[I did not get this finished for Trans Awareness Week in November 2023, so here, have 2 posts on Trans Day of Visibility in March 2024.]
I have appreciated the recent rise in picturebooks with a protagonist who uses they/them pronouns where the book isn't About gender, so I decided to try to pull together a full list. I only included books where the protagonist is explicitly referred to using they/them pronouns -- not books where pronouns are never used of the protagonist; or where there are multiple characters, at least one of whom uses they/them pronouns.
This list is in order of publication, starting with the oldest. Let me know if I'm missing any.
I was surpised by how many of these books were about navigating big emotions. Creativity was probably the second most common theme?
These protagonists are largely light-skinned -- though that's getting better.
I was also surprised at how many cis people are writing these books?
***
Peanut Goes for the Gold written by Jonathan Van Ness & illustrated by Gillian Reid (March 31, 2020 by HarperCollins)
[Author is nonbinary/genderqueer, and their Instagram bio says "they/he/she." Illustrator uses she/her pronouns and has a partner.]
I don't love that the protagonist is a guinea pig instead of a human -- but it's actually the only animal protagonist book on this whole list. (And yes, I know anthropormophic animals are common in kidlit. But I want minoritized kids to see themselves reflected in their actual human identites.)
We learn early on that, "Sometimes people think Peanut's weird ... but more often, friends wind up joining in the fun." Peanut decides they want to become a rhythmic gymnast, and most of the story is taken up with their enthusiastic efforts in that direction (including lots of insistent directives to those around them).
A More Graceful Shaboom written by Jacinta Bunnell & illustrated by Crystal Vielula (November 2, 2020 by PM Press)
[Author and illustrator both use she pronouns -- based on their bios on the publisher website.]
Young Harmon Jitney carries around too much stuff to fit in their pockets, so they decide they want a purse. They don't know where to get one, though. They ask their family members, but are ignored. They then try a neighbor -- who has purses, but struggles to find them (they try multiple doors in the house -- each of which has something strange behind it). They finally find the room full of purses, and Harmon selects a purse they love. They add more and more things to their purse, and the purse just gets increasingly bigger to fit them all. Also around this time, color finally starts appearing in the coloring book style illustrations.
This book is a lot.
There's casual queer rep, like Harmon's two moms (Mama Millie Mapletush and Mother Loretta).
[Harmon has short hair with a bit of a wave to it, and generally appears pale, but once they get colored in they appear to have brown skin and black hair -- as on the cover image.]
Hold that Thought! written by Bree Galbraith & illustrated by Lynn Scurfield (August 15, 2021 by Owlkids)
[Author uses she/her pronouns. Illustrator uses she/they pronouns.]
Finn wakes up in the middle of the night with an idea. They share it with others, which helps it grow and develop. There's a brief bit near the end where a bully is dismissive of Finn's idea, which causes it to shrink dramatically -- but this is quickly resolved (arguably too quickly, in terms of the bully's redemption arc).
We never learn what the protagonist's thought is -- which I know frustrated some readers, but I think in some ways it made the book stronger (since the reader then doesn't get pulled into judging the idea themself).
[Finn has light brown skin and dark shoulder-length straight hair.]
Small Knight and the Anxiety Monster by Manka Kasha (September 7, 2021 by Feiwel & Friends)
[Author-illustrator uses she pronouns, was born and raised in Russia.]
I'm a little hesitant about including this, since Small Knight's anxiety monster develops from their gender-nonconformity being not accepted, so it feels like a bit of a cheat to include it in this list of books Not About Gender, but it's true that the bulk of the story is Small Knight (and their best friend, Tiny Bear!) going on an adventure to figure out what to do about the monster.
While I didn't read it this way, the end of the story can be read as Small Knight just bottling up their anxiety inside -- which understandably upset the reviewers who read it that way.
[Protagonist is white, with dark brown hair that sticks out some -- though it's usually largely covered by their knight's helmet.]
Timid by Harry Woodgate (June 28, 2022 by little bee books)
[Author-illustrator uses they/them pronouns.]
A kid loves performing -- until they have an audience.
This book is such a delight! (And the illustrations are so good.) The ending is maybe rushed a bit, but it does include various methods for managing anxiety.
[Our protagonist (Timmy) is pale with short curly blond hair.]
Katerina Cruickshanks by Daniel Gray-Barnett (August 2, 2022 by Scribble US)
[Author uses he/him pronouns, has a husband.]
The eponymous Katerina Cruickshanks is full of energy and shenanigans -- which can be Too Much for those around them, sometimes.
The back cover blurb says, "Katerina shows us that there’s no such thing as being too much; it’s just a matter of finding the friends who will love you as you are," but I'm not sure there Is a Point, per se.
[Protagonist has light skin and long-ish dark hair.]
A Case of the Zaps written by Alex Boniello and April Lavalle & illustrated by James Kwan (August 16, 2022 by Harry N. Abrams)
[Author Alex uses he pronouns, and author April uses she pronouns. Illustrator James uses he pronouns.]
Everyone is robots -- but that's because this book is trying to be a fun way into talking about anxiety. (I wondered if all robots in this story used they/them pronouns, but our protagonist does have a Mother-Board and a Father-Board; yes, this book loves its puns/references.)
It's generally pretty solid -- though there are a couple low-key Elon Musk references I did not love :/
There are also assorted resources in the backmatter for kids struggling with anxiety.
