For back-to-school time, here are some new and soon-to-be-published picture books with LGBTQ and gender creative characters, all involving schools and classmates. Give them a read as your own kids are heading off to school—or suggest them to teachers and librarians!
What Riley Wore, by Elana K. Arnold and illustrated by Linda Davick (Simon & Schuster), is the winsome tale of a child who delights in playing dress up. On the first day of school, Riley (whose gender is never stated) wears a bunny outfit. Rather than making Riley an object of ridicule, Riley’s soft bunny ears comfort a classmate who was crying. We then see Riley around the neighborhood and at school, switching between a ball gown, a hard hat and overalls, a tutu, and more—outfits that elicit praise from other children and Riley’s teacher.
At one point, another child asks, “Are you a girl or a boy?” and Riley simply answers “Today I’m a firefighter. And a dancer,” and several other fanciful things. The other child responds, “Want to play?” Arnold refreshingly conveys a message of acceptance without raising issues of teasing or bullying—important issues, but too often the only narrative told about children expressing gender creativity. The completely positive outlook makes this book stand out. (Due out August 27, but available for pre-order.)
In Ogilvy, by Deborah Underwood (Henry Holt), the titular and gender ambiguous bunny is excited about meeting other children in a new town. Ogilvy’s medium-length garment confuses them, however, and they tell Ogilvy, “Bunnies in dresses play ball and knit socks,” but “Bunnies in sweaters make art and climb rocks.” Underwood smartly doesn’t divide the activities here along traditional gender lines, helping readers see the absurdity of such divisions. Ogilvy relabels the outfit at will and plays accordingly, until one day the other bunnies demand a fixed choice.
Ogilvy finds self-confidence, speaks out, and convinces the other bunnies that everyone benefits from wearing and doing what they choose. The rhymes have a clear echo of Dr. Seuss and T. L. McBeth’s simple illustrations evoke Mo Willems, but the story blends its influences into an original tale whose combination of message and merriment should find many fans.
More heavy handed is Dazzling Travis: A Story About Being Confident & Original, by Hannah Carmona Dias and illustrated by Brenda Figueroa (Cardinal Rule Press). “Dresses and armor: Pink, black, or green. I pretend I’m a knight, a king or a queen,” proclaims Travis, a young Black boy.
Some of his classmates, however, nastily tell him that boys and girls must each play with different things. A few others, who express gender creativity themselves, remain silent. Travis summons his courage and explains to the bullies, over several pages, why they are wrong. “It’s not weird or strange to express the true you,” he concludes. The message is good, but it’s a bit pedantic, and many of the rhymes feel forced.
At the end there are short bios of several real people who “struggled against the opinions of others,” including 19th-century baseball player Elizabeth Stride, dancer Fernando Bujones, designer Coco Chanel, and writer Langston Hughes. More contemporary choices might resonate better with likely readers (and Chanel’s connections with Nazis make her a dubious choice). Still, many may appreciate Travis’ self-confidence in the face of bullying (not to mention his dazzling style).
Sam!, by Dani Gabriel (Penny Candy Books), with illustrations by Robert Liu-Trujillo, is the tale of a nine-year-old transgender boy “filled with dreams and spirit and laughter.” After he hears another boy in his class say “Boys are born a certain way and girls are born a certain way,” however, he is sad and scared. He confides in his older sister Maggie (although she can sometimes be annoying) that he’s not a girl like people think, but a boy. “Was I born wrong?” he asks.
Maggie assures him otherwise. She supports him at school and encourages him to tell their parents. They immediately accept him, but also acknowledge they all have a lot to learn together. More than anything, though, their pride in him shines through. Some kids tease him, but with Maggie’s support, he continues to play, succeed in school, and dream.
Sam and his family could be read as Latino and they live in a racially diverse neighborhood. Robert Liu-Trujillo’s soft watercolor illustrations bring out the characters’ emotions in this warm story of sibling support and family love. (Due out September 10, 2019, but available for pre-order.)
