From School Library Journal
reS-Gr 1-Young Alex's parents are divorced, and he spends time with each of them. He has two rooms, two favorite chairs, two sets of friends, two of everything. He loves both of them no matter where he is, and they love him, no matter where they are. The ink, watercolor, and gouache illustrations are comforting and warm. There is no sign of the child missing one parent when he is with the other or questioning his situation, and he seems quite well adjusted. This book is clearly intended to help parents tell their children that they are still loved despite their living arrangements. For a different view of how children may feel about sharing two homes, look to Judith Caseley's Priscilla Twice (Greenwillow, 1995).
Holly Belli, Bergen County Cooperative Library System, West Caldwell, NJ
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Booklist
*Starred Review* Ages 2-5. Young Alex introduces himself and his parents, then announces that he has two homes: sometimes he lives with Daddy (in a suburban house) and sometimes with Mommy (in a city apartment). The discussion of his two homes sets up the book's comfortable dual structure: "I have
two rooms. My room at Daddy's. My room at Mommy's . . . I have
two bathrooms. I have a toothbrush at Daddy's. I have a toothbrush at Mommy's." Each spread includes complementary pictures that show the boy engaged in similar activities at both locales. The ending affirms that his parents love Alex, no matter where he is and no matter where they are. Within the ink, watercolor, and gouache illustrations are delightful reproductions of Alex's own paintings. Other scenes, warm with luminous washes against white backgrounds, celebrate the everyday details of Alex's life. Parents looking for a book about separation or divorce will find few offerings as positive, matter-of-fact, or child-centered as this one. With a sure sense of audience, Masurel concentrates on the physical and emotional fundamentals that matter to children while deftly sidestepping the adult-oriented swamp of explanation and supposition. Enhanced by Denton's sensitively drawn portrayals of the characters within well-imagined scenes of domestic life, this picture book will validate the experience of other two-household children while intriguing those in single-home families. Simple, yet profoundly satisfying.
Carolyn PhelanCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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