I Can Be... Me!
A joyful picture book centering nonbinary young people and celebrating children's freedom to express themselves through play from beloved creators Lesléa Newman and Maya Gonzalez.
I can be everything I want to be,
I can be all of magnificent me!
In this lighthearted story, a group of six, colorfully clad children exuberantly explore -- through play -- the many ways they can be themselves. They are free to embrace all kinds of activities, reveling in the fun of trying new things and discovering new ways of being. They can shoot baskets, dance around a room, weave ribbons through their hair, swim like a mermaid, and more. There is no right way or wrong way. There are no binary expectations. Children explore their individuality through whatever kinds of play appeal to them.
With lively, gender-neutral rhyming verses and fun, gender-bending images, author Lesléa Newman and illustrator Maya Gonzalez invite young readers into a space where creativity and acceptance are enjoyed by all, and where each child will be inspired to say, "I can be... me!"
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Lesléa Newman is the author of eighty books for readers of all ages. She has received numerous awards for her work, including two Stonewall Book Award Honors, two National Jewish Book Awards, the Massachusetts Book Award, and a creative writing fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts. From 2008--2010, she served as the poet laureate of Northampton, MA. Visit her online at lesleakids.com.
Maya Gonzalez is an award-winning children's book artist, author, activist and progressive educator. Their work addresses systemic inequity in relation to race/ethnicity, sexism, and cissexism using children's books as radical agents of change and healing, both personally and culturally. Gonzalez co-founded Reflection Press, a POC, queer and trans owned independent publishing house that uses holistic, nature-based, and anti-oppression frameworks in their books and materials for kids and grown-ups. They are also the creator of the Gender Wheel, a tool to express the dynamic, infinite and inclusive reality of gender, and provides lectures and workshops to educators, parents and caregivers. Visit them online at mayagonzalez.com.
"Children having fun without the onus of expectations is really what this book is about. Any child can aspire to anything, and their gender is not one of the conditions of the outcome. . . This is an engaging read-aloud told in rhyme where young children can see themselves as they explore and enjoy playing with their friends." -- School Library Journal
"Chipper couplets promote empowerment through dress-up and play in this inclusive excursion...Newman's energetic first-person verse emphasizes self-acceptance as the speaker describes embracing a wide range of activities...The cumulative cheerleading effect is a powerful affirmation of self." -- Publishers Weekly
"Six children diverse in skin tones, whose genders are never specified but could be variously read as boys, girls, or nonbinary, play, create, feel, and interact. . . They show the joy inherent in being themselves, and let readers know that they can do so, too. Gonzalez's colorful characters move, frolic, and express themselves in their signature style as Newman's words offer inspiring, affirming examples of the possibilities open to any child." -- Mombian