My Footprints, by Bao Phi and illustrated by Basia Tran (Capstone), a Vietnamese American girl finds solace in nature and in her imagination after being teased by classmates about her two moms and her racial/ethnic origins. She imitates a cardinal and envisions flying away like a bird; she growls like a bear.
Momma Arti and Momma Ngoc join her in pretending, “because we’re stronger together.” Momma Ngoc suggests a phoenix, which we learn in an afterward has both Eastern and Western origins, just like Momma Ngoc. Momma Arti suggests the “part lion, part bird” Sarabha from her Hindu heritage. Thuy then makes up her own creature—one that is “both a boy and a girl” and whose skin changes “from black to light brown to lighter and back to black—not to hide, but because it always wants to be different shades of pretty.” One could buy the book for that empowering line alone.
Phi, a poet and author whose awards include a Caldecott Honor and an Ezra Jack Keats Honor, has crafted a lyrical tale about the power of imagination and finding strength in family and cultural heritage. It’s also notable as one of few LGBTQ-inclusive picture books to focus on Asian characters. Consider this a must-have for any LGBTQ kids’ collection. (Due out October 3, 2019, but available for pre-order.)
Even More LGBTQ-Inclusive Books Involving Schools
I didn’t have space to include these in the print version of this article, but here are a number of older books involving school situations and LGBTQ or gender creative children:
Family Structure
Heather Has Two Mommies, by Lesléa Newman and illustrated by Laura Cornell (Candlewick, 2016), is an updated edition of the classic, with bright new illustrations and a cheerier take on Heather’s encounter with different types of families. Heather is excited about her first day of school, but when she hears some other children talking about their daddies, she wonders if she is the only child without one. The teacher then sweeps the whole class up into a joyous exploration of their varied families, where they learn that the most important thing is that the members of a family love each other.
Stella Brings the Family, by Miriam B. Schiffer and illustrated by Holly Clifton-Brown (Chronicle, 2015), stars a girl with two dads trying to figure out who to bring as a class guest on Mother’s Day. Some of the other kids ask curious but not mean questions about her family, and it turns out that she’s not the only one without a mom at the class party. Her solution—to bring all of the many people who support her—is sweet and clever.
All Are Welcome, by Alexandra Penfold and illustrated by Suzanne Kaufman (Knopf, 2018), shows a group of children, diverse in race/ethnicity, religion, gender, and physical ability, who interact and play during their day at school, after their many different kinds of parents, including same-sex ones, walk them there.
In All Families Invited, by Kathleen Goodman and illustrated by Jo Edwards (Kathleen Goodman, 2019), a girl who lives with her single mother tries to make her school’s Father-Daughter Dance more inclusive. One of her friends has two moms; another lives with an aunt and uncle. An earnest tale of kids making change, though part of me wishes the girl’s mom had been more engaged.
A Family Is a Family Is a Family, by Sara O’Leary and illustrated by Qin Leng (Groundwood 2016), gives us the viewpoint of one child who hesitates as a teacher asks the children in her class what makes their families special. Others give many different answers, showing many types of families, including ones with two moms and two dads. The child narrating finally gets comfortable enough to share a story about her foster parents. Done with a light, non-pedantic touch, and many gently humorous family situations.
Gender Identity and Expression
In Morris Micklewhite and the Tangerine Dress, by Christine Baldacchino and illustrated by Isabelle Malenfant (Groundwood, 2014), Morris loves wearing a dress during school dress-up time, but the other kids tease him for it. His mom lets him stay home one day, however, when he lets his imagination soar and gains the confidence to return. Bladacchino is an early childhood educator herself, and wrote the book after being inspired by a child she knew in a prekindergarten program.
