The French/English edition of It’s a They, translated by Rachel Martinez. Review is of the English edition.
A warm and cozy board book that welcomes a new baby without applying gender labels.
As the pages reveal close-up photos of new babies and their young siblings, the rhyming text provides commentary from the siblings’ points of view. They tell of a new baby who is small and soft and fun to snuggle. Is the baby a brother or sister? “They’re our sibling,” is the reply. On one page, the sibling ponders if the baby will use he, she, or always they, and leaves the question unanswered. And when people ask if the baby is a girl or a boy, the sibling responds, “We aren’t sure of their gender yet—and they bring us so much joy.” The family will “love them just as they are” no matter who they become.
The openness to all genders is obviously one draw of this book, but the adorable photos are another. They show babies and children of various racial and ethnic identities as they play and cuddle and simply look at each other. Even families that don’t choose to use gender-neutral pronouns for their new arrivals may appreciate this little volume for the love and possibilities it captures.
