Daddy's Roommate written and illustrated by Michael Willhoite is a controversial children's book that was put on the list of the 100 most challenged books from 1990-1999 with the American Library Association. The audience is introduced to a young boy whose parents are divorced and addresses the relationship between his father and his "roommate" Frank who live together. The young boy explains to the audience that "Daddy and his roommate Frank live together, work together, eat together, sleep together, shave together, and sometimes even fight together" (3-8) as if they are any other couple. The text doesn't directly state his father and Frank are a couple, but referring to Frank as "his roommate" implies they are in a committed relationship.
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The text states, "Being gay is just one more kind of love. Love is the best kind of happiness" (26-7). This is statement is interesting because as previously mentioned the text does not directly state his father is gay but the nature of his father's relationship with Frank implies it. Therefore, when the mother informs the young boy about his father's sexual that could have made or break their relationship. However when his mother goes into detail that "being gay is just more kind of love" (26) teaches the young boy that love is not linear. It is common for children to assume that love is strictly between a man and woman because kids are frequently exposed to heterosexual relationships. Then for his mother to state that "love is the best kind of happiness" (27) reinforces the idea that who a person loves doesn't matter because experiencing love period is the greatest joy of all. It is important to explain certain things to children because ignorance to their surrendering does not foster mental growth. Therefore, addressing this type of information to her son creates tolerance and awareness that everyone seeks and deserves the same thing which is love. The fact that his father found love through another person allows the relationship with his son to grow because they are both happy. Since his mother and father were not happy in their marriage there was probably no healthy family structure. However, now that love has become the source of a stable relationship everyone is happy and the family structure is now repaired between the mother, father, and young
The text states, "Being gay is just one more kind of love. Love is the best kind of happiness" (26-7). This is statement is interesting because as previously mentioned the text does not directly state his father is gay but the nature of his father's relationship with Frank implies it. Therefore, when the mother informs the young boy about his father's sexual that could have made or break their relationship. However when his mother goes into detail that "being gay is just more kind of love" (26) teaches the young boy that love is not linear. It is common for children to assume that love is strictly between a man and woman because kids are frequently exposed to heterosexual relationships. Then for his mother to state that "love is the best kind of happiness" (27) reinforces the idea that who a person loves doesn't matter because experiencing love period is the greatest joy of all. It is important to explain certain things to children because ignorance to their surrendering does not foster mental growth. Therefore, addressing this type of information to her son creates tolerance and awareness that everyone seeks and deserves the same thing which is love. The fact that his father found love through another person allows the relationship with his son to grow because they are both happy. Since his mother and father were not happy in their marriage there was probably no healthy family structure. However, now that love has become the source of a stable relationship everyone is happy and the family structure is now repaired between the mother, father, and young