cast of roundheaded, eager-eyed children—it's tightly focused and smartly composed. Much like the TV show Modern Family, this story seems as light as a soufflé, but actually offers plenty of food for thought. Ages 5–8. Illustrator's agent: Jodie Hodges, United Agents. (May)

[Page ]. Copyright 2014 PWxyz LLC

School Library Journal Reviews

K-Gr 2—Stella is worried. Everybody else in her elementary-school class has a mom—Howie even has two! She has two dads and no one to invite to the upcoming Mother's Day party. The other kids are concerned, too. Who packs her lunch? Who reads her bedtime stories? And what about when she's hurt? When Stella lists the many family members who help her, her friends see an easy solution to the party conundrum: bring them all. Daddy and Papa agree that it's a great idea, but Stella still has misgivings. All her worries turn out to be for nothing, though—the party's a great success, and she's not alone in not having a mom there. Best of all, Father's Day is next, and she's more than set for that. Schiffer's sweet story realistically portrays a child fretting over a worry that adults may not anticipate and having it solved by a loving community and family. Clifton-Brown's bright, detailed watercolors depict a fun classroom, and Stella and friends' arts and crafts. VERDICT A welcome addition for kids from all kinds of families.—Etta Verma, Library Journal

[Page 134]. (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

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