Sparkle Boy - A New Picture Book by Lesléa Newman that I wish had been read to me when I was a little kid

Sparkle Boy by Lesléa Newman, illustrated by Maria Mola

It's 32 pages, but it's so full of important moments.

Like Casey loving his sister Jessie's shimmery skirt, and wanting one of his own. And their mother bringing her son a shimmery skirt that his sister had outgrown.

"If Casey wants to wear a skirt, Casey can wear a skirt," she said. "I don't have a problem with that."

Casey and Jessie's father is equally awesome about Casey wanting to wear glittery nail polish, painting it on his son's nails himself.

And then their grandmother is equally - maybe especially - awesome about Casey wanting one of her sparkly bracelets, just like his sister.

There's the growing plot element of Jessie not liking his little brother Casey's doing all these things that boys "shouldn't do," but in the climactic moment, when some other boys lecture Casey about that very thing - that boys shouldn't sparkle, Jessie has her big moment - and as a big sister, she rises to the occasion!

I love this book.

And I want everyone to read it.

Including you.

Thank you, Lesléa, and thank you Maria.

For Sparkle Boy.

It's the love surrounding Casey that really sparkles.

And the example of how a family can nurture difference and see the beauty in it - in all its shimmery, glittery, sparkly splendor - is beautiful.