Member Reviews
A nice little book that normalises same sex parenting for children. The formatting was a bit off, either that or there were multiple conversations at the same time. I would use this book in my classroom.
Freeda the Frog and the Two Mommas Next Door by Nadine Haruni explores the concept of family dynamic, and that having two mum’s is just as normal as one or none.
The book opens with an array of opinions from the LGBT+ community which I thought was a fantastic addition, although it would have made more sense to have this at the end of the story.
I really liked that the book normalised a multitude of family dynamics – two moms, two dads, step parents, single mothers, single fathers, grand parents etc – without having to make a huge fuss or have a large speech. It was simple and to the point which is exactly what children need.
The illustrations are very bold and very colourful which will appeal to children greatly and I feel like all children go through a stage of being obsessed with frogs and tadpoles, especially if you live near somewhere they are likely to inhabit.
At the end of the book there are colouring pages, a word search, a cutout and a bookmark which will keep the fun going for children even more so. There’s also a few discussion questions available if the book is to be used as an educational tool.
It is absolutely fantastic to see such an inclusive book targeted towards young children that is simple and straight to the point. I really hope that it finds it’s way onto shelves and into schools as it would be a fantastic tool to continue minimising the stigma surrounding the LGBTQ+ community.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book to read and providing me with the opportunity to give my own, honest opinion.
The motto for this Freeda the Frog series is “Helping families of all species, one tadpole at a time.”
This is the first book in the series I’ve read and it’s a cute way to help young children understand that their friends might have two mommies or two daddies and that’s okay. The message is simple and straightforward and the colourful illustrations make the book fun to read while conveying an important message. Love is love.
After meeting Jessica and learning she has two mommas and no daddy, one of the tadpoles asks his parents “Isn’t that wrong?” Freeda’s simple answer for her taddies, “No, it’s not wrong at all, just different than our family,” and their dad Samson chips in with “Parents are parents, and isn’t it nice that not every family looks the same?”
There is a colouring page at the end of the book and a word search to entertain the kids along with discussion questions for parents reading with their kids.
A sweet read.
ARC received with thanks from publisher via NetGalley for review.
If you have ever struggled with how to explain same sex parents to children, you can use this book. The illustrations are nice, the dishes served within the book will make you curious and hungry. The acceptance of same sex parents within the pages is refreshing. The heterosexual parents explanation is a simple one which other families can use. A quick read with powerful messages.
A book that is able to teach pupils that not all families are the same.
I enjoyed reading this book and would recommend teachers have this within their classrooms. It was a short story that was simple and easy to understand for younger children.
*I received this book as an eARC from Mascot Books via NetGalley. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*
I wasn't previously familiar with the Freeda the Frog books, but there's an introduction in this book about the purpose and creation of this book. There are also coloring pages and some activities included at the end. This book is made for a perfect introduction to a conversation with children about families that may look different than their own.
This book is cute and straight forward. The young tadpoles have questions and uncertainties about a tadpole with two mommas. Their parents answer their questions and they come to a better understanding.
This picture book fulfills its purpose. It is definitely more of an educational book than a creative, imaginative one. I give this book a 4.5/5. This book will lead to so many great conversations.
What an adorable lesson to teach to children. There are not a ton of books with this type of subject material so that was great to see. The arc was a little jumbled up so I will be excited to see the print copy. Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.
This book has a great message and teaches kids that not all families are the same. I like that it teaches acceptance and in a fun and light way. The illustrations are colourful and nice.
I received an advanced reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.
This is a beautifully written and presented childrens book about family dynamics. The story is simple but understandable and relateable for many children in the world today. I love how the book shows that if you have love that's all you need and that some family's may have a mum and dad, some may have 1 parent, or 2 mums or 2 dads but as long as they all love each other thats all that matters.
I work in a school and have many of these different family dynamics of children in my school and they and their classmates would love this book so much!
This was actually adorable. I loved the simplicity of the message, I believe this is how children should be given this sort of information. Straightfoward with no bias or agenda. The artwork was bright and lovely and honestly would appeal to young children. Super cute and meaningful.
Freeda the Frog and the Two Mommas Next Door by Nadine Haruni tells the tale of some tadpoles learning that there is more than just one family dynamic, and that having two mom’s is just as normal as one or none.
Let me start by saying that I had an absolutely ‘frogtastic’ time with this one!
The book opens with an array of opinions from the LGBT+ community which I thought was sweet, although may it may have made more sense to have this after the story to aid with reflection.
I really liked that the book normalised a multitude of family dynamics – two moms, two dads, step parents, single mothers, single fathers – without having to make a huge fuss or have a large speech. It was simple and to the point.
Personally, I loved the illustration style, it’s a bit meme-ish, and very fun! I’m not sure it’ll be everyone’s thing though (Matt suggested that he might have nightmares about the frogs!)
At the end you can find colouring pages, and a word search alongside a cutout and a bookmark. There’s also a few discussion questions available if you’ve chosen to use this book as an educational tool.
It’s lovely to see such an inclusive book targeted towards young children, I hope that it finds it’s way onto the shelves of those who need it most.
This book is about a tadpole named Jessica who has two moms. Most of the other tadpoles have a mom and a dad and it comes up in conversation when the tadpoles all get together. Jessica is great at explaining her family makeup to her friends - she even busts out an underwater chalkboard!
The conversation continues once Jessica's friends get home. There's some really great discussion in this little story about diversity and what it means. The theme is enhanced by the adorable drawings and the bright and colorful images throughout the book!
I haven't read the first books in this series...but this one would be a great addition to any library!