Uncle What-Is-It Is Coming - Hardcover

Grade 2-4-Igor and Tiffany's Uncle Brett, who hasn't seen the children since they were babies, is coming to visit. When their mother tells them that he is gay, but doesn't explain what it means, the youngsters hit the streets and ask a mean neighborhood kid. Six-foot-tall Shelby Hipshot bends over to Tiffany whining, "'Poor little baby's got a queer uncle...'" He then explains how gay men really want to be women. The children run off, only to be cornered by Shelby's brother, who says, "'I seen a bunch of 'em once...dressed up in black leather. Zippers and chains all over 'em.'" The siblings have such terrible thoughts in mind that they have bad dreams-and then Uncle Brett arrives looking like an L.L. Bean advertisement. On the next, and final page, he is shown proudly presenting a four-layer, fully decorated, chocolate cake. Everything about this book shouts garish stereotypes. The illustrations are bold and exaggerated-Mom in her skirt, apron, large sneakers, and oversized glasses; Dad always with a tie, even at dinner; dress on Tiffany; super-macho torn shirt, muscles, and grease stains on Shelby; and a squeaky-clean yuppie looking Uncle Brett. The poorly written text continues the typecastingwith all of the negative images of gays presented by the macho brothers; and the general reference to "Uncle What-is-it" and "what" is coming to visit rather than "who." Some may be tempted to buy this book since little has been written for children about homosexual men, but progressive thinking is no excuse for bad writing and this book does more to galvanize prejudices than to diffuse them.
Nancy A. Gifford, Schenectady County Public Library, NY
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From the author of Daddy's Roommate (1990), another purposive story concerning misconceptions about homosexuals. Tiffany and Igor don't remember Uncle Brett, who lives far away in Boston; when Mom happily tells them that's he's coming tomorrow, they ask, `` `Is he married?' '' and Mom gets ``sort of a funny look on her face'' and allows, `` `as a matter of fact, he's gay.' '' Then, before she can explain, she's interrupted by a kitchen crisis. Still wondering, the kids encounter some mean- minded teenagers who regale them with tales of obnoxious stereotypes--frilly cross-dressing, black leather and chains--all flamboyantly depicted in broadly exaggerated cartoon-style illustrations. Mom never does set the children straight before Uncle Brett shows up--a nice, ordinary man who hates brussels sprouts and plays catch better than Dad; he explains that ``gay men are just guys who fall in love with each other'' and that some ``do dress up like women [or] wear black leather. But that's all right, too.'' There's no subtlety here, and the real characters are as stock as the imaginary ones, but Willhoite limns them with sure, expressive lines; confronting the negative caricatures head-on is courageous and effective. Useful. (Picture book. 4-8 -- Copyright ©1993, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.