Several books about a child with a trans sibling focus on the child learning to understand and accept their sibling’s trans identity (Sam Is My Sister; Sparkle Boy; Jack (Not Jackie); My Sister, Daisy). In this debut picture book from Juno Dawson, however, the trope is flipped on its head as the sibling wittily answers peers who wonder what happened to her brother, and shows herself to be an informed and fervent ally.
“Is he lost in the park? Is he scared of the dark?” the children ask, to which the sister responds, “Hey, you need to chill.” The children continue the inquiries over many pages and many fanciful imaginings of what could have happened. Was he eaten by a shark? Taken by aliens?
The sister patiently keeps up the same reply. Finally, she tells them, “Your hysteria is silly. The truth is that my brother Bill … is now my sister Lily.”
While this might have been a shock, she says, “She’s really just the same. She looks a little different and she has a new first name.” She’s still the clever and funny person she always has been, though. If people have a problem with her, the siblings simply tell them—you guessed it—“Hey, you need to chill.”
Dawson is probably best known for her much loved though often-banned young adult title, This Book Is Gay, but is also a novelist, screenwriter, journalist, and columnist. She’s here shown that picture-book writing is also part of her extensive range. I’m a big fan of books that teach through humor rather than pedantry, and this book skillfully uses humor to convey a much-needed message.
If only someone would mail copies not only to every school and library, but also to every politician who could use a little chill time….
