My Friends and Me

Families come in all kinds and colours, and in this picture book, Jamie tells us about her friends and their families. One has two dads, another two mums, Lily has two houses and two of everything because her parents are divorced. There is a trans mum, a single mum, and friends who live in everything from a grand stately home to a ‘cosy caravan’. Hannah has foster parents, but it is Jamie’s own family that she loves best: her granny and grandpops. There is a funny little twist at the end, which is fun. The plethora of family types abounds, and the humorous pictures, with lots of tiny labels on various things in each picture – the goldfish is labelled ‘Frank’ and the cat ‘grumpy cat’ – will appeal greatly and will be pointed out each time the book is read. It’s a good thing to keep reminding children that each family is different and that is the way life should be.