Pink, Blue, and You! Questions for Kids About Gender Stereotypes

Collaborating with Blais, who is transgender, author-illustrator Gravel offers an examination of gender stereotypes, employing a series of probing questions and speech bubbles that invite readers to consider gender identity and its attendant connotations: “Look at these pictures. Are some for girls? Are some for boys? Are some for everyone?” (Images include “blue things,” “pink things,” “makeup,” and “trucks.”) Definitions and examples of sex, gender identity, pronouns, and more are explained concisely, followed by historical examples of exclusionary laws, rules, and social mores, such as legislature against marriage equality. Brief inclusion of real-life trailblazers—including Sarah McBride, the first transgender woman elected to the state senate—also feature. The book occasionally feels wide-ranging, but Gravel’s distinctive bug-eyed cartoons, rendered in pen and ink and digitally, imbue levity. Back matter includes fun facts about gender and clothing. Ages 4–8. (Mar.)