Three new children’s books, published in the past few months, take a celebratory and varied look at how people may express gender and question its usual boundaries.
Julián Is a Mermaid
, by Jessica Love (Candlewick), succeeds on multiple levels, from the absolutely gorgeous illustrations of Julián imagining life as a mermaid, to the depiction of a Afro-Latinx family (because we need LGBTQ-inclusive children’s books to be diverse in other ways, too), to the constant support from his abuela. When Julián’s imaginings lead to dressing up as one of the adored mermaids, Julián’s abuela offers a necklace and they go to a festival of grown people dressed as mermaids (modeled after the actual Coney Island Mermaid Parade). Love moves between Julián’s imaginings and the details of the real world with grace. Love does start the book with “This is a boy named Julián,” so it seems more about a gender creative boy than a transgender girl—but of course, readers can imagine Julián’s future in many directions, with growing maturity and self-awareness.
While many have seen the book as a model of acceptance, others have criticized it for having an “intrusive gaze” (Love is White and cisgender) and “minimiz[ing] the real struggle LBGTQ members face in Caribbean culture where many of them are not accepted by society as they are in America.” As a White, cisgender reviewer, this is not my evaluation to make; I hope readers will make their own after weighing multiple perspectives.
Pink Is for Boys
, written by Robb Pearlman and illustrated by Eda Kaban (Running Press Kids/Hachette), takes us through the basic colors, including but not limited to pink and blue, and shows us in cheery, racially diverse spreads how each color is for both girls and boys. It also demonstrates how both boys and girls can take part in a range of activities, from dancing to go-cart racing. There’s no plot per se, but Pearlman nevertheless creates rhythm and motion and adds the occasional fun twist, such as when he tells us, “Purple is for boys. And girls./And unicorns, because … unicorns!” There are no overtly queer characters, but between the unicorns and a rainbow at the end, plus the overall theme, the book easily fits into the category of LGBTQ-inclusive picture books, while also appealing to a wider range of people. One senses that that’s exactly what Pearlman, who lives with his husband in New Jersey, intended. The overall message of being yourself regardless of gender comes through clearly, though nonbinary folks may wish the boy/girl dichotomy wasn’t so strong.
Teddy’s Favorite Toy
, written by Christian Trimmer and illustrated by Madeline Valentine (Atheneum) tells the story of a boy whose favorite toy is his doll, “Bren-Da, Warrior Queen of Pacifica.” When she breaks, his mother mistakenly throws her away, but then comes to the rescue with her own super skills to get her back. I particularly appreciate that this story tells us not only of a gender expansive boy, but of a doll in a pink dress who isn’t a typical “princess.” She’s more Xena than Cinderella, reminding us that there are many ways to view the complexities of gender.
Buy these books for Pride (or anytime), or urge your local library to stock them!
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Three new children’s books, published in the past few months, take a celebratory and varied look at how people may express gender and question its usual boundaries.