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ME AND MY DYSPHORIA MONSTER

Name: ME AND MY DYSPHORIA MONSTER
Author: Laura Kate Dale
ISBN: 978-1-83997-092-4

AN EMPOWERING STORY TO HELP CHILDREN COPE WITH GENDER DYSPHORIA

by Laura Kate Dale ; illustrated by Hui Qing Ang ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 18, 2022

A charming book for trans kids and those seeking to build understanding.

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Nisha, a young trans girl, discusses her experience living with gender dysphoria.

A floating monster that resembles outer space is the visual metaphor for the protagonist’s nebulous but crushing feeling of gender dysphoria. Nisha, who is brown-skinned, is not sure exactly what is going on, but she knows she hates being called a boy. In a heartbreakingly authentic moment, she laments that the monster only listens to other people, not her own pleas for it to go away. Her mother, who is brown-skinned, and her father, who is light-skinned, introduce her to Jack, an Asian-presenting trans man with his own dysphoria monster—except his, a cute little frog sitting on his shoulder, doesn’t cause him too much trouble. After getting some guidance from Jack and then talking to her parents, Nisha begins using she/her/hers pronouns and using the girls’ restroom at school; soon, her monster shrinks to a little squidlike creature that is still present but is much easier to manage. This book will speak to and delight trans children of various experiences, though it does rely somewhat on the visual shorthand of gender stereotypes (flouncy dresses being associated with girlhood, for instance), and at one point, Nisha is told she seems much taller and has a much deeper voice than most girls—traits that wouldn’t apply to a child her age. Still, the lesson is uplifting while still being realistic, and the text flows easily except for an awkward tense change at one point. The illustrations are cute and colorful, with a high-contrast cartoony style. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A charming book for trans kids and those seeking to build understanding. (explanation of terminology and information on gender identity for adults) (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: Aug. 18, 2022

ISBN: 978-1-83997-092-4

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Jessica Kingsley Publishers

Review Posted Online: July 12, 2022

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2022

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- PERSPECTIVES
6 Picture Books That Affirm Kids of All Genders

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ON THE FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN

by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Laura Hughes ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 21, 2016

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...

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Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol.

The typical firsts of school are here: riding the bus, making friends, sliding on the playground slide, counting, sorting shapes, laughing at lunch, painting, singing, reading, running, jumping rope, and going on a field trip. While the days are given ordinal numbers, the song skips the cardinal numbers in the verses, and the rhythm is sometimes off: “On the second day of kindergarten / I thought it was so cool / making lots of friends / and riding the bus to my school!” The narrator is a white brunette who wears either a tunic or a dress each day, making her pretty easy to differentiate from her classmates, a nice mix in terms of race; two students even sport glasses. The children in the ink, paint, and collage digital spreads show a variety of emotions, but most are happy to be at school, and the surroundings will be familiar to those who have made an orientation visit to their own schools.

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), it basically gets the job done. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: June 21, 2016

ISBN: 978-0-06-234834-0

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016

Categories:

CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
ON THE FIRST DAY OF FIRST GRADE
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Sarah Jennings

- BOOK REVIEW
FIVE LITTLE BUNNIES
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Dan Yaccarino

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IT'S NOT EASY BEING A GHOST

From the It's Not Easy Being series

by Marilyn Sadler ; illustrated by Stephanie Laberis ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 13, 2024

Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet.

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A ghost longs to be scary, but none of the creepy personas she tries on fit.

Misty, a feline ghost with big green eyes and long whiskers, wants to be the frightening presence that her haunted house calls for, but sadly, she’s “too cute to be spooky.” She dons toilet paper to resemble a mummy, attempts to fly on a broom like a witch, and howls at the moon like a werewolf. Nothing works. She heads to a Halloween party dressed reluctantly as herself. When she arrives, her friends’ joyful screams reassure her that she’s great just as she is. Sadler’s message, though a familiar one, is delivered effectively in a charming, ghostly package. Misty truly is too precious to be frightening. Laberis depicts an endearingly spooky, all-animal cast—a frog witch, for instance, and a crocodilian mummy. Misty’s sidekick, a cheery little bat who lends support throughout, might be even more adorable than she is. Though Misty’s haunted house is filled with cobwebs and surrounded by jagged, leafless trees, the charming characters keep things from ever getting too frightening. The images will encourage lingering looks. Clearly, there’s plenty that makes Misty special just as she is—a takeaway that adults sharing the book with their little ones should be sure to drive home.

Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet. (Picture book. 4-6)