i was inclined to give this four stars instead, but the comfort of this book is unparalleled to anything else (in recent memory) that i've read. not even michael ende's momo comes close to how comforting this book is. i've issue with the dialogue which feels... uh, to put it kindly, it feels too idealistic? that's not criticism per se, because this book fosters an environment where that idealism can thrive. so i don't even know what my point is. anyway, what i appreciate incredibly much about this book is how it's not fatphobic at all, how the romance between the men feels believable and is so gently, so carefully developed, how the children do actually delight (minus the parts where the writing feels too on-the-nose in the way it tries to convey to us that these children are delightful), and this is just a story about being comfortable in your skin and acceptance. which i immensely appreciate.