Title: When Aidan Becomes a Brother
Author: Kyle Lukoff
Illustrator: Kaylani Juanita
Publisher: Lee & Low Books, 2019
This is another book that I learned about from Matthew Winner while I was out at Highlights Foundation Summer Camp. I love that Matthew strives to share books for underrepresented groups. You can listen to the podcast here.
Opening Lines: When Aidan was born, everyone thought he was a girl. His parents gave him a pretty name. His room looked like a girl's room.
Why I love this book:
Aidan's story is not just about his getting a new sibling, but about how everyone thought Aidan was a girl when he was born, but he felt and knew that he was a boy. His parents came to terms with this realization and accepted him for who he is. When Aidan finds out he is going to become a brother, he wants to make sure that the new baby is welcome and given the opportunity to figure out who they will be.
I believe that all children should feel comfortable in their own skin. OK, I believe everyone should feel comfortable in their own skin and that works best when it starts early. This book is all about a family feeling comfortable in their skin. Life is not perfect, but when we recognize our mistakes and take steps to fix them, we make the world a better place; a more comfortable place for everyone to live happy full lives.
I like that this story is specifically about a child recognizing his gender doesn't match his body. There are many books about boys who want to wear dresses and they are wonderful for all children to see that it's OK to dress in girls clothes if you are a boy and boys clothes if you are a girl. Those books tell a child it's OK to be who you are and to discover yourself through dress-up and play. This book is about knowing who you are and being accepted for being that person.
I admit that I never wondered who I was in terms of gender. I'm a girl with a bunch of what would have been considered tomboy tendencies. (I like science and nature. I loved climbing trees and learning how to use the chain saw and help with cutting down dead trees to use as fire wood.) But I am a girl/woman. I also know that in my life, there were times when others said things that made me feel less than whole. I was teased for my red hair. I didn't find out I was adopted until I was 13 years old and even after that it was a family secret. So while I always felt like my gender matched my physical body, I often struggled to feel accepted in the world.
If you know someone who feels unaccepted for who they are, hug them, and let them know that they are perfect, loved, and they belong. Share this book with them.
Activities and Resources:
A book list:
https://www.nypl.org/blog/2019/06/27/childrens-picture-books-trans-gender
To understand Transgender identity:
https://www.apa.org/topics/lgbt/transgender
https://transequality.org/issues/resources/questionable-questions-about-transgender-identity
With kids:
Have a conversation about the things that make the child not feel like they fit in. Talk about what would make the child feel accepted.
Be sure to check out Susanna Hill's Blog where you can look for reviews by book, title, and by themes. And you can check out her weekly #PPBF post along with links to many more wonderful posts here.
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