“Dresses and armor: Pink, black, or green. I pretend I’m a knight, a king or a queen,” proclaims Travis, a young Black boy. Some of his classmates, however, nastily tell him that boys and girls must each play with different things. A few others, who express gender creativity themselves, remain silent. Travis summons his courage and explains to the bullies, over several pages, why they are wrong. “It’s not weird or strange to express the true you,” he concludes. The message is good and it’s wonderful to see a protagonist of color, but the narrative borders on pedantic, and many of the rhymes feel forced.
Also available in Spanish.
