Calvin has always known he’s a boy. In this sweet and gentle first-person story, he tells readers of his journey as he transitions with the support of his parents, brother, grandparents, friends, and teacher. Unlike many stories of transgender children, this one involves no one questioning or bullying the child.
In accessible, spare prose, Calvin initially wonders how his family will react when he tells them he is a boy. His parents, brother, and grandparents offer nothing but love and support, however, as they buy him boys’ clothing, give him a boys’ haircut, and use his new name. Calvin then worries about what will happen at school, but feels “safe and happy” when on the first day, the principal calls him “Calvin.” A friend does, too, and we learn that Calvin’s dad has spoken with her parents in advance. Calvin then finds the name “Calvin” already on his classroom cubby, lunch chart, and desk—“Everywhere it should be.” He introduces himself to the whole class and spells his name with pride.
Authors JR and Vanessa Ford, parents of a transgender child themselves, deftly capture Calvin’s quiet joy in becoming himself. Kayla Harren’s illustrations depict Calvin as a big-eyed, adorable child whose smile becomes bigger as the story goes on. Calvin’s dad and mom are Black and White, respectively (like the Fords); Calvin is biracial. The grandparents we see in the story are Black. The children in his class are a range of racial and ethnic identities.
As Vanessa Ford explained to me in an interview, the book “shows the necessity of having a community around trans youth, that when one child transitions, others transition alongside that child, and that it takes a community to ensure that they are safe and protected.”
