New this week and coming soon: A colorful board book about pronouns, a bilingual (English/Spanish) book about a first same-sex crush, and a lovely middle-grade novel about a queer, Jewish, autistic girl. Read on to learn more!
The Pronoun Book, by Chris Ayala-Kronos, illustrated by Melita Tirado (Clarion): Sometimes simplest is best. This bright board book poses one question: “How do you know what someone wants to be called?” The answer? “Ask.” The book then offers one spread for each of several pronouns, each filled with diverse people who use that pronoun. The final two spreads show the people joyously gathering for a picnic as we read, “All together … us.” The people on the final spreads are also wearing buttons declaring their pronouns, many of which are neopronouns (co, ey, per, xe, ze, xe). Full review (including suggestions for some books about pronouns and gender to read after this one). (Publication was supposed to be March 22, but has been pushed back to April 5; it is available for preorder.)
Chabelita’s Heart: El corazón de Chabelita, by Isabel Millán (Reflection Press): This bilingual (Spanish/English) book adds to the small number of picture book titles about young girls with crushes on other girls, and also gives us a look at Chicanx, Mexican, and Honduran cultures. Chabelita is a Chicanx girl who loves drawing. When a new girl, Jimena, joins her classroom, Chabelita notices that “Her eyes sparkle like stars” and she hopes Jimena will sit with her. Their relationship deepens as they work on a school project together, drawing pictures of Latinx women they admire. The book also weaves in experiences of immigration/deportation and of activism. Centering families of color, with a queer protagonist of color who leans masculine of center, this book offers vital representation for children who share their identities, and also their peers. Full review.
Ellen Outside the Lines, by A. J. Sass (Little, Brown): A story of journeys both real and metaphorical as 13-year-old Ellen Katz, who is Jewish, autistic, and knows she likes girls, is hoping her school trip to Barcelona will help her reconnect with her best friend Laurel. The trip doesn’t turn out to be quite what Ellen imagined, however, as she ends up working on the class scavenger hunt in Barcelona with a group of students that doesn’t include Laurel, but does include a new student, Isa, who is nonbinary.
Sass thoughtfully depicts Ellen’s intersectional and evolving identities against the background of a fun and unfamiliar (for most U.S. readers) locale, with a puzzling scavenger hunt, engaging secondary characters (one of whom comes out as gay), and a gentle dose of humor. Expect awards for this one, and well deserved. Full review.
