The Family of a Different Feather
Toulmin's Model Analysis

VFlores
July 6th, 2014

The Family of a Different Feather: Analysis The article “The Family of a Different Feather”, written by Sarah Yoest Pederson, touches deeply on the issue of same-gender parents and how to explain it to a curious, yet ignorant, child using a well written children’s book. Pederson proposes that children are mostly “egocentric”, unable to grasp the emotional simplicities between two parents of the same gender. Pederson goes on to explain that it is unfortunate our society has deemed a children’s book as “most challenged and inappropriate material for its age group” only based on the taboo of same-sex parenting. Although the same-sex issue is not easy to explain to children, it is wise to educate children instead of sheltering them from reality. One of the first childhood lessons of “where babies come from” entails the necessity of a man and a woman. This causes a dilemma in understanding as to how a child could have two moms or two dads. The book “And Tango Makes Three” is revered by Pederson as a great tool to enlighten questioning children. Just as the issue insinuates – same-sex − the matter of love between parent and child is the same for all types of families. The claim, or thesis, for this piece is that an appropriately well-written children’s book should not be banned. Although the topic is still a societal taboo, the book would be highly useful for approvingly, and comfortably, answering young minded questions about homosexual parents by demonstrating equality. I agree that children – especially ones delighted in reading – should have access to a book(s) focused on answering questions through story and comparison. A few warrants provided include a child’s assumption that all parents consist of one mother and one father, that it is impossible for a child to have