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7th out of 59 books
—
44 voters
In Our Mothers' House
Marmee, Meema, and the kids are just like any other family on the block. In their beautiful house, they cook dinner together, they laugh together, and they dance together. But some of the other families don?t accept them. They say they are different. How can a family have two moms and no dad? But Marmee and Meema?s house is full of love. And they teach their children that...more
Hardcover, 48 pages
Published
April 30th 2009
by Philomel
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In Our Mothers’ House
Polacco, P. (2009). In our mothers’ house. New York, NY: Philomel Books.
Genre: Children’s Picture Storybook
Polacco stepped aside from her usual books based on personal experiences and heritage to write a book for children and families that she has met in schools, at speaking engagements, etc. In Our Mothers’ House is the story of three adopted children and the love and devotion they received from their two mothers in their mothers' house. Polacco’s story hig...more
In Our Mothers’ House
Polacco, P. (2009). In our mothers’ house. New York, NY: Philomel Books.
Genre: Children’s Picture Storybook
Polacco stepped aside from her usual books based on personal experiences and heritage to write a book for children and families that she has met in schools, at speaking engagements, etc. In Our Mothers’ House is the story of three adopted children and the love and devotion they received from their two mothers in their mothers' house. Polacco’s story hig...more
Such a wonderful, beautiful book! I am generally a huge fan of Polacco's work and I think this is one of my very favorites.
First and foremost, this is a story about family love. It is utterly heartwarming. Oh, how I longed to visit the family--sit by that special fireplace, play with the new puppies, enjoy some of grandpa's gnocchi, laugh during that Christmas celebration. It's about supporting one another, children learning from their parents, and parents growing as a result of having children...more
First and foremost, this is a story about family love. It is utterly heartwarming. Oh, how I longed to visit the family--sit by that special fireplace, play with the new puppies, enjoy some of grandpa's gnocchi, laugh during that Christmas celebration. It's about supporting one another, children learning from their parents, and parents growing as a result of having children...more
view all 6 comments
May 31, 2012
Dolly
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
parents reading with their children
Shelves:
2012,
childrens,
christmas,
other-usa,
pets,
cooking-recipes,
dance,
halloween,
poetry-song-music,
relationships,
picture-book-club
This is a wonderful story of a loving family. They cook together, dance together, laugh together and live life with joy. Their family fills the house with love that extends for many generations.
Period.
Like Kathryn, I wish that was all I had to say about this story. But the simple fact remains that this is a tale of two women who live together as a married couple and choose to adopt three children of different ethnic and racial backgrounds. That this story doesn't make a big deal of these 'fact...more
Period.
Like Kathryn, I wish that was all I had to say about this story. But the simple fact remains that this is a tale of two women who live together as a married couple and choose to adopt three children of different ethnic and racial backgrounds. That this story doesn't make a big deal of these 'fact...more
Oct 09, 2012
Erin Mccall
added it
What’s most powerful is how gender is from the very beginning made present, and thrown out of the picture, our little narrator noting, “our mothers were so different from each other…” and not because they were both two different women or different kinds of “matronly”, but because they came from different backgrounds, families and personalities.
Altogether, the book is mainly non-gendered, something really hard to come across in children’s literature, for example the mothers’ pet name for their...more
Altogether, the book is mainly non-gendered, something really hard to come across in children’s literature, for example the mothers’ pet name for their...more
This book was challenged in my Library System this week. To the complainer and the Board of Trustees, I wrote this defense. It stands well on its own as a review too. Grubby bastards trying to take books off shelves....
RE: In Our Mother’s House by Patricia Polacco
School Library Journal and Booklist both suggest this book as one to add to collections in order to lend different views of family and family life to youth library collections. School Library Journal’s review states it to be “a gem of a...more
RE: In Our Mother’s House by Patricia Polacco
School Library Journal and Booklist both suggest this book as one to add to collections in order to lend different views of family and family life to youth library collections. School Library Journal’s review states it to be “a gem of a...more
This story is absolutely heart warming. It deals with two qualities of unconventional families. Same-sex parents and adoption. There could not be more love in this family. I believe this story is a creation of Polacco's reaction to hearing a 4th grader begin to talk about her family to her class. She was told to sit down because her family wasn't a real family. I am so glad Polacco took on the responsibility to tell the world that these ARE real families with real love and real issues. I am so g...more
Jun 20, 2012
June
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Polacco fans and requests for non-traditional families
Shelves:
mothers,
picture-book
Polacco does it again and I admit that she brought tears to my eyes again too. This is a celebration of 2 Mothers that fill their house with love. They adopt 3 children (all different races).
