It's no secret that children are like little sponges, absorbing every bit of information this world has to offer — with one of those bits being gender expectations and roles.
Hell, even before they're born, many babies have these roles — along with gendered "likes" and "dislikes" — projected onto them the second their sex is announced.
But I, along with many others, feel like children should be comfortable expressing and exploring their gender identity and their likes/dislikes outside of these preset norms.
One step in doing that is by opening them up to books that show kids that being 100% authentically yourself is completely normal, no matter the naysayers.
So this is where you come in. What are some of your favorite children's books that tackle gender identity and gender expression in a fun and interesting way?
Perhaps you loved Julián Is a Mermaid, where a young boy named Julián spots three magical women dressed as mermaids on the subway and wants to go home and re-create the look for himself.
Or maybe you loved It Feels Good to Be Yourself: A Book About Gender Identity, which aims to teach children about all forms of gender identity in a digestible way.
Perhaps you bought Annie's Plaid Shirt for that child in your life, which is about a girl named Annie who comes up with a creative solution so that she doesn't have to wear a dress to her uncle's upcoming wedding.
Or maybe you absolutely enjoyed When Aidan Became a Brother, which is about a trans boy named Aidan, who — through loving and supportive parents — is able to live his life as he was always meant to live it.
