Cheryl Kilodavis

“My Princess Boy” is a story written by the mother of a young boy who does not enjoy the typical “boy” activities, but rather, he likes to wear dresses. I really appreciated this story for a few reason. First, the author illustrates that the “princess boy” is accepted by all of his family members. His father twirls the young boy and tells him he looks pretty. The princess boy and his “cool” baseball playing big brother love each other, and the mother clearly accepts him as show more well. This is not the case for many boys in these circumstances, so in a way, the author is challenging families to step up and accept their child for who he is. This idea perpetuated at the end of the story when the author questions the reader: “If you see a princess boy, will you laugh at him? Will you call him a name? Will you play with him? Will you like him for who he is?” I also loved this story because the ending was very powerful, and continues to challenge the reader. The author states “My princess boy is your princess boy,” which encourages others to accept people for who they are, especially boys who enjoy traditional girly activities. show less

****

Note of caution: This book is very intentionally designed for gender nonconforming kids (or parents thereof) who are comfortable using their ascribed gender identity and pronouns. That is, this is not a book that will be relevant to most transgender kids. This book is about a child who was assigned the gender "male" at birth and he still uses male pronouns and considers himself to be a boy and a brother. Therefore, this is about a boy who does not conform to "boyhood" norms. This is NOT show more about a child who was assigned male at birth, but is transitioning to female.

There is a very important distinction between gender nonconforming and transgender, and if that distinction is something you're not entirely clear about, then you'll want to familiarize yourself before using this book with a child you think may be especially receptive to it.

For instance, if you have a student in your class who was assigned to be male at birth, who has a penis, and whose parents use male pronouns with, but the student herself prefers female pronouns and often refers to herself as a girl, then you may want to reconsider this book-- it's quite possible that she is in a different position than a boy who likes to wear dresses.

If that's still unclear, here is a good site to explain things better: http://www.guidetogender.com

****

This is the first book I've found that presents an alternate view on the limits of masculinity, and I love it for that! The "princess boys" of the world would most likely be able to identify with the main character as well-- he gets made fun of and he has to face public discussion/humiliation about his choices, etc, which are very common issues that gender nonconforming kids face.


I've read some negative responses in previous reviews about the facelessness of the main character (no illustrations have faces. The characters are in human form with oval heads, but facial features are absent.) I think that was a smart move on the illustrator's part, actually. Many gender nonconforming kids are very uncomfortable with mirrors, and sometimes book illustrations work in a mirror-like fashion, which can be emotionally triggering. Facelessness here seems to function as both invitation and shield: Through the illustrator's use of facelessness, kids who simply need to be able to imagine themselves through shared experiences with others are able to do that, but there is no pressure to be fully reflected in the character. Likewise, some kids may not be ready to see their 'reflection' here, so the facelessness brings them closer to a look at themselves while continuing to allow time until they are ready to fully confront themselves.

It's based on the author's own experience raising her child who prefers dresses, etc, and she attempts to spark conversations with other kids and adults about how they may treat a "princess boy" if they ever meet one.

I think this book especially resonates with adults who have known a gender nonconforming child, but its unique illustrations, winding font, and bright colors make it a visually pleasing story for child-listeners to connect with as well. show less

My Princess Boy celebrates individuality, self-expression, and the freedom to be who you truly are, regardless of gender norms. The book promotes inclusivity and kindness, making it a great tool for teaching children about respecting others' differences and embracing diversity.

The book My Princess Boy is an incredible book. In this book, there is a boy who enjoy things that are not typical of a boy; he enjoys things that girls enjoy. One of the reasons this book was so enjoyable was the illustrations given to help show the things he enjoyed, such as wearing pink dresses and making everything pink since he loved pink. In this book, the boy is made fun of for liking girl things. On Halloween, one lady laughed at him for dressing up as a princess. However, the boy show more was not discouraged. This was because he had the support of his family, especially his mom, who is telling the story. The message is clear that being different is okay, and love should be unconditional, as shown by the mother to her princess boy. show less