Kathryn said it so well in the Children's Literature Group that I want to share her review:
"I wish we lived in a world where that is all that need be said about the story. Since we aren't quite there yet, and some people will probably find this book "controversial", I would like to say that this is also a v...more
Kathryn said it so well in the Children's Literature Group that I want to share her review:
"I wish we lived in a world where that is all that need be said about the story. Since we aren't quite there yet, and some people will probably find this book "controversial", I would like to say that this is also a v...more
In Our Mothers' House is a story following the childhood lives of three adopted children. Their parents are two loving mothers who do the best they can to raise their children to be respectful and caring people. There is a neighbor in the story who pops up now and again that you can tell does not approve of the family's dynamics, but the mothers ignore her and the family continues to thrive.
This book can be used to teach sequencing. It details the lives of three kids as they are adopted and rais...more
This book can be used to teach sequencing. It details the lives of three kids as they are adopted and rais...more
In Our Mothers' House is a story about three children who live in a household with two mothers. The mothers adopted the children while there are still young and raised them in a loving household. This story is from the first child's point of view, as she explains how she always felt loved at her mothers' house. It is a very unique story that has many diverse aspects. One of the main aspect is that these children were raised in a Lesbian household. Yet, the diversity does not stop there. The stor...more
At first glance of this book, you might not notice anything different. Take a closer look and you will see In Our Mother's House is about a family with two mothers raising three young adopted children. Written and illustrated by Patricia Polacco, this realistic story takes you through a modern families journey. From raising adopted infants to marrying off all three of their children, this incredibly realistic story can pull at your heart strings.
The two main characters, lovingly known as Marmee...more
The two main characters, lovingly known as Marmee...more
This heartwarming story centers around growing up in Marmee and Meema’s house as kids. Marmee and Meema are a lesbian couple raising three adoptive children from birth. The women make sure the children have the most normal life growing up; holidays with the Grandparents and neighborhood block parties. The story takes place from their first adoption to the day Marmee and Meema pass away, and is a perfect representation of the Slice of Life genre.
This story would be perfect to use in class to show...more
This story would be perfect to use in class to show...more
Grade Level/Interest Level: K-4th
Reading Level: 750L, 3rd Grade
Main Characters: Marmee, Meema, Narrator, Will, Millie
POV: Narrator
Setting: Home
This book is about two lesbian mothers who adopt three children. The book is told from the eldest child's perspective. She talks about both of her mothers and how her life is with them. The daughter does not feel her parents are different from any other parents. She talks about how they are perfect for each other. She also talks about the struggles they f...more
Reading Level: 750L, 3rd Grade
Main Characters: Marmee, Meema, Narrator, Will, Millie
POV: Narrator
Setting: Home
This book is about two lesbian mothers who adopt three children. The book is told from the eldest child's perspective. She talks about both of her mothers and how her life is with them. The daughter does not feel her parents are different from any other parents. She talks about how they are perfect for each other. She also talks about the struggles they f...more
In Our Mothers' House by Patricia Polacco is the story of a loving family with three adopted children that is headed by two women. The tale is narrated by the oldest child, and follows the family over many years.
Polacco's illustrations were created in pencils and markers. Body language and facial expressions are well rendered. I loved the dog and cat illustrations. My favorite images are kitchen cooking, dancing, puppies, making gnocchi, on the stairs, food court, weddings, and last 2 images.
Mar...more
Polacco's illustrations were created in pencils and markers. Body language and facial expressions are well rendered. I loved the dog and cat illustrations. My favorite images are kitchen cooking, dancing, puppies, making gnocchi, on the stairs, food court, weddings, and last 2 images.
