The Un-Wedding by Babette Cole
Not knowing it, this is now my third book by Cole. This one however I liked unlike the other two. Cole once again uses her unique sense of humor to deal with children whose parents fight all the time and eventually get divorced or "un-wedded." It is a refreshing way to deal with the topic. Earllier I read another book on divorce which was rather sad. The colors were gloomy unlike this book. It is very colorful and the detailed images create something to laugh at even when talking about fighting. She makes the parents look like fighting 5 year old.
What I liked most about this book is how Cole made it known that it is NOT the children's fault and that everything can turn out ok. Rather than be upset with their parents not getting along they have an un-wedding. They all dress in black and get divorced. They have a party to celebrate a new chapter in their life and they show their parents going seperate ways. Cole mentions how life is better because everyone is happy and the best part is that living in two houses means two of everything! It even becomes special to the kids because they have their own secret passage way to each house.
I don't want to leave otu the fact that the book did deal with the topic and didn't sugar coat it. It did show that it created stress on everyone in the family. I just think it has a more positive outlook on how things will turn out after. It showed that some people are just not made to be together but that doesn't mean they are not still their parents.
This book truly has a more positive outlook on divorce than anything else I have seen. It shows the kids getting support at school from their other friends. It shows that they are not alone. It also shows how their parnets how different life style and the kids fit into both of those lives.
I HAD to comment on this post as I think this is the first positive review that I've read from a children's lit student reading this book! My own opinion is mixed, but I really like how you noticed some things that others have left out in their reviews--you seem to "get" what Cole was trying to do (whereas many just find it disturbing). I appreciate your refreshing point-of-view here!
ReplyDeleteIt’s interesting because I have never read this book before and I assumed it was going to be about a homosexual couple who want to get married but cannot because in some states it is not legal. I predicted them to have a pretend wedding or commitment ceremony celebrating their love for either. Obviously, I was wrong.
ReplyDeleteI think you did a wonderful job pointing out the issues along with the positive realistic side that you can make out of a situation like this. This is definitely not an easy issue to deal with and I too liked this book as much as you did. I mean, the divorce rate is 50%; how can you avoid an issue that is happening in half of the families in the U.S.? I don’t at all think this book is trying to promote divorce by celebrating it. I just think it is trying to make a positive out of a negative situation.