The Duke Who Outlawed Jellybeans – Johnny Valentine

Johnny Valentine is another important author of books dealing with GLBT issues. In addition to this book, he has also written “The Day They Put a Tax on Rainbows”, “One Dad, Two Dads, Brown Dad, Blue Dads”, and “The Daddy Machine”. This book is a collection of fairytales that not only address gay parenting, but also race and gender issues. For example, one character is not allowed to become an Eaglerider because she is a girl, and the illustrations show characters of different races. While the gay or lesbian parents do not play a huge part of the story lines in each tale, I see this as a positive aspect in regards to books for children. The readers should not be overwhelmed with the topic and subtlety is necessary when dealing with such a sensitive issue. Gay and lesbian parents are just a part of the story, not the story itself. A quote that I once read stated that being gay “… is a fact, and it must be defended and represented as a fact” (Levithan). The gay and lesbian characters in this book are presented in a positive manner and seem to be proud of who they are. They state their homosexuality as a fact of their identity and do not try to conceal it. The characters openness would help readers to understand that being gay is nothing to be ashamed of and is simply part of who they are. The idea that this book is a collection of fairytales will also help encourage students to read them.