Jodie Lee Patterson

This is a touching picture book about a boy struggling to be seen for who he is. It treats the transgender journey, and the coming-out process, with big-hearted respect for all its complexities. Penelope is a boy who doesn't feel seen, heard, or felt, so he acts out in ways that demand attention from those around him. But once his mother starts to see him for who he is, he begins to find his way in the world: a ninja, a mohawk-haver, a person connected to cultures around the world, and a boy named Penelope. The thing I love most about this book is that it acknowledges an idea I don't see much in stories about the trans journey: that people don't have to choose all the social norms of being a "boy" or a "girl." They can love aspects of who they are that belong all along the spectrum, and that's what makes them unique.… (mehr)