Explaining Family: Why I Wrote The Mama Cow Book

Every Family Deserves to See Themselves in a Story

When my oldest son was a toddler, he started asking big questions:

“Where did I come from?”
“Who’s my dad?”
“Why don’t we have the same kind of family as my friends?”

I wanted to answer him with love and honesty in a way that felt natural, not heavy or confusing. But when I looked for children’s books that could help, everything I found was either too clinical or skipped over families like ours entirely.

There were endless stories about mom-and-dad households, princesses and princes, and even talking animals with traditional families. But none reflected our story a family built by choice, by love, and by one woman deciding to become a mother on her own terms.

So, I wrote one.

Finding Our Story

The Mama Cow Book began as a bedtime story I told my boys a gentle way to explain that families come in all shapes and sizes, and that every version of love is valid.

I wanted them to know their story wasn’t strange or lesser. It was something to be proud of. Writing it helped me put into words what I’d been showing all along:
that love, intention, and care are what make a family not structure, tradition, or convention.

Because every family’s story deserves to be told.

Why Representation Matters

So many of us grew up reading stories that showed only one version of “normal.” When children never see themselves reflected in books, it sends an unspoken message that their lives don’t belong on the page.

The Mama Cow Book exists to change that even in a small way. It’s not just for single moms by choice. It’s for blended families, adoptive families, LGBTQ+ families, and anyone who wants to show that love can take many forms.

Representation gives kids a sense of belonging. It tells them:
Your story counts, too.

What I Hope This Book Brings

My hope is that parents, teachers, and caregivers can use The Mama Cow Book as a gentle way to start conversations about how families are made, and how love makes us who we are.

It’s also for the kids growing up in homes that look a little different. I want them to smile when they turn the pages to see themselves, feel proud, and know that their story is worth celebrating.

If this book finds its way into your home, I hope it brings comfort, connection, and a quiet reminder:
there’s no single right way to be a family only the way that’s yours.

– Lisa