A straightforward but warm book explaining various aspects of gender identity. “This is Ruthie,” it begins. “She’s a transgender girl.” The book explains that “everyone thought she was a boy” until she grew old enough to tell them that “she’s actually a girl.” Thorn, the real-life mother of a gender nonconforming child, then introduces us to other children who are cisgender, non-binary, and whose gender identities are changing. The last few pages address the reader directly with advice such as, “Your feelings about your gender are real. Listen to your heart.”
Although the children in the book are fictional, this is less a story and more a straightforward discussion of gender identity. That’s not a criticism; the book is well suited as a way for parents and teachers to introduce the variations of gender identity, and conveys a lot of warmth despite its pedagogical slant.
Transgender and gender creative children, their families, and friends should appreciate having such a book as their compass.
