My Own Way
Celebrating Gender Freedom for Kids
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- $9.99
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
Small children are often asked to choose between a gendered binary–"boy" or "girl", "pink" or "blue". This colorful picture book smashes these stereotypes and encourages the reader to follow their own way!
"Girl or Boy?"
What brings you joy?
"Pink or blue?"
It’s up to you.
With vibrant illustrations and concise, poetic text, this powerful book teaches young children that there are no limits in what you can do and who you can be. You are unique!
Translated from the original Portuguese by award-winning transgender poet Jay Hulme, My Own Way is an important, timely, and beautiful celebration of identity, difference, and respect.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Estrela's simple rhyming text reminds readers that "everyone has their own way" when considering personal identity, indicating that the most significant part of oneself is not appearance-based at all: "Boy or girl? None or both?// It's your heart that matters most." Snappy lines in an all-capitalized font bookend dynamic images of characters with mostly surreal skin colors partaking in everyday activities against textured monochrome backgrounds: eating ice cream, playing soccer, and more, all rendered in wax crayon and digitally in an eye-catching, contemporary art–reminiscent palette. "You can see the different faces,// but the rest is theirs to say," one spread reads, portraying a grid of stamp-like faces with minimalist features and doodle-like hairstyles. Though the book largely uses binary pronouns when referencing individual figures, it's a broadly encouraging guide to considering gender identity. Ages 3–6.
