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My Mom's Wedding
A child of divorce, seven-year-old Pinky is torn by feelings of loyalty to her father and affection for the man her mom is about to marry. As she prepares to be the ring bearer for the upcoming wedding, Pinky is both excited and reluctant, but mostly she feels guilty. It's not until she accepts that her parents will never get back together that Pinky understands it's okay to love both her dads. As non-traditional families increasingly become the norm, this positive story will continue to grow in relevance. My Mom's Wedding offers a comforting message and helps children to work out their conflicted emotions about divorce. Parents, too, have something to learn from the amicable kindness that Pinky's mother, father and stepfather show each other.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published August 14, 2006
26 people want to read
About the author
Eve Bunting
313 books410 followersAlso known as Evelyn Bolton and A.E. Bunting.
Anne Evelyn Bunting, better known as Eve Bunting, is an author with more than 250 books. Her books are diverse in age groups, from picture books to chapter books, and topic, ranging from Thanksgiving to riots in Los Angeles. Eve Bunting has won several awards for her works.
Bunting went to school in Ireland and grew up with storytelling. In Ireland, “There used to be Shanachies… the shanachie was a storyteller who went from house to house telling his tales of ghosts and fairies, of old Irish heroes and battles still to be won. Maybe I’m a bit of a Shanchie myself, telling stories to anyone who will listen.” This storytelling began as an inspiration for Bunting and continues with her work.
In 1958, Bunting moved to the United States with her husband and three children. A few years later, Bunting enrolled in a community college writing course. She felt the desire to write about her heritage. Bunting has taught writing classes at UCLA. She now lives in Pasadena, California.
Anne Evelyn Bunting, better known as Eve Bunting, is an author with more than 250 books. Her books are diverse in age groups, from picture books to chapter books, and topic, ranging from Thanksgiving to riots in Los Angeles. Eve Bunting has won several awards for her works.
Bunting went to school in Ireland and grew up with storytelling. In Ireland, “There used to be Shanachies… the shanachie was a storyteller who went from house to house telling his tales of ghosts and fairies, of old Irish heroes and battles still to be won. Maybe I’m a bit of a Shanchie myself, telling stories to anyone who will listen.” This storytelling began as an inspiration for Bunting and continues with her work.
In 1958, Bunting moved to the United States with her husband and three children. A few years later, Bunting enrolled in a community college writing course. She felt the desire to write about her heritage. Bunting has taught writing classes at UCLA. She now lives in Pasadena, California.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
September 21, 2018
Sobering stat: 50% of marriages end in divorce. Many people remarry and with children involved those little ones will often have to attend wedding ceremonies large and small. Eve Bunting's book My Mom's Wedding introduces us to a young girl called Pinky whose parents are divorced and who is experiencing conflicting emotions leading up to the wedding between her mom and her new fiance. Bunting does a wonderful job of showing Pinky's reaction to all the goings on around her and the gentle ways that her family reassure her.
Quotes I liked from this book:
"Sometimes I feel bad because I like Jim so much, almost as much as I like my daddy."
Find My Mom's Wedding at the Westminster Public Library!
Quotes I liked from this book:
"Sometimes I feel bad because I like Jim so much, almost as much as I like my daddy."
Find My Mom's Wedding at the Westminster Public Library!
January 16, 2018
This would be an excellent resource and endearing book for a child to read who has a situation similar to Pinky (the main character). It is written in a manner that can be well understood by children in terms of language, as it is written from Pinky's perspective and uses a voice indicative of expression from a child her age (7 years). I think Eve Bunting did an exceptional job at presenting the story through this voice, making it all the more able to be related to by young readers. This is one of the main reasons I feel this would be a wonderful story for counselors and those working with children facing the reality of a "non-traditional" family as a result of divorce. Lisa Papp's illustrations are the perfect compliment to the text and are just beautiful, as well.
The only point about this book that makes me love it a bit less than the usual Bunting pick is that is was not written on as deep a level as her usual work. Depth and feeling is so paramount in some of my favorite of her works, and this one- although well-written- did not give me that sense quite as strongly as books such as, say, "The Memory String" or Bunting's historical-themed stories.
The only point about this book that makes me love it a bit less than the usual Bunting pick is that is was not written on as deep a level as her usual work. Depth and feeling is so paramount in some of my favorite of her works, and this one- although well-written- did not give me that sense quite as strongly as books such as, say, "The Memory String" or Bunting's historical-themed stories.
March 3, 2020
As I am ruthlessly critical of books that demean or dismiss divorced fathers, I was pleased to see that this is one of the few (see Fred Stays with Me) picture books to feature divorced parents in a positive way. MC's mother is getting re-married and her father is invited to the wedding, partly because he's happy for his ex-wife (which is very refreshing), but mostly to be there for his daughter in this confusing time for her (is it ok that she loves her stepdad, too, etc.). Well done.
