MY PARENTS ARE DIVORCED, MY ELBOWS HAVE NICKNAMES, AND OTHER FACTS ABOUT ME
by Bill Cochran and illustrated by Steve Bjorkman
Ted has some habits and attributes—nicknaming his elbows, for example—that some may find odd, but that’s just the way he is. The fact that his parents are divorced and that he is reacting and adjusting to it is just another part of him—and a part that does not make him weird in the slightest. This well-meaning depiction of a child dealing with divorce hits on many common experiences—moving between two residences, getting used to a new stepparent, missing one parent when with the other, feeling hurt, trying to understand that both parents love him—and alternates them with Ted’s quirky behavior to make two points: that it’s okay to be different and that responding to a divorce does not make one different at all. While the purpose-driven text is sometimes pointed and repetitive, it is still reassuring and gently humorous, and Björkman’s colorful cartoon-like illustrations add an appealing touch. A solid choice for youngsters dealing with divorce and good for use in an educational or therapeutic setting. (Picture book. 5-8)