Tiny loves to dress up and play, and is new at school. However, some of the kids can't decide if Tiny is a boy or a girl and are mean to Tiny. This is a book with an important lesson about gender diversity and I don't see a lot of non-binary characters. However, I was not a fan of the art style and I felt like the topic of bullying was a bit brushed over.

Note: I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley. I was not compensated in any other fashion for the review and the opinions reflected below are entirely my own. Special thanks to the publisher and author for providing the copy.

It is cute, but it reads more like a picture book than a pre-reader nonfiction title.

This little book is a great tool for assisting parents and educators about gender equality and differences. It will certainly spark some great discussions among bigger children, I expect it is best for kindergarten age. The illustrations are a bit sketchy, though it could be due to my ARC copy. Nevertheless, the drawings are able to highlight and show the essence of the book.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was another interesting book about gender id for kids. I'm still learning about all the gender differences out there. Again, I'm conflicted about who will read the book: child, adult? Age of child? Parent or teacher? I'm pretty certain I wouldn't want a teacher or care giver reading this to my younger child, it seems more like something I think a parent would read to them. Then again, I'm not sure many parents would purchase the book for a child... A child could possibly discover the book for his or her self at the library... I'm sure the book will find it's place.

This book challenges gender and sex stereotypes in a way that opens up critical thinking and dialogue with children. I loved that the teacher called a student out on bullying! You don't see that too often in books!

This book was done really well and they waythe author has addressed what could be a tough topic is great, was easy to follow and I think it will be pciked up well by children, just wasn't a fan of the images used. 3 stars.

A great way to show children that they can be who they want to be

4★

“My name is Tiny and this is my family.”

The illustrations are sweet, line-drawings, seemingly coloured with crayons, obviously intended to look childish. Dad has brown hair and sideburns, Mum has red ponytails, younger sister Fiona has long wavy blond hair with a red bow, and the baby is in a onesie.

Tiny has a kind of red cropped mullet and is wearing a tee shirt, shorts, and bright red boots. Everybody has huge smiles!

Tiny happily shows us around their new house, goes to school, plays football (soccer in America), draws, plays dress-ups, and has a happy life in general.

Sister Fiona asks him “Are you a boy or are you a girl today?”

Tiny doesn't answer, but later, Tiny dresses as a butterfly and Fiona dresses up as a cowboy. All goes well until Tiny is confronted at school by a boy who looks like a bully.

“A boy shouts ‘Tiny what a silly name. I can tell if it’s a girl or a boy.’ My new teacher says, ‘Buster, that’s rude. Why does it matter if they are a boy or a girl?’”

I did find the use of ‘they’ a little awkward, but the book as a whole will be a valuable addition to school libraries and children’s literature in general to help kids understand that not all kids are the same.

There’s a lot more in this little book, and I thank the author for writing it.

Thanks to NetGalley and Jessica Kingsley Publishers for a preview copy.

The illustrations aren’t as powerful as they good be, but the story has a good message. I wish there was a little bit more of an explanation in the back of the book, or tips for adults on how to talk to children about gender identity other than the teacher’s technique.

Tiny is a child. That is all that matters. It does not matter if Tiny is a boy or a girl. Tiny likes to play dress up, and football, an do art. Boy or girl does not matter, only that Tiny is true to who they are. To me, the purpose of this book is to look beyond gender roles, and ask yourself (or your kids) if that really matters. And if it matters, why does it matter. An interesting book.

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This a short and beautiful picture book that defies gender roles and stereotypes, and may help children and young readers understand trans* identities.

We need more books like this one, own voices books with positive representation that tell kids they are valid.

Tiny, the main character of this picture book asks the question "What does it mean to be a boy or a girl? I like eating cakes, playing football, dressing up and watching the stars"

The the bully, who hated the idea what he could not pin point what gender Tiny was, realizes that he likes those things too.

Why is it important to write a book about a child who does not fit the norms of what society deems to be for gender? Why do we need a book that says it is OK to pretend to feel like what a girl feels like one day and a boy feels like the next? Why is it that society feels that we all have to fit in either the boy or girl slot?

Sometimes it takes a picture book to tell us that it is ok to just be ourselves. This is such an important message for kids, who often feel they don't fit in. It is important to be represented. It is important to hear a positive voice.

Great book for that. I am so glad this book exists.



Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

The art for this is really nice. I particularly love that first page where Tiny's image is in negative with all the colors around it. Actual perfection. I really like the messy, kind of cartoony style. I think it fits well with what seems to be the intended audience and the choices for outfits and art content is great. I really like the colored dashes around the text boxes.

Unfortunately, the text doesn't flow quite as well as the art. I can tell it's still being polished as there seems to be a few notes (AQ? I'm guessing that is something that will be fixed/is still being worked on). In general the story doesn't flow. It's more like a board book of different parts of a day instead of a story with a beginning, middle and end. I think it also suffers a little from talking down to children, where instead of simplifying information for a younger audience, it assumes the audience is less smart.

This is going to be a great addition to picture books with a bit of polishing. I particularly like the information at the end regarding organizations and the candid author/illustrator bios.