Candy pink

Originally published in Italy in 1976, Turin's tale of an elephant who doesn't conform to her society's gender roles returns in a newly translated edition. "Once upon a time, in elephant country," Turin begins, female elephants had "large bright eyes and skin the color of candy pink"; the males are gray. There's a gauzy delicacy and precision to Bosnia's elegant images of the elephants, verdant landscapes, and assorted birds, butterfly, and deer, yet everything about the female elephants' lives speaks of regulation and control: their diets are limited to the anemones and peonies that give them their rosy color, they are trussed up with pink booties and lace collars, and they're confined to the fenced-in garden where the flowers grow. Daisy, however, remains stubbornly gray, upsetting her parents. Eventually, she casts off her ribbons and boots entirely for a life of playing in the grass and splashing in the mud like her male peers; the other girl elephants quickly follow suit. An unsubtle narrative ensures that there's no missing the message, but Turin's story could easily start conversations about social norms, gender equality, and fairness. Ages 5-up. (Nov.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

First published in Italy 40 years ago, this picture book challenges sexism with a story about an anthropomorphic elephant who subverts her communitys notions about what girls should look like and how they should behave.The titular phrase candy pink refers to the skin color of female elephants in this story, which comes from their diet of flowers. A metaphorical introduction of socially constructed gender norms finds boy elephants allowed to roam free and eat what they choose, while girls remain in a fenced garden. Daisy is slightly different from the other girl elephants, and even though she eats peonies and anemones like the other girls, her skin remains gray. This greatly displeases her parents, and it also pokes holes in constructivist ideologywhy dont social pressures and norms affect her the same way they do others? Is there some essential difference in her? Ultimately, Daisys parents give up and abandon her to her own devices. She sheds her pink, girly clothing and runs free, eating and doing as she wishes. The other girls are initially frightenedworried[and] bewildered, but then they become jealous and leave the enclosure. Curiously, there are no ramifications for this subversive behavior, and, liberated, they all turn gray. Cartoonish illustrations are largely redundant of the message-driven text, though other animals appear as observers to the elephants story. A simplistic, well-meaning tale. (Picture book. 4-7) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.