October 24, 2023
Bunting has taken on many tough topics, and this one is right up there with Northern Ireland, homeless children in shacks, and Japanese-American families forced to live in camps. As with all her books, the story is child's-eye-level with gentle illustrations from Papp. Horace making a face at Pinky as she carries the rings down the aisle was spot on.
October 12, 2025
Wow!
Great show of how divorced parents can be “friends “ and supportive most specifically for their children.
I especially like the illustrated family picture at the end of the book. Pinky is between her Daddy and Jim with Mom looking over their shoulders. A fine example that Pinky can have two wonderful men in her life and heart. Thank you grown-ups.
Great show of how divorced parents can be “friends “ and supportive most specifically for their children.
I especially like the illustrated family picture at the end of the book. Pinky is between her Daddy and Jim with Mom looking over their shoulders. A fine example that Pinky can have two wonderful men in her life and heart. Thank you grown-ups.
December 17, 2025
I love how well written this was.
As a mom with a child from my previous marriage & now remarried, reading this to my oldest made me tear up.
She loves her bonus dad (I don’t like to say step), so much & im super grateful for that. I also make sure to always encourage the relationship between her and her own father as well though.
As a mom with a child from my previous marriage & now remarried, reading this to my oldest made me tear up.
She loves her bonus dad (I don’t like to say step), so much & im super grateful for that. I also make sure to always encourage the relationship between her and her own father as well though.
March 28, 2016
Summary: This is the story of a young girl Pinky who's parents are divorced. Her mom is going to be remarried, but she feels guilty because she loves her dad and doesn't know if she can love her new dad as much, because that might be betraying her biological dad. She practices for the wedding (she's the ring bearer), and learns about weddings and what she calls "wedding rules". On the day of the wedding, she sees her dad, and feels terrible that he doesn't get to be with her mom. She almost doesn't give the rings to her mom and stepdad, but eventually she realizes that she can love both her dads.
Theme: There are many themes to this book. The main one is that it is okay to be afraid of your parents being remarried to someone else, because no matter what, you love them and they love you. In the end, although it took a while for Pinky to accept the fact that her stepdad wouldn't be replacing her biological dad, she did, and that is a huge moment for young kids going through this transition. The story tells kids that having a non-traditional family is okay, and your parents can love you just the same.
Personal Connection: Personally, I have not gone through a divorce, but my aunt and step-uncle got married when my cousin was only 5 and I was only 9. I remember that he had a very hard time understanding that my uncle Craig wasn't replacing his biological dad, he was just going to be another father for him. Eventually my cousin learned that my uncle Craig made his mom very happy, and that they loved each other very much, and since he loved his mom very much, he knew that it would be the best thing if they could all be happy. I learned a lot about divorce through my aunt's situation, and I also learned a lot about weddings, since I had never been to one before. I can relate to when Pinky describes wedding rituals as "weird wedding rules", because I thought they were strange when I first heard of them as well.
Recommendation: I would HIGHLY recommend this book for elementary classrooms, family counseling, or families who are experiencing this life change. I think that this story can be very comforting to kids who are going through this experience, because not only does it show them that they are not alone in their experience, but also it all turns out okay in the end! As non-traditional families become more and more prominent, it is important to expose all kids to this story because even though not all children will go through this, they will have friends who do, so it is crucial to learn about it. In addition, the story teaches about weddings, so kids who have never been exposed to a wedding ceremony before can learn some of the traditions and activities that take place in a typical wedding.
Theme: There are many themes to this book. The main one is that it is okay to be afraid of your parents being remarried to someone else, because no matter what, you love them and they love you. In the end, although it took a while for Pinky to accept the fact that her stepdad wouldn't be replacing her biological dad, she did, and that is a huge moment for young kids going through this transition. The story tells kids that having a non-traditional family is okay, and your parents can love you just the same.
Personal Connection: Personally, I have not gone through a divorce, but my aunt and step-uncle got married when my cousin was only 5 and I was only 9. I remember that he had a very hard time understanding that my uncle Craig wasn't replacing his biological dad, he was just going to be another father for him. Eventually my cousin learned that my uncle Craig made his mom very happy, and that they loved each other very much, and since he loved his mom very much, he knew that it would be the best thing if they could all be happy. I learned a lot about divorce through my aunt's situation, and I also learned a lot about weddings, since I had never been to one before. I can relate to when Pinky describes wedding rituals as "weird wedding rules", because I thought they were strange when I first heard of them as well.
