Book Review: My Princess Boy | By: Committee for Children by Cheryl Kilodavis Illustrated by Suzanne DeSimone Reading Level: Preschool–Grade 2 If one looks hard enough, there are a million reasons to make fun of someone who is “different.” But not one of those reasons is legitimate. My Princess Boy is among a small but growing number of children’s books addressing an issue that has been the source of generations of schoolyard taunting: nontraditional gender identification. An un-named four-year-old child, referred to as “my Princess Boy,” is celebrated by his narrator mother. He likes pink, sparkly things, spins like a ballerina, climbs trees in a tiara, and dances with his baseball-playing big brother. Most of all, he loves to dress in “girl” clothes. His feelings—and his mother’s—are hurt when people laugh at him for wanting to wear princess dresses. His mother, father, and brother reassure him (and us): “But a Princess Boy can wear a dress at his school and I will not laugh at him. And a Princess Boy can wear pink and I will tell him how pretty he looks.” Although My Princess Boy is short and simple, with minimal plot, it serves a big, important purpose. There are a million reasons to accept people just as they are. Reading about a boy who doesn’t go with the stereotypical boy flow will open up discussions about understanding and accepting differences. The boy who likes pink (or the girl who likes football) might grow up to be gay, or might not. The child might be labeled with gender identity disorder or gender confusion or other unprintable names. These are not the point. Cheryl Kilodavis, the mother-author of My Princess Boy, says, “I wrote the story to give children and adults a tool to talk about unconditional friendship. …Compassion takes effort. It takes focus. It takes commitment. We need practice. And more practice. And practice again.” Social and Emotional Lessons in My Princess Boy Understanding similarities and differences is a key component of the empathy lessons in the Second Step program, especially in the younger grades. Both the Second Step and the Steps to Respect programs focus on building and keeping friendships. Research shows that children who are supported by friends are less likely to be bullied. When children learn to expand their perceptions of “normal,” they may be more open to forming friendships with people who seem different. Offer a story to your students about a time you met someone you were unsure of at first, but whom you grew to like once you got to know her/him. Ask children if they have had a similar experience (no names, please!). What made them start liking that person? Why were they uncertain at first? Finish with the four questions Kilodavis asks toward the end of her book: “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?” Note: The illustrations in this book show faces with no features, presumably to remind readers that the characters can be anyone. However, some children may be perplexed by these faceless people, so adult readers should be prepared to address this fact or to redirect children’s attention back to the story.