7th Grader Creates Spanish Edition of LGBTQ-Inclusive Picture Book

The Different Dragon features a child with two-moms but isn’t “about” them being a two-mom family—and is now available in a Spanish translation by an inspired seventh-grade student!

Seventh grader Alba Clark expressed an interest in translation, author Jennifer Bryan tells us at her blog, so her Spanish teacher Pamela Torres suggested she try The Different Dragon. Clark and Torres worked closely “to honor the intention of the original story,” which is now available from the same publisher, Two Lives Publishing, as El Dragón Diferente.

Clark, now in eighth grade, was born in Spain, attends school in Massachusetts, and lives with her parents and sister in New Hampshire. She hopes El Dragón Diferent “will bring messages of gay rights and the new roles of children to a very eager Spain.”

The English version of the book was featured in a lesson plan from GLSEN, “Respecting Families Nurtures Everyone!” The “gay rights” message of the book is implied, not explicit, however—and that’s a fine thing, as we need books of both types. The protagonist, Noah, is a little boy who weaves a bedtime tale of magic and dragons with one of his mothers, Go-Ma. The two create a story about a dragon who doesn’t want to be fierce anymore, and a little boy who tells him “There are lots of different ways to be a dragon. . . . You can be however you want.” That’s a worthy message in itself—but for children, the best part of the book may be the pure adventure of it, as Noah sails off in search of dragons, his companion cat by his side.

In my original review of the tale, I wrote, “The strength of the book is how Bryan perfectly captures the back and forth of storytelling with a young child, with the adult incorporating the child’s suggestions into the narrative.” The Spanish edition, with the same whimsical illustrations by Danamarie Hosler, promises the same delightful adventure to a wider audience.

I’m impressed by Clark’s initiative and by Bryan’s supporting her effort. Bryan knows a thing or two about supporting young people, however. In addition to being a children’s book author and a mom, she has a doctorate in counseling psychology and is founder and principal of Team Finch Consultants, which provides gender and sexuality diversity training for schools. Her book, From the Dress-Up Corner to the Senior Prom: Navigating Gender and Sexuality Diversity in PreK-12 Schools has long been on my list of back-to-school resources and is a good read for parents, teachers, coaches, and anyone else raising, educating, or supervising children. Those wanting a shorter introduction to Bryan’s work should try her recent position paper, “Beyond Tomboys, Sissies, and ‘That’s So Gay.’”

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