J.R. Ford

After coming out to his family as transgender, a biracial (half Black, half White) boy thrives.

A young, brown-skinned child who presents as a girl has always felt like a boy inside and wants to be called Calvin. Admitting this openly is scary, but with loving parental support, the child begins to express his true self. He, his mother, and his father spend the summer at his grandparents’ house, a vacation that turns out to be “the best ever.” The family have fun visiting a comic-book show more convention and a waterpark where Calvin gets to wear trunks for the first time and makes a friend with whom he proudly shares his new name. Before school reopens, Calvin’s family helps him shop for boy clothing, and his grandfather cuts off his hair. Calvin worries his classmates won’t accept him, but his friends and teachers readily validate his gender expression, bolstering his confidence and joy. This transition story depicts a community cultivating an affirming environment in which a child can flourish. The first-person narration reveals Calvin’s inner fears, but his identity and transition never cause external conflict, a welcome departure from the problem-focused storylines of other coming-out picture books written by cisgender adults. However, the text emphasizes that Calvin’s gender is in his heart and brain, perpetuating a problematic narrative that divorces transgender people from their bodies. Harren’s warm, expressive illustrations communicate much of the emotion in the story and are populated with diverse background characters who have various body sizes, skin colors, hair textures, and disabilities. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A valuable model of intentional, compassionate response to gender expansive kids and their needs. (author's note) (Picture book. 4-8)

-Kirkus Review show less

Calvin written by JR and Vanessa Ford and illustrated by Kayla Harren features a child named Calvin who always knew he was a boy, even though everyone knew of him as a girl. The book starts when he decides to be himself and tell his family that he is not a girl. It takes place over his summer vacation and deals with him sharing his identity with his family, changing his clothing and his hairstyle, and telling them his name. The books ends when he returns to school at the start of a new show more school year. Through support from his loving family, kindness and empathy from his teachers and principal, and respect and welcome from his friends, we get to see Calvin be who he really is in his heart and his brain. I shared this with 2 of my children and they were as impressed as I was with the representation and the simple explanations in this picture book. The characters in the illustrations are representative of numerous races and cultures and Calvin himself is biracial. The illustrations themselves help make this a great diverse title and the authors have a child who is transgender, so they write from a place of caring and understanding. show less

Calvin has always known he's a boy, even though the world sees him as a girl.
Story was inspired by the author's own child.

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