Noodin's Perfect Day written by Ansley Simpson & illustrated by Rhael McGregor (January 25, 2022 by Flamingo Rampant)
[Author uses they/them pronouns, is Michi Saagiig Nishnaabe. Illustrator "is a queer Métis, NonBinary/Two-Spirit artist and animator" who uses they/them pronouns.]
Noodin's plan for their perfect day gets derailed.
There's a glossary (with pronunciation) in the back for the non-English words in the text, though there isn't any information about what the language is or what community Noodin is part of. (My best guess would be that it's the same as the author -- which Googling the glossary words suggests is true -- but it's a real missed opportunity to share with readers some specificity instead of just a vague sense that the characters are Indigenous.)
I appreciate representation of urban Indigenous folk. There's also casual representation of parents who live in separate houses.
[Noodin has light skin and floppy brown hair with a sideshave.]
Something Great by Jeanette Bradley (October 11, 2022 by Levine Querido)
[Author-illustrator uses she/her pronouns, has a wife.]
Quinn makes Something Great (which appears to be a milk jug on a string) and is very excited about it, but no one else around them appreciates it -- until a new kid appears.
[Quinn is light-skinned, with short brown hair that hangs over an undercut. The new kid (who never gets pronouns or a name) has darker brown skin, with black hair long enough to be in pigtails.]
Good Dream Dragon written by Jacky Davis & illustrated by
Courtney Dawson (October 25, 2022 by Christy Ottaviano Books)
[Author uses she pronouns. Illustrator uses "she/her/they" per the book jacket.]
I was expecting this book to be more about how to get good dreams and fall asleep, but instead it's more of just a soothing bedtime book.
The unnamed protagonist child has two moms? In the going-to-bed scene, there appear to be 2 women in the doorway -- though only "Momma" speaks/is named.
[Protagonist has light brown skin and shoulder-length straight brown hair. One of the women in the doorway looks similar, and one has blonde hair and arguably lighter skin. The rug under the protagonist's bed is patterned in a way that suggests traditional Southwest USian designs.]
Fluffy and the Stars written by T’áncháy Redvers & illustrated by Roza Nozari (August 15, 2023 by Orca Book Publishers)
[Author uses they/them pronouns, is Dene/Métis two-spirit, belongs to Deninu K'ue First Nation in Treaty 8 territory. Illustrator uses she/her pronouns,
IG bio says: "Queer Iranian Femme / Visual Artist + Writer / Based in Toronto"]
*Bookshop link since I can't actually find it
on the publisher's website.
Protagonist Shay loves their dog Fluffy (and Fluffy loves them back), but eventually Fluffy gets sick and dies. While Fluffy is alive, Fluffy and Shay are good at comforting each other, and Shay draws on those lessons to help move through their grief after Fluffy's death. (I was expecting the book to be mostly about grief, but the bulk of the book takes place while Fluffy is alive and well.)
There's no explicit Indigenous coding that I was aware of, but the protagonist has tan skin and dark brown hair, which is in a braid when it's long.
How Are You, Verity? written by Meghan Wilson Duff & illustrated by Taylor Barron (August 22, 2023 by Magination Press)
[Author uses they/them pronouns. Illustrator uses she/her pronouns.]
Verity, our neurodivergent protagonist, loves marine life -- and responds enthusiastically to "How are you?" with info-dumping about what they've recently learned/are currently excited about. Until their brother suggests that this isn't what most people are seeking with this greeting -- which prompts Verity to do an experiment.
Given the blurb, I had expected the book to be more about navigating these social niceties, whereas it's mostly just Verity living their life, loving marine life. (The illustrations also do an excellent job of surrounding us with what's on Verity's mind. Also, shout-out to Verity's tank top with the rainbow infinity symbol -- a symbol many autism rights advocates use instead of the puzzle piece.)
The backmatter includes a Reader's Note at the back explaining the author's similar struggles to Verity's growing up, and then "What Is Neurodiversity?" and "Some Thoughts for People Supporting Young People."
Protagonist is dark-skinned, with long, frizzy black hair. (Author is light-skinned -- and I think so is the illustrator?)
The Kid with Big, Big Ideas written by Britney Winn Lee & illustrated by Jacob Souva (August 29, 2023 by Beaming Books)
[Author uses she pronouns. Illustrator uses he pronouns.]
This book is the third in a ~series and has some of the same struggles with meter that the first two do (and some sentences are contorted to fit the meter/rhyme), but it mostly works.
Our unnamed titular kid has lots of big ideas -- many of which are truly imaginative (e.g.: the bus ride takes so long, what if we became mermaids and swam to school?). Grown-ups dismiss them, and eventually they start making themselves small. But they get frustrated that kids aren't part of political conversations about children's issues, and their Gran encourages them.
[Protagonist is light-skinned with light-colored hair that's fairly short and has a slight curl.]
***
Bonus: easy readers
Kyle Lukoff's Mermaid Days books have a secondary character (Beaker) who causually uses they/them pronouns.
[Author is a trans man. Illustrator Kat Uno uses she pronouns. Books are published by Scholastic.]
Mermaid Vera lives in Tidal Grove, and in the second story in book 1, octo-kid Beaker has just moved into town. Another kid casually uses Beaker's pronoun in conversation in the third story in Book 1. Honestly, I believe that's the only time Beaker's pronoun comes up (since characters are mostly talking to rather than about each other), except for the "You can draw Beaker!" exercise at the end of Book 3.
- The Sunken Ship (2022)
- The Sea Monster (2022)
- A New Friend (2023)
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