Recommendation: I would HIGHLY recommend this book for elementary classrooms, family counseling, or families who are experiencing this life change. I think that this story can be very comforting to kids who are going through this experience, because not only does it show them that they are not alone in their experience, but also it all turns out okay in the end! As non-traditional families become more and more prominent, it is important to expose all kids to this story because even though not all children will go through this, they will have friends who do, so it is crucial to learn about it. In addition, the story teaches about weddings, so kids who have never been exposed to a wedding ceremony before can learn some of the traditions and activities that take place in a typical wedding.
February 24, 2017
Butiful story I love to read it with my kids
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 19, 2016
Fiction book about a young girl named Pinky who has mixed feelings about her mother getting remarried. Her parents are divorced and like most young children; Pinky loves both her mother and father dearly. But, she also loves Jim; who is soon to be her step-father. She's happy for Jim and her mom, but she also wants her mother and biological father to be together. Her father explains to her how he and her mom are just friends now and he's happy for her. Pinky takes his reassurance and begins to accept her mother and Jim's marriage. This book is great for students who may have parents who have remarried. This book can be interesting to students who are curious about remarriage. It is developmentally appropriate for young learners. I also like how the mother and father's relationship was positive and supportive of one another; which is sometimes rare after divorce. This book can allow a student to understand that just because they're parents are not longer together and have remarried, doesn't mean they don't still love one another.
April 17, 2012
'My Mom's Wedding' follows the experiences of a young girl named Pinky as she struggles to interpret the remarriage of her mother to another man. Although she admires and enjoys the company of her stepfather, she is torn between loyalty to him and her biological father, who currently resides abroad. Pinky speaks with her biological father before the wedding ceremony and pleads with him to remarry her mother, but he rejects this notion and convinces her that it is possible for her to love both of her dads. The story is a great resource for children who are conflicted in their interactions with divorced parents and new step parents, and the honest and direct nature of its content is effectively balanced by the soft water color illustrations. The book will inspire children to realize that love knows no limit and that children of divorced parents need not be broken.
July 26, 2016
Eve Bunting does a lovely job of telling the story of seven-year old Pinky, who has mixed feelings about her mom's remarriage. While she really likes her future stepfather, Jim, she struggles with feelings of being disloyal to her father. When she tells her dad that she has the rings and he can marry her mom again, Pinky's dad assures her that he is happy for her mom and Jim. After they are married, they all go back down the aisle together, with Jim carrying Pinky, and she is happy.
This picture book deals with a tough issue in an honest, age appropriate manner. Children will be able to identify with Pinky, and seeing her struggles will help them be able to express their own. Bunting's book is a good resource for parents and counselors.
This picture book deals with a tough issue in an honest, age appropriate manner. Children will be able to identify with Pinky, and seeing her struggles will help them be able to express their own. Bunting's book is a good resource for parents and counselors.
October 19, 2016
I loved this book. It gives a really great perspective on a little girls thoughts, feelings, and curiosities surrounding gay marriage and having two same sex parents. The story gives the reader a great picture of a little girl who is unsure about many aspects of her mothers new marriage- the most important one being she is marrying another woman. I felt that this book fit well into my text set about diverse family structures because it tells the story of a little girl who not only is experiencing the addition of a new parent into her life, but also the experience of a child who now has two same sex parents as a result. Overall, this book promoted a healthy message of curiosity and acceptance that students could read and reflect upon in a positive manner.
April 11, 2012
Great book that follows a young girl who is going through a change in her family. Her mother is remarrying and the young girl faces an innerconflict when she finds that she is beginning to love her new step-father which makes her feel that she is betraying her biological father.
Great book for students to read about different families and coping.
Great book for students to read about different families and coping.
March 13, 2013
This would be a good book for a child whose parent is getting remarried; however, I wouldn't ever have this book for any other reason. Her dad comes to the wedding of her mom and what's goin to be her step dad and it made me feel awkward, but he is there to show the little girl it's ok and he is happy for them.
May 10, 2013
Pinky's mom is getting remarried, and although she loves her new stepfather, Jim, she feels sad that her mom and dad will never be together again. Nice illustrations, and a child dealing with remarriage would probably benefit from this story. Nice to see that the mom and dad kept up a happy, cordial relationship after the divorce.
March 28, 2012
I love this book. It was about a single parent getting married and her child being a part of her big day. The child learns how to deal with having a step father and enjoys seeing how her father and step father being good friends. I would recommend this book to anyone.
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December 9, 2013Many students today will face the issue of their parents getting re-married. This book helps face the questions many children might have. It is a great book to use for helping children understand the situation they are in a little better. It lets them know they are not alone in this journey.
April 23, 2012
I experienced it.
May 1, 2018
divorce, parents remarried
The push and pull associated with having a divorced parent get remarried.
The push and pull associated with having a divorced parent get remarried.
November 2, 2014
Read with Emma using the Reading Rainbow app. Rating is hers. A sensitive story for children experiencing a parent's remarriage.
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July 3, 2008E Bun
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews