Heather Has Two Mommies is a children's book written by Lesléa Newman with illustrations by Diana Souza. First published in 1989, This story was one of the first pieces of LGBTQ children's literature to garner broad attention. While the book is often noted as the first lesbian picture book, Jane Severance's book, When Megan Went Away, also has lesbian characters and debuted ten years before Newman's. In its early years of popularity, the children's book has garnered both positive and negative attention due to the lesbian themes present in the book. On one hand, the book received praise for highlighting the parenthood of lesbian parents. On the other hand, the book drew criticism from both people against same-sex marriage and certain LGBT individuals themselves, as they thought the book did not portray same-sex parenthood correctly. Background The idea for Heather Has Two Mommies was not Newman's own. While out for a walk, Newman was approached by lesbian parents and asked to write a children's story about a family like theirs. The parents explained that there were no books that they could show their daughter that portrayed the life of a family with lesbian parents. According to "The More Things Change" Newman wrote the story for this purpose, but did not expect the book to gain widespread controversy. The book was originally co-published by Newman and her friend Tzivia Gover under the auspices of Gover’s desktop publishing business, “In Other Words, Ink”. Six months after the book's publication in December 1989, it was picked up by Alyson Publications. Summary The book is about a child named Heather who is raised by lesbian women: her biological mother, Jane, who gave birth to her after artificial insemination, and her biological mother's same-sex partner, Kate. At Heather's playgroup, her family situation is discussed simply and positively, as are those of other children in other family units. At first, Heather becomes upset when she realizes that many of her other peers at the playgroup have a daddy and she does not. Molly, the caretaker at the playgroup, ensures that all the children at the playgroup understand that all families are special and no family type is better than any of the others. By the end of the book, Heather's sadness goes away and she expresses gratitude for her mothers. Reception The American Library Association ranked it the 9th most frequently challenged book in the United