Daddy’s Wedding

Citation: Willhoite, Michael. 1996. Daddy's Wedding. Los Angeles, CA: Alyson Publications, Inc. ISBN: 1-55583-350-0.

Plot Summary: Nick is a young boy who has three fathers. He has a stepfather, his biological father and his fathers' life partner. Nick will soon be the best man in his father Daniel and mate Franks' wedding. Though Nick has great questions he is a great supporter of his fathers relationship as is shown in the illustrations.

Critical Analysis: Daddy's Wedding is as controversial as the title. Nick appears by illustrations to be a pre-pubescent boy who lives with his mother and stepfather. His father Daniel and partner Frank plan on becoming life partners. They want young Nick to be their best man. The topic at hand is homosexuality. The story is light and clear. It does not however deal with the tender emotions that come along with having homosexual parents. Daddy said, "Nick, we want to invite you to a special occasion next month. We're going to get married." "Can men get married to each other?" I asked. "We call it a commitment ceremony, Nick," said Frank. It is a good book for an overview of commitment ceremonies, but lacks in crucial emotional areas. While it was probably difficult to write it is easy to see where some would see it as careless. The illustrations give the sense of light humor and explanation around a serious topic.

Reviews Accessed: Booklist (Vol. 92, No. 21 (July 1996) Ages 4-8. "Can men get married to each other?" Nick asks his dad. In this sequel to Daddy's Roommate (1991), the answer is a resounding "yes!" with a commitment ceremony and celebration in the backyard and Nick acting as best man at his father's wedding. Children's books have developed beyond this kind of heavy didacticism and exclamatory art. The wedding does look like fun, but the only moment of real narrative here is when the dog eats part of the wedding cake. There's a condescending literalness to this picture book, which is as amateurish as the most strident fundamentalist Christian "fiction." Kirkus Review (1996)In the sequel to Daddy's Roommate (1990, not reviewed), ten-year-old Nick is the "best man" at the commitment ceremony of his gay father and his partner, Frank. Nick's mother, stepfather, and grandparents are delighted by the celebration, which takes place in a backyard and is officiated by a female minister. She asks the men to present their own version of vows before the multiracial attendees, who include other same-sex couples. The only dramatic conflict comes when the dog eats part of the wedding cake, an incident treated with equanimity and humor. In a book clearly intended to show such ceremonies as normal occasions, there is no suggestion that anyone might feel awkwardness.

Connections: Garden, Nancy. Molly's Family. ISBN: 0374350027. Skutch, Robert. Who's in a Family. ISBN: 188367266x. Willhoite, Michael. Daddy's Roomate. ISBN: 1555831184.