National Coming Out Day is this week, and I’m celebrating with reviews of several new LGBTQ-inclusive children’s books that are coming out! The first—part of a partnership to increase LGBTQ-inclusive children’s books—is about a girl learning to understand her transgender sibling.
Jack (Not Jackie), by Erica Silverman, published today, is the second book to come from the partnership between LGBTQ media advocacy organization GLAAD and Bonnier Publishing USA. In this story, engagingly illustrated by Holly Hatam, a young girl named Susan shares her feelings of delight about her new baby sister, Jackie. As Jackie gets older, though, Susan begins to realize that they don’t like to play the same ways. Jackie loves mud; Susan doesn’t. Susan wants to play “forest fairies” or explorers; Jackie prefers a superhero cape. What Jackie really doesn’t like is wearing a dress, preferring to don their dad’s hat and vest.
Susan struggles to understand Jackie’s desire to wear boys’ clothes, but their mom assures her it’s not wrong, “Just different.” Eventually, Susan learns that her sibling has been telling new friends to call him “Jack.” When Jack asks their mother for a short haircut and declares “I am a boy,” their mother is accepting, but Susan wants her sister back. After a few pages of reflection, however, Susan comes to realize she still loves her sibling, either way.
There’s much to like about this story. The first-person perspective draws readers in and establishes an immediate connection to Susan and her world, taking us along on her journey to understanding. It’s also one of few picture books about transgender and gender creative children that includes a trans boy rather than a trans girl.
In many ways, it is a complement to Sparkle Boy, the 2017 book by Lesléa Newman about Casey, a boy who wants to wear a skirt, sparkly jewelry, and nail polish, and whose sister comes to understand and speak up for him. Sparkle Boy includes some older kids who laugh at Casey and say “You look weird,” though, which could be disturbing for some young readers; Jack (Not Jackie) steers clear of such teasing. Additionally, Casey appears to be gender creative, not trans, though; he insists he’s a boy. Jack, however, is trans, as an Author’s Note makes clear. That doesn’t make one better or worse; I mention it since some readers will be seeking books that resonate with their (or their child’s) experience, one way or the other.
Like Sparkle Boy, Jack (Not Jackie) deals gently with the sibling’s initial perplexity about gender identity and expression. Even though Susan doesn’t immediately understand Jack’s gender identity, she is never mean to him about it, barring one relatively minor incident in which she tries to pull a tie away. Contrast this with Marcus Ewert’s 10,000 Dresses, which deserves acclaim for being the first picture book with a transgender character (in 2008), but in which protagonist Bailey’s brother calls her dress-wearing “gross” and threatens to kick her.
Like the parents in Sparkle Boy, too, Jack and Susan’s mother is also unfailingly supportive of Jack’s emerging gender identity. (Their dad is a lesser character in the story, merely remarking at one point that Jack (then still called Jackie) does not like wearing a dress.)
Jack (Not Jackie)Â feels aimed at the siblings of trans boys more than trans boys themselves, but that’s not a bad thing (although we need more books of both types). A greater understanding of gender identity will benefit all—and all should relate to the story’s lesson of learning and love.
As with the first book in the GLAAD/Bonnier partnership, Prince & Knight
Images provided by little bee books/Bonnier Publishing USA. Text copyright 2018 by Erica Silverman. Illustrations copyright 2018 by Holly Hatam.