Review by Booklist Review
This helpful book about exploring gender identity starts with a child, Payden, assigned male at birth, playing dress-up with different costumes. What feels right? A sorcerer? A king? A scientist? This exercise leads to Payden realizing that using the pronoun he doesn't feel right. Payden's parents suggest that Payden ask friends about what pronouns they are comfortable with, for inspiration--a great tactic for any questioning kid to use. A range of gender identities and pronouns are introduced as Payden questions others. The local vet who uses he is glad there is room for more than just he or she. An acrobatic artist who works while hanging from a trapeze is comfortable using she. A trumpet-playing friend says that hearing they feels like a giant hug. Finally, Zoe from dance class, who sometimes feels female and sometimes feels like no gender, uses she and ze. Payden goes back to dress-up, trying on the various pronouns as well, but none feels like a fit until Payden adopts the gender-neutral e/em/eir--"at least for now"--and in a wonderful celebration of gender diversity, eir parents throw em a Pronoun Party with all eir friends in attendance. The cartoonish illustrations, filled with comic details, make this relatable search story extra engaging.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Payden's parents are supportive when their child embraces "e, em, and eir" pronouns; they even offer to throw a party to celebrate. But while considering what pronouns feel right, Payden, who's portrayed with tan skin, first visits some friends: vet Hank, a cisgender man; artist Shay, a trans woman; nonbinary musical inventor Theo; and dancer Zoe, who uses she and ze pronouns. Each tells Payden how their pronouns make them feel (like they're flying, like a hug, like dancing), and their different perspectives lead em to decide on pronouns that sound "just right." As friends arrive at the party celebrating Payden's neopronouns, Cornejo's softly luminous art captures their communal enthusiasm alongside the racially inclusive group's costumes and pronoun badges. Jaryn's reassuring language shows that gender exploration doesn't have to be painful, instead emphasizing the "skin-tingling, warm sense of wholeness" that self-discovery can bring. Ages 4--8. (Oct.)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 4--Payden has always been a "he," but meets different people who have figured out their pronouns and so listens hard for the one that may be a better fit. It's not easy. Along the way, Payden's parents provide full support of both the process and the outcome, and the illustrations are just as positive and upbeat. For any library that has received requests for kid-friendly books to help understand the importance of pronouns, this book fits the bill. The author gives an age-appropriate look into the process of determining one's preferred pronouns and also provides a nice blueprint for helping families navigate the process. Payden works through personal questions with the help of the parents, and they celebrate the answers together with friends and a dress-up party. Whimsical illustrations help elucidate complex topics and make the story fun for readers as young as kindergarten. VERDICT All elementary ages will enjoy this invitation to understand and embrace conversations around pronouns.--Darby Wallace
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
With a little help from friends, a child experiences the joy and possibility of choosing pronouns. Payden, a tan-skinned kid with shaggy, dark hair, loves to play dress-up and "become anyone he imagined…But Payden also puzzled about who he really was." Uncertain about his gender identity, the intrepid gender explorer embarks on a journey around his community, asking friends about their relationship to their own chosen pronouns. The town vet, Hank, who is light-skinned, has always used he/him, while Shay, a brown-skinned artist who enjoys painting from a swinging trapeze, says, "People used to think I was a boy, but I've always been a girl. Now when I hear she, I'm flying." Other friends offer their perspectives on gender-neutral pronouns like they/them; Zoe, a tan-skinned child Payden encounters in dance class, uses she/her and ze/zir. Much like trying on different outfits to find the best fit, Payden experiments with a range of pronouns before choosing the gender-neutral e/em/eir. To celebrate eir exciting selection, Payden's supportive parents throw em a pronoun party--complete with dress-up, pronoun badges, and Payden's friends, all depicted in Cornejo's exuberant, manga-esque illustrations. Though the flow of this expository tale can feel a little hectic, Jaryn's demonstration of Payden's process (as well as eir attentive parents, who model helpful responses to a child curious about trying new gender pronouns) may be useful to young readers and their families alike. (This book was reviewed digitally.) Gender exploration's a blast in this story about finding your "just right" pronouns. (Picture book. 5-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
