One of the earliest picture books to depict a gender-creative boy, this story follows William, who wanted a doll to hug and cradle, “just as though he were its father.” His brother tells him, “Don’t be a creep,” and the boy next door calls him “Sissy, sissy.”
His father suggests a basketball instead, and installs a net. William practices, and even though he got good at it, he still wanted a doll. His father tried a train set, which William played with a lot—but William still wanted a doll.
Finally, his grandmother comes to visit. William shows her his basketball skills and his train, but expresses that he really wants a doll. “Wonderful,” says his grandmother. William protests that he’ll get teased. “Nonsense,” she replies. She goes to the store and buys him a doll.
His father protests that with a basketball, train, and workbench, “Why does he need a doll?”
The grandmother wisely replies that he needs a doll, “so that when he’s a father like you, he’ll know how to take care of his baby.”
The book was an American Library Association Notable Children’s Book; School Library Journal called it “a landmark book.” The harsh treatment of William by the other children and the clear bias against the doll that his father displays make this a book today’s parents should use with caution, lest they introduce biases and fears, but for children (and their parents) who have experienced similar situations, the book may still be of value in helping to dispel gender stereotypes.
