Thursday, March 3, 2011

Book Review: My Uncle’s Wedding By Eric Ross, Illustrated by Tracy Greene





Reviewed by Alan Chin
Published by CreateSpace (Feburary 2011)
Pages: 19

When an author pens a manuscript, the first thing s/he needs to do is determine the intended audience. In a children’s story, I suspect it becomes rather difficult to adjust the language to a particular age range. Knowing little about children, I can only guess that this book targets children from ages three to six, and in my opinion, does so masterfully well.

It is the charming story of the preparations for, and the ceremony of, a marriage of two loving men, as seen through the young eyes of Andy, the nephew of one of the men getting married. From Uncle Mike’s announcement that he plans to marry Steve, this story steps through each stage—ordering flowers, food, a cake, a new suit for Andy, and the ceremony itself—with simple prose and delightful illustrations.

Of course, this story is intended to do more that entertain, it also educates. It subtly illustrates to impressionable minds that there is no difference between same-sex weddings and hetrosexual weddings, and there is joy to be shared by everyone involved.

That’s it. Within the bare framework of this tale, beneath the surface of its colorful illustrations and simple phrases, lies a loving message of equality, a suggestion of acceptance. It is a parent’s responsibility to teach their children tolerance of all people, and I have yet to find a better tool to begin that lesson than My Uncle’s Wedding.

For more information about his book, go to http://tinyurl.com/6eqcup3
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