Mar...more
Dec 24, 2009
Lisa Vegan
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
children in families with 2 mothers or 2 fathers, inter-racial families, adoptive families
In the back of the book in the author biography section (where I finally see a photo of her) it reveals that Polacco wrote this book specifically for children she met during her speaking engagements at schools, children from untraditional families, because she saw the need for a book such as this. I concur, and I think she did a remarkable job with it. The fictional family she writes about here are residents of Berkeley, California. I’m sure there are plenty of books with this subject matter but...more
In Our Mothers' House by Patricia Polacco is a story of three adopted children being raised by two women. The oldest an African-American girl of the three adopted children tells the stories of her childhood with her not-traditional family. Meema and Marmee raised their African-American daughter, the Asian-American son and their Caucasian daughter in a very supportive neighborhood in Berkley, CA. The oldest, her name never mentioned, tells all the stories from family holidays, to Halloween costum...more
I'm sorry. I wanted so very much to like this book. I just... couldn't. I know it fills an important gap. I know it offers positive, affirmative representation. I support all that, really. It's just that the end product was so incredibly saccharine, and so far away from anything resembling actual reality (No temper tantrums? sibling conflict? tough times? No reaction to homophobia beyond a momentary "huh?" No arguments, even? Three fabulously successful, perfectly well-adjusted children who all...more
In this book a little girl talks about the daily routines of her household,living with same sex parents and her adopted relatives. The main characters are the parents Meema and Mama as well as the little girl and her siblings.I believe this book is a realistic fiction. I like this book for the classroom because it illustrates a different and diverse type of family,her parents are both female and both of her siblings are from different countries. This book can help introduce students to diversity...more
In Our Mother’s House describes the life of three adopted children to a lesbian couple (Meema and Marmee) living in Berkeley, California. Narrated by the eldest daughter, she describes her happy childhood as her family ate together, celebrated Halloween with homemade costumes, built a treehouse, organized a block party, and hosted the mother-daughter tea. Although her family structure was more untraditional, the love and support felt throughout this family unit was imminent. The story tracks thi...more
This book is about a family living in California and made up of same-sex Caucasian mothers (Marmee and Meema) who have a adopted a young black girl, and Asian boy, and a red-headed girl. They engage in various recreational activities with their network of extended family and friends, including a mother-daughter tea party and the construction of a tree house. Such scenes are depicted as ones that are full of smiles, laughter, and the continuous reinforcement of familial affection. One neighbor do...more
Patricia Polacco really is a gift to the genre of picture-book literature. Honestly, I can't think of any other creator of picture books who hits the mark of true excellence as consistently as does she. Her stories never lack emotional resonance and are always very thematically powerful, leaving us undeniably changed by the time we reach the back cover. In my view, Patricia Polacco is right there in the conversation with the greatest authors to have never been officially recognized by the Newbe...more
This book brought a tear to my eye. Controversial, tender, and sensitive, you get a true feeling how the adopted children of two lesbian women must have felt growing up in a house with so much love. The children were Black, White, and Asian, and their mothers were White women. They were full of affection for the children. They were supportive and loving, and although the text was very strong of itself, the picures were magnetizing. This book did not win the Caldecott Award and I am wondering why...more
It's a picturebook, but the style of the language is such that it's not for little kids. It's more than just that there's a lot of words, which there is, it's that there's words like finial, and metaphorical ways of speaking that just don't read like a children's book to me. Not that it's not perfectly appropriate for children, but you'll definitely have to read it to them.
It follows the life of a family from the first-born kid, who is telling this story as an adult, to her adulthood and marria...more
It follows the life of a family from the first-born kid, who is telling this story as an adult, to her adulthood and marria...more
In Our Mother’s House by Patricia Polacco
According to the book jacket, Patricia Polacco wanted to write a children’s book that celebrated wonderful but untraditional families. The result, “In Our Mother’s House”, is a heartwarming story of two women who create a home together, adopt an African American daughter, an Asian son, and a Caucasian daughter. They then dedicate themselves to filling their home and their children’s lives with unconditional love and unforgettable memories.
