Book Review: "Mama and Daddy Bear's Divorce"

Spelman, Cornelia Maude. Illustrated by Parkinson, Kathy. Mama and Daddy Bear’s Divorce.
Morton Groves, Illinois: Albert Whitman & Company, 1998.

The story of Mama, Daddy, Ruth, and Dinah, a family of bears, is a story that discusses, in an oversimplified way, the idea that although they may not have both parents in the same household they will not loose the things they had before the separation. The author wrote the book with the memories she had as a child during her parents divorce and the process of recovery that her and her sister, Ruth, worked through together. The story is told through the eyes of the youngest sister, Dinah, who learns that although she may not be able to do all the things she loves in one home she will not loose the things that are important to her. This book is for a very young child and can be used to relay the idea that everything in the child’s life, except where their parents live, will remain the same. In a comforting tone, Cornelia Maude Spelman does an excellent job to portray a family that made it through trying times that no matter what may happen with the family composition the love shared between a parent and child will never falter. The illustrations, by Kathy Parkinson, are great for young children because she relays the emotion of the characters through detailed facial expressions which will help emphasize the flow of the plot for a young child. I really enjoyed the use of bears as the main characters was an effective choice in that the characters are more relatable and effective for children of all races.