Pink, Blue, and You!: Questions for Kids about Gender Stereotypes

by Elise Gravel, Mykaell Blais

Overview

Simple, accessible, and direct, this picture book is perfect for kids and parents or teachers to read together, opening the door to conversations about gender stereotypes and everyone's right to be their true selves.


Is it okay for boys to cry? Can girls be strong? Should girls and boys be given different toys to play with and different clothes to wear? Should we all feel free to love whoever we choose to love? In this incredibly kid-friendly and easy-to-grasp picture book, author-illustrator Elise Gravel and transgender collaborator Mykaell Blais raise these questions and others relating to gender roles, acceptance, and stereotyping.

With its simple language, colorful illustrations, engaging backmatter that showcases how "appropriate" male and female fashion has changed through history, and even a poster kids can hang on their wall, here is the ideal tool to help in conversations about a multi-layered and important topic.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780593178638
Publisher:	Random House Children's Books
Publication date:	03/08/2022
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	637,816
Product dimensions:	8.20(w) x 10.20(h) x 0.60(d)
Lexile:	AD690L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Elise Gravel is the creator the Olga series and the Disgusting Critters series as well as I Want a Monster, The Cranky Ballerina, and What Is a Refugee?, which School Library Journal called "effective and compassionate." Elise studied graphic design at Le Collège d'Enseignement Général et Professional and has since published numerous picture books, including La clé à molette, which won the Governor General's Literary Award for illustration. Her books have been translated into twelve languages. Elise is inspired by social causes and lives in Montreal with her husband and two children.

Mykaell Blais (he/him) works as a training coordinator for GRIS-Quebec, the Research and Social Intervention Group, a nonprofit community organization and support program for LGBTQ+ kids and young adults. It aims to demystify stereotypes about sexual orientation and gender identity by raising awareness in schools. Being a transmasculine person himself, Mykaell would have loved to read this book in his youth, to celebrate his uniqueness. Learn more at grisquebec.org.

Editorial Reviews

01/31/2022

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.)

Publishers Weekly

★ "Wildly appealing, and the comic-style presentation helps to endear the book to readers... thoughtful, engaging, and visually bright." —School Library Journal, starred review

From the Publisher

★ 02/01/2022

PreS-Gr 2—In her signature style, Gravel (What Is a Refugee?" and others) and Blais provide an accessible introduction to gender and gender stereotypes. Beginning with smart, open-ended questions, the authors challenge readers to think about gender stereotypes, why they exist, and if they are true or fair. The book progresses to an overview of sex versus gender, complete with helpful visual aids, an exploration of pronouns, and ultimately, a few examples of how gender is treated in different communities. At each step, the authors ask readers what they think and how they feel. This engagement, coupled with the accessible presentation of the material, makes for an excellent resource. The folks depicted throughout vary in appearance, and include many skin tones, ages, and family structures. A few folks wear hijabs, and two others use wheelchairs. Gravel's illustrative style is wildly appealing, and the comic-style presentation helps to endear the book to readers. A slight weakness is the homogeneity of illustrated body type, though this is not enough to diminish the book's overall value. VERDICT Thoughtful, engaging, and visually bright, this is an excellent addition to any library serving preschool and early elementary ages.—Taylor Worley

School Library Journal

2021-12-16
Where do our ideas and assumptions about gender come from, and how might they be holding us back?

Gravel and Blais—who is transgender—invite young readers to reflect on these questions. The book explains the difference between biological sex and gender identity, teaches about gender inclusive pronouns, and offers a capsule history of gender norms, showing how they have varied cross-culturally and throughout time. Children will also learn about the tough realities of gender stereotyping, gender inequality, gender policing, and homophobia. One double-page spread is devoted to affirming the multitude of gendered family structures that exist. The authors unequivocally make the case for gender diversity and gender parity using concrete, kid-friendly examples. Designed to prompt conversation, the book directly poses questions to readers such as “Do you think all people should be allowed to love whoever they want?” and “Should we feel bad about doing the things we like?” This strategy is mostly effective but at times undermines the potential for emotional resonance. Little attention is paid to social movements oriented around gender issues, although a few individual changemakers, like Malala Yousafzai, are highlighted. Unfortunately, the text often feels like an exercise in preaching to the choir; transphobes and critics of gender ideology aren't likely to be convinced that this rather didactic book holds value for youngsters in their care. Gravel’s colorful but not very saturated webcomics-style illustrations have strong visual appeal with their pithy speech bubbles, frameless panels, and interactive elements.

An emollient and digestible distillation of complex issues. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews