Willhoite, Michael. Daddy’s Roommate.
Daddy’s Roommate is a story told by a young boy about his father and his new “roommate.” The narrator tells about how his dad lives with Frank and describes the kind of things that they do together: work together, eat together, sleep together, etc. The boy also tells about the things that he does with his dad and Frank when he sees them on weekends: going shopping, going to the beach, going to ball games, etc. The character is happy when he spends time with his dad and Frank.
Daddy’s Roommate quickly became one of the most challenged and banned books in the decade between 1990 and 2000. It is known as one of the first children’s book to portray homosexuality in a positive light. It is praised for showing a real-world depiction of homosexual relationships as a compliment to the more traditional mom-and-dad model. However, it is criticized for showing the relationship as completely untroubled – which makes the story more unbelievable.
This book is appealing for young readers as the text consists of short phrases on each page. Every page tells about something that the character enjoys doing with his day and includes a realistic cartoon illustration containing vibrant colors that attracts the reader's attention. Since the phrases on each page are so short, the illustrations help to tell the story.
Daddy’s Roommate portrays the life of a homosexual couple in ways similar to what one might expect from a more commonly depicted heterosexual couple. The character’s mother explains that his dad and Frank are gay and that “being gay is just one more kind of love, and love is the best kind of happiness.” It excludes any discrepancy that may exist due to his father’s homosexual relationship, both from outside society as well as between his mother and father. The book does a good job depicting that life with a parent who is homosexual is just like the “average” person’s experience.
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