Jacob’s New Dress, by Sarah and Ian Hoffman (Albert Whitman, 2014), is the story of a young boy who wants to wear a dress and be a princess during dress-up time in school. He later wants to wear a dress to school as his regular outfit. Despite the teasing of one classmate, he finds support in his parents, teacher, and a friend—and his mom tells him, “There are all sorts of ways to be a boy.” In the sequel, Jacob’s Room to Choose, Jacob wants to use the boys’ restroom, while his friend Sophie, wearing khaki pants and a button-down shirt, wants to use the girls’. They are each chased out by other students, but their teacher helps the class learn and find a solution that welcomes all.
Jamie Is Jamie: A Book About Being Yourself and Playing Your Way, by Afsaneh Moradian and illustrated by Maria Bogade (Free Spirit, 2018) is both a warm-hearted book about a gender expansive child and a reminder to all children that there are no hard and fast rules about what children of different genders can do or with whom they can play. Jamie—gender unidentified—explores a new school and plays with both boys and girls doing traditional “boy” and “girl” activities like racing cars and dancing ballet. The other children are somewhat puzzled (but not negative) about whether Jamie is a boy or a girl. In the end, they not only accept Jamie, but learn to expand their own ideas of how they play.
I Am Jazz, by Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings, illustrated by Shelagh McNicholas (Dian, 2014), is the true story of Jennings’ experience growing up as a transgender girl, told from her perspective. It shows family life as much as school life, but includes some pages about how Jennings must deal with classmates and teachers who misgender her. After her parents speak with a doctor about what it means to be transgender, they come to support her.
Made by Raffi, by Craig Pomranz and illustrated by Margaret Chamberlain (Frances Lincoln, 2016), starts with a boy getting teased by classmates for liking to knit and not liking traditional “boy” activities. He eventually wins their support by saving the day at the school pageant, and imagines becoming a fashion designer. A sweet story with a happy ending.
Annie’s Plaid Shirt, by Stacy B. Davids and illustrated by Rachael Balsaitis (Upswing, 2015) is one of the few picture books about a gender creative child assigned female at birth. Annie loves her plaid shirt, which she wears everywhere, including school. She doesn’t want to wear a dress to her uncle’s wedding, as her mom requests. Ultimately, she comes up with a solution that is both respectful of the occasion and fits her identity.
One of A Kind, Like Me/Único como yo, by Laurin Mayeno and illustrated by Robert Liu-Trujillo (Blood Orange Press, 2016) is the bilingual story of a boy who wants to wear a purple dress to a school parade. His family is supportive and his mother helps him create the princess dress of his dreams.
A House for Everyone: A Story to Help Children Learn about Gender Identity and Gender Expression, by Jo Hirst and illustrated by Naomi Bardoff (Jessica Kingsley, 2018), shows friends of various gender identities and expressions gathering together at school to build a house. A simple book showing some of the many facets of gender.
Phoenix Goes to School: A Story to Support Transgender and Gender Diverse Children, by Michelle Finch and Phoenix Finch, illustrated by Sharon Davey (Jessica Kingsley, 2018), is a very matter-of-fact story by a mom and her seven-year-old transgender daughter, loosely based on their own life.
Be Who You Are, by Jennifer Carr and illustrated by Ben Rumback (AuthorHouse, 2010), is the story of a transgender girl coming out and transitioning. Her teacher doesn’t honor her female identity. When the girl tells her parents, however, they are supportive, however (as is her brother), and help her navigate her transition.
In Are You a Boy or Are You a Girl? by Sarah Savage and illustrated by Fox Fisher (Jessica Kingsley, 2017), a gender nonbinary child named Tiny moves to a new town and is asked the titular question by classmates. One bully says, “Tiny is not a he. Tiny is not a she. Tiny is an it!” which could be scary for young readers. Nevertheless, Tiny remains confident in themselves and refuses to be labeled other than “I am me!” and that’s a great takeaway.
For more LGBTQ back-to-school resources for parents and educators, see my annual list.
(Originally published as my Mombian newspaper column.)
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