Interview by Audie Cornish, Jonaki Mehta, and Sarah Handel
Review Source: NPR
Book Author: Vanessa Ford, JR Ford
Instead of a review, we are posting an interview with the authors of Calvin, JR and Vanessa Ford, by Audie Cornish, Jonaki Mehta, and Sarah Handel at NPR.
That’s the story in the new children’s book Calvin. Authors JR and Vanessa Ford show how their young protagonist navigates the complicated feelings of being a transgender kid and how he comes into expressing who he really is, with illustrations from Kayla Harren.
The Fords are also parents to two children, one who is trans and inspired this book. Ellie first raised the topic shortly after their 5th birthday — the family is now six years into their journey. Continue reading / listening on NPR.
Calvin by Vanessa Ford, JR Ford
Published by Penguin on November 9, 2021
Genres: Gender Identity, LGBTQ
Pages: 32
Reading Level: Grade K, Grades 1-2
ISBN: 9780593108673
Review Source: NPR
Publisher's Synopsis: In this joyful and impactful picture book, a transgender boy prepares for the first day of school and introduces himself to his family and friends for the first time.
Calvin has always been a boy, even if the world sees him as a girl. He knows who he is in his heart and in his mind but he hasn't yet told his family. Finally, he can wait no longer: "I'm not a girl," he tells his family. "I'm a boy — a boy in my heart and in my brain." Quick to support him, his loving family takes Calvin shopping for the swim trunks he's always wanted and back-to-school clothes and a new haircut that helps him look and feel like the boy he's always known himself to be. As the first day of school approaches, he's nervous and the "what-ifs" gather up inside him. But as his friends and teachers rally around him and he tells them his name, all his "what-ifs" begin to melt away.
Inspired by the authors' own transgender child and accompanied by warm and triumphant illustrations, this authentic and personal text promotes kindness and empathy, offering a poignant and inclusive back-to-school message: all should feel safe, respected, and welcomed.
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