A helpful picture book about the increasingly important topic of being an ally in the face of anti-LGBTQ harassment.
When Joy’s beloved brother Noah and his boyfriend Miguel are harassed for being gay, Joy feels angry and scared. She wants to do something, but isn’t sure how. Her mother explains what it means to be an ally, “a friend. Someone who stands up for people. Allies support others with words and actions.” An ally might raise money for the local teen center, she offers as an example (somewhat confusingly calling it “Noah and Miguel’s Teen Center,” as if they own it).
Joy enlists the aid of several friends in creating a bake sale for the Teen Center. She checks in with Noah, whose smile “wasn’t as sparkly as usual,” to make sure he approves of her plan—a nice reminder that allies should make sure that their actions are actually helping those they are trying to help.
Joy and Noah’s mom and dad both assist in setting things up for the sale of rainbow-striped cookies. A crowd gathers to buy them—but then the bully shows up again. Joy summons her courage and confronts him directly, modeling for readers that allyship is more than just fundraising, but also means speaking up. All of the allies at the bake sale link arms, forming a quiet wall that turns the bully away.
A woman comes up to thank them, noting, “There are still people who think folks like me don’t belong,” but that allies are helping to make things better. The allies celebrate, and Joy notices that Noah’s smile is back.
Adults should be aware that the bully’s taunts are harsh; he says, “Hey freaks! We don’t want you around here.” Some of his friends say “mean words about gay people.” In the context of the book, it makes sense that such language is used, but adults should be prepared to answer children’s questions about why the bullies say such things.
Author Frank Sileo is a licensed psychologist, and it’s no surprise that he portrays Joy’s emotions—happy, angry, scared, defiant—with care. A “Note to Grown Up Allies” at the end further clarifies the key point that the book is meant “to assist children in understanding what it means to be an ally to people and groups they are not a part of.” That last part is important. Allyship is different from simply helping a friend whose identities one shares.
In the backmatter, Sileo also offers suggestions for ways adults can model allyship, learn more about LGBTQIA+ topics, show supportive allyship in multiple ways, be an intersectional ally, avoid performative allyship, and more.
Discussion questions at the end provide further guidance for adults reading the book with young people—and there’s plenty to discuss. This book can be a helpful tool in having those conversations, which are increasingly necessary in today’s world. As actor Vanessa Williams says in her foreword to the book, “Let’s start as early as we can as parents and mentors, and set beautiful examples.”
Joy, her family, and the bully are biracial (Asian/White); other members of their community, including Joy’s best friend, are people of color.
