Helen and I share viewer comments on favorite Disney films, tackle neighbors’ assumptions about lesbians and men, and discuss two picture books we’ve enjoyed recently. One is Patricia Polacco’s In Our Mothers’ House
If the embedded video above doesn’t work for you, try it at Dailymotion.
Brought to you in partnership with After Ellen.
I definitely second the rec for Lilo and Stitch, though be forewarned that if you’re apt to cry, it’ll make you cry.
I haven’t seen Ponyo yet, but Miyazaki’s films (Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle, My Neighbor Totoro – and yes, he’s Japanese, this is – to my knowledge – the first of his films distributed by Disney) are absolutely gorgeous. Without having seen it, I’d say it’s most likely kid-friendly. (I actually read a review about it here written by a man with a 3 year old with PDD-NOS, and it didn’t seem to be inappropriate for the 3 year old.)
(also, hopefully I’ll have a book for you to review soon. fingers crossed.)
Thanks, N! Good to know about the age recommendation.
The website I pasted below gives some good background for In Our Mothers’ House– I loved knowing that the two mothers are modeled after Polacco’s daughter and her partner (whom she dedicated the book to). Patricia Polacco has scores of incredible children’s books tackling all sorts of issues, and I love that she wrote In Our Mothers’ House in the same style as the others. All of her drawings in her books have some sketchy lines, and almost all reflect her own family in some way. It’s worth going to your library and checking out a huge pile of her books.
I read In Our Mothers’ House to my first grade class last spring, with some editing– it was pretty easy to skip a few pages and make it completely appropriate and not scary for 7 year olds (of course, it helped that they were already completely comfortable with the two-mom thing from a year spent in my class).
http://www.mlive.com/living/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2009/05/two_moms_create_joyful_home_in.html
Ah, thanks for the background, A. The book itself gives the dedication as “To Traci and Nikki with all of my love,” but doesn’t say who they are. Good to know.