A nonbinary child explains how they sometimes feel like both a boy and a girl and sometimes neither; how they found it hard to explain this to others; and how people can use “they” or their name to refer to them. Sometimes people misgender them and disregard what the child feels and needs, but they “stay away and try to remember that they have some learning to do.” They made friends with other “smart, talented, and beautiful nonbinary people,” and do lots of fun things together. The book has a definite pedagogical purpose, but is clear and warm-hearted in its explanations.
What makes this bilingual (English/Spanish) story stand out are the last few pages, in which we see the child, now grown, explaining that they grew up and became a teacher (whom we realize is the author). “I am a nonbinary teacher,” they say, who teaches their students about “respecting all genders,” changing words to make them fit us. Their students call them “Mx. Lourdes” because “I am a mix.” The book ends by encouraging readers to listen to their hearts if they ever don’t agree with what others say they are—and the rare vision (at least in picture books) of a nonbinary child who grew up into a successful adult may just convince them to do that.
