Who’s Your Real Mum?

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A gorgeous story with an understanding and tender heart. There’s a lot of humour within, a nurturing of curiosity and absurdity but overall; it’s a story about family, and love – always love. This is a great story about what it means to be a “real mum” and how having two mums doesn’t make one more real than another. I enjoyed this story because it is playful and light-hearted even though it’s about a sensitive question.

I've morphed into something quite different from your average dad," Jeff explained, "I'm probably far more sensitive to their feelings and I'm far more aware of when they need emotional support. There are little side effects of my situation where you become really good at doing quite a lot on your own. I've got an ability to push myself beyond tiredness because if I don't do it, it doesn't get done."Elvi, twinkle in her eye, begins to describe superhuman characteristics. Her mother, “can pull a car with her teeth, is “a pirate in disguise,”sort[s] out gorilla disputes,” etc. Nicholas, catching on, asks again; and, the book resolves, sweetly–as you would expect; with Nicholas coming to a realization (albeit with gentle prodding). Green imbues Elvi with the experience of having answered this question many, many times. Green’s writing, however, imbues Elvi with much more. It provides Elvi with immeasurable charm and grace, allowing the character to negotiate the situation and still maintain a childlike innocence. And, for a moment, through the wonderful illustrations provided by Zobel, we get to experience Elvi’s imaginings, through a dose of magical realism. After all, Elvi does make up all those things about her moms. Doesn’t she? All mums will love this! ... [A]n endearing and fun book for all young readers and grown-ups who care for them.

Which one is the real mother/father? A question often asked of samesex couples and their children when they are out in public. Sometimes the question is meant to provoke embarrassment; sometimes the question comes from curiosity; sometimes the question comes from fear. Regardless of how it arises, it’s a question the couple, and their child(ren) inevitably face. Green’s book, Who’s Your Real Mom, posits the question innocently between friends at a playdate. The answer, is not so complicated. How Elvi, our protagonist gets there, well, that’s the story. Jeff previously said: "It was always our priority, we wanted to do everything right for the kids and that was the case right up until the moment, and it didn't stop at that point. That's when the boys really needed us to be on each other's side and we were." Nicholas, filled with the curiosity of a child, needs to know. So he asks, “who’s your real mom?” Elvi, starts off innocently enough and lists common traits that both her mothers share. Not satisfied with her responses, Nicholas presses further.

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But the actor knows his mum would be proud of all he's achieved, as he added: "She'd be proud. Why wouldn’t she be? Anyone who loves and cares about me, all my friends and my family, they're all proud and supportive. I'm sure - well, I know - she'd be the same." Jade's battle with cancer was well documented in the media at the time. Following her death, Jeff vowed to give their sons the best start possible and whisked them away to Australia to escape the coverage of the funeral, which is something he had discussed with Jade prior to her passing.

Others’ families sometimes look different from their family, but that they should respect those differences and know that other children’s families are also characterised by love and care Elvi (a child of colour with light brown skin and straight, brown hair) has two mums (one of whom has darker skin and hair and one, lighter than Elvi). When Nicholas (who has light brown skin and curly hair) comes over to their house, he asks, ‘Elvi, which one is your real mum?’ Elvi’s initial, confident retort is: ‘They’re both my real mum.’ Elvi patiently offers similar responses as Nicholas persists, then starts to have a little fun … Ideally, readers who need this message will grasp it sooner than Nicholas does, though perhaps the book’s impact will have more power for those who read it as validation of their own experiences enduring microaggressions.

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These days, Bobby still lives with his dad, his stepmum Kate Dwyer, and his younger brother in a quiet town that The Face described in 2022 as being "sandwiched somewhere between North London and Stansted Airport". And when it comes to his love life, the young star keeps his cards close to his chest. He was thought to be in a relationship with Twitch streamer Mia Mon earlier this year, but the 24-year-old woman denied rumours after they were spotted at an event together in June. A]n empowering approach that shows a child who confidently has her own solution … [T]here’s still a time and a place for books that deal smartly with some of the questions that children in LGBTQ families may encounter. Who’s Your Real Mum? is one of them. The limited colour palette is striking for its yellows, which are gender neutral and contrast with the imagined scenes in blues … Square panels and sequential scenes give a comics feel to the illustrations and correspond with the playful tone of Elvi’s responses to Nicholas’ questions. This Australian import may encourage kids with same-sex parents and could serve as a prompt for a creative writing exercise. Nicholas has gone around to play at Elvi’s house, and keeps asking her which of her two mums is her “real” mum. When Elvi responds that both her mums are her real mum, Nicholas insists that the mum who had Elvi in her tummy can only be the real mum. A sensitive story that encourages children to talk and think about a diverse range of family setups.