Finally, a genderless kids’ book for all families

Before jumping on the outrage bandwagon over a children’s story deliberately excluding genders or family titles, there’s something you must consider, writes Lanai Scarr.

It’s ludicrous to think that by having more books that encourage diversity we are somehow trying to stamp out “traditional” mum-dad families.

That will be what those ultra conservative members of our society say when they read my story detailing a new book designed to reflect that all families are unique and diverse.

The children’s book My Family Doesn’t Look Like Your Family, penned by Tenielle Stoltenkamp, deliberately does not include genders or family titles to represent and include those children and families who don’t fit into the perceived norm.

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“It’s political correctness gone mad,” those who disagree will shout.

“We’re trying to push out normal families,” some might even say.

Even entrepreneur and 2018 Father Of The Year, Dick Smith, said he found the notion of removing genders entirely from a book the wrong message for children.

“I don’t agree with removing genders completely,” he said.

The reality is, there’s a space for everyone in the children’s literary scene. There are a plethora of books that talk about mums and dads.

Tenielle Stoltenkamp’s new children's book addresses diverse families. Picture: Nicki Connolly

Books that talk about families who live together, that talk about one mum or one dad. There are even books that talk about same sex families.

No one is suggesting those books be replaced or diminished.

But one thing that has been missing has been a book that includes all children and all families.

That makes children who might not have a mum or a dad in their lives feel like they can see themselves and their family environment reflected in a book being read to them.

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Before people jump on the bandwagon of this being an outrage and an affront to mum-dad-children families (of which, for the record I have with my own husband and four children) they should perhaps think about the 48,000 Australian children in the out-of-home-care system currently (and that number is growing) that don’t have stories that reflect their family reality.

If they are living with a foster parent or in temporary accommodation or even in kinship care with grandparents or another relative, the stories that talk about mum doing the cooking or dad taking them to the shops just don’t make sense for them.

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That’s what the author says was the inspiration for this book after all.

Growing up, I was one of those kids in the out-of-home-care system. I was constantly reminded in books and on special days like Mothers or Father’s Day that I was different.

Maybe at the time I might not have appreciated it, but reflecting back I’m sure I would have felt some level of comfort in being able to read a book that exemplified all families were diverse and unique.

And that they didn’t need to have a mum or a dad in order to be classified as a family.

Before you outrage about this book or others like it, maybe think about the children it might in some small way assist.

Lanai Scarr is a senior News Corp writer.

@pollietracker

Originally published as Finally, a genderless kids’ book for all families