I Am Jazz - A Picture Book About A Transgender Child That I Wish Had Been Read To Me When I Was A Little Kid

I Am Jazz by Jessica Herthel & Jazz Jennings, illustrated by Shelagh McNicholas

From the time she was two years old, Jazz knew that she had a girl's brain in a boy's body. She loved pink and dressing up as a mermaid and didn't feel like herself in boy's clothing. This confused her family, until they took her to a doctor who diagnosed Jazz as transgender and explained that she was born this way. 

I really liked this child-focused and very appropriate-for-the-age title from Dial Books For Young Readers!

As we read it, my child asked why the book didn't include Jazz's original, boy name. This got us into a great discussion about how knowing Jazz's old name that didn't match who she was might have overshadowed the story of who she is. After all, who would want to be referred to by a name that didn't feel right?

Definitely a picture book that I wish had been read to me when I was a little kid, and that I'm so grateful I could read to my child, today.

My thanks to Yapha for the heads-up on this one!