Something to Read: ‘Our Subway Baby,’ written by Peter Mercurio, illustrated by Leo Espinosa

The publisher describes this children’s picture book this way: “Some babies are born into their families. Some are adopted. This is the story of how one baby found his family in the New York City subway.”

So begins the true story of how Kevin found his Daddy Danny and his Papa Pete. Written in a direct address to his son, Pete’s moving and emotional text tells how his partner, Danny, found a baby tucked away in the corner of a subway station on his way home from work one day. Pete and Danny ended up adopting the baby together. Although neither of them had prepared for the prospect of parenthood, they are reminded, “Where there is love, anything is possible.”

When gay marriage became legal, Pete and Danny decided to get married. They asked the judge who had suggested they adopt the baby to preside.

Recently, I ordered about a dozen books including “Our Subway Baby” from Giovanni’s Room, my favorite Philadelphia bookstore. The following Saturday, I got an email from the store’s manager: 

Photo: Rachel Pastan

Just met the author of ‘Our Subway Baby.’ He and his husband are randomly in town visiting their son — the baby found on the subway in the book — now fully grown. It gets even better: The son is a student at Swarthmore College and works in the library! I had him personalize your copy. No extra charge.

I assume the author and his husband were in the area to visit the bookstore (to see if it carried their book) and to visit their son.

The Swarthmore Campus and Community Store has copies in stock, reports manager Paula Dale. The Swarthmore Public Library has it too.

George Huber retired as the Librarian of the Daniel Underhill Music Library at Swarthmore College in 2005. He lives in Swarthmore.