Polacco doesn’t...more
According to the book jacket, Patricia Polacco wanted to write a children’s book that celebrated wonderful but untraditional families. The result, “In Our Mother’s House”, is a heartwarming story of two women who create a home together, adopt an African American daughter, an Asian son, and a Caucasian daughter. They then dedicate themselves to filling their home and their children’s lives with unconditional love and unforgettable memories.
Polacco doesn’t...more
Summary: One of my new favorite books about how love makes a family strong, no matter who the members of a family are. A young black girl narrates about her two caucasian mothers and how they adopted her, her asian brother, and her red-haired baby sister. The story is about how Marmee and Meema will do anything to make their children happy and even gain the love of the entire neighborhood, with the exception of one prejudiced neighbor who doesn't approve of their relationship. The book includes...more
I was very disappointed with theis book when I finished, but not because of what you may think. At the end of her books (Pink &Say), there are generally collages of actual family photos at the end of her books. I was looking forward to seeing those photos of "nontraditional" families.
Other than the disappointment in the artwork, I really enjoyed this book. The story flowed well and I believe part of it is due to the fact that it is told from a child's point of view. The innocence pours off...more
Other than the disappointment in the artwork, I really enjoyed this book. The story flowed well and I believe part of it is due to the fact that it is told from a child's point of view. The innocence pours off...more
I love all of Patricia Polacco's books, and this one is no exception. I loved "In Our Mothers' House." The story depicts a family of two women who adopted 3 children, and the story is told from a child's perspective. Other reviewers were upset because the book doesn't talk about sibling rivalries, arguments, etc..., but that is not what I would expect to see nor would I want to see in this book. It's written from the perspective of a child. I wouldn't expect a child to understand why the neighbo...more
Patricia Polacco has many wonderful books to her credit, this one is no exception. This is a lovely book showing a family with same sex parents who adopt three children, the oldest child has dark skin, the second child is of Asian descent and the third baby is a red head.
The oldest child narrates as she recalls what it was like growing up within the love and comfort of her family's home. She describes the differences in her mothers' parenting styles and personalities. She remembers the way their...more
The oldest child narrates as she recalls what it was like growing up within the love and comfort of her family's home. She describes the differences in her mothers' parenting styles and personalities. She remembers the way their...more
Age of readership: Ages 4-8
Genre: Picture
Diversity: Family diversity and neighborhood relationships
Illustrations: Expressive pencil and marker drawings
My response to the book: This story is told from the view point of one of three adopted children of a lesbian couple in Berkeley CA. It is a story of family love and community togetherness for the most part and children who were raised to respect all people. The story begins from when the three children were adopted through the mothers’ passing aw...more
Genre: Picture
Diversity: Family diversity and neighborhood relationships
Illustrations: Expressive pencil and marker drawings
My response to the book: This story is told from the view point of one of three adopted children of a lesbian couple in Berkeley CA. It is a story of family love and community togetherness for the most part and children who were raised to respect all people. The story begins from when the three children were adopted through the mothers’ passing aw...more
“In My Mother’s House” by Patricia Polacco is a wonderful children’s book that focuses on the life of a little girl who grows up with two mothers, Meema and Marmee (as she calls them). They are a unique family: two moms, a little girl, a younger brother, Will, and a younger sister, Millie. Although she comes from a family with same-sex parents and a brother and sister from two different races, their family is still a normal, very loving family. She grows up in a beautiful household with parents...more
Age:
Grades 2-4
Genre:
fiction
Diversity:
same-sex relationships; multicultural families
Illustrations:
Illustrations look like they were drawn with pencil and markers.
Personal response:
I was surprised to find a book about same-sex relationships. I felt the book was very encouraging to children to accept others as they are. It was a nice story with a very sweet ending. I felt as if the book could have touched a little more about dealing with the struggles rather than just ignoring it (or Mrs. Lockner)....more
Grades 2-4
Genre:
fiction
Diversity:
same-sex relationships; multicultural families
Illustrations:
Illustrations look like they were drawn with pencil and markers.
Personal response:
I was surprised to find a book about same-sex relationships. I felt the book was very encouraging to children to accept others as they are. It was a nice story with a very sweet ending. I felt as if the book could have touched a little more about dealing with the struggles rather than just ignoring it (or Mrs. Lockner)....more
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