Review: Manu series

Moreno Velo, Lucía.
Manu se va a la cama / Manu’s Bedtime.
¡Manu, No! / No, Manu!
Manu pone la mesa / Manu Sets the Table
Illustrated by Javier Termenón Delgado. Topka, 2006

Apparently you have to go all the way to Spain to find good board books about kids living up in gay or lesbian families. There is much to admire in Lucía Moreno Velo’s appealing series of three square-shaped board books about Manu, a toddler with two moms. The bilingual text in each volume deals with every-day things in the life of a small child: bedtime, helping out with family routines. and being told no.

When Manu tries to help set the table, for example, he manages to carry the table cloth for one of his moms with no problem, but is less successful with the basket of dinner rolls, which he drops en route, causing him to cry. The story concludes with hugs and reassuring words from his two moms.

In tone, the books remind me of Barbro Lindgren’s wonderful Sam series from several years ago. Like Sam, Manu behaves like a typical two year old, determined to do things in his own way.

The spare and spirited illustrations show Manu as a large-eyed toddler. His two moms are distinct enough from each other that even small children will be able to tell them apart.

As an added bonus, the text appears in both Spanish and English. The English translation is not literal, but it aptly captures the way in which Manu and his moms interact with each other.

The books can be easily purchased directly from the publisher, Topka (I did, and they arrived in about a week). Whether you’re building a library collection or a personal one, you’ll want to have them. They’re sure to become favorite baby gifts for lesbian moms.