Considine, Kaitlyn. Emma and Meesha My Boy: A Two Mom Story. Emma and Meesha My Boy: A Two Mom Story is about a young girl, Emma, who likes to take care of and play with her cat, Meesha My Boy. When Emma starts playing inappropriately with the cat, such as trying to paint it brown, her two mothers, Mommy and Mama, take turns telling her to stop. When she is nice to the cat both mothers praise her and give her advice as to how to take care of her pet.
The book is written for young children and is appealing for beginning readers due to its large font and cartoon illustrations. The text also has a rhyming scheme that makes it fun and interesting to read. Children reading the story may be able to relate to Emma and she learns how to care for her pet appropriately.
This book does not touch on issues of homosexuality at all beyond stating that Emma has two mothers. Mommy and Mama play a very small role in the story as the plot mainly explains the misadventures of Emma and Meesha My Boy as she learns how to take care of her pet. The book represents both mothers as a central part of Emma’s life and each seem to play an equal role in disciplining Emma as well as praising her good deeds. Mommy and Mama are a part of the backdrop to the story and their sexual orientation does not affect the story either positively or negatively. Although the book is attractive for young readers, I do not believe that it should not be considered a quality piece of GLBTQ literature since Meesha’s mothers’ sexual orientation was not central to the story. The child friendly text and illustrations can, however, make the book useful for teaching young children the importance of caring for their pets and can be used to start a discussion about non-traditional families that goes beyond the content of the book itself.
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