Pink, Blue, and You! Questions for Kids About Gender Stereotypes

Pink, Blue, and You! Questions for Kids About Gender Stereotypes tackles an important topic in a straightforward nonthreatening manner.

Author/illustrator Elise Gravel collaborated with Mykaell Blais to create a resource for teachers, parents, and caregivers of young children to open the door to a discussion of gender stereotypes with an emphasis on affirming everyone’s right to be themselves. The dust jacket on the hard covered copy I reviewed reverses to be a poster proclaiming, “BE WHO YOU WANT TO BE!”, a nice bonus and a clear reinforcement of the theme of this book.

The subtitle of this book, Questions for Kids About Gender Stereotypes, is worth noting. These are questions “for” kids. The book opens with a double-page spread of simple illustrations asking the reader three questions.

“Are some for girls? Are some for boys? Are some for everyone?” There are no answers given, but the following pages ask the reader to dig deeper, questioning, “Who made these rules?”, “Do we need to follow them?”, “What happens if we don’t want to?”

Gravel’s sense of humour is evident in the dinosaur illustration with the speech bubble, “When I become extinct, I want to be a toy for BOYS!” Gravel’s website provides free use of some e-books on equity issues. Her interest is obviously long-standing and not purely commercial.

The illustrations in Pink, Blue, and You! Questions for Kids About Gender Stereotypes show adults and children of a variety of skin tones, ages, dress, ability, and family groupings. With very simple lines, Gravel manages to express adults being judgmental and disapproving as well as loving and supporting.

My one concern with Pink, Blue, and You! Questions for Kids About Gender Stereotypes is with the examples used of “brave people who follow their dreams despite what others think about them”. The role models include five individuals and one couple. Three of the examples are identified as occurring in the United States; the other three don’t identify a country. In a book that clearly illustrates inclusivity, why are three examples from the United States and none from Canada or any other specific country in the world?

Edward T. Lyon was the first male nurse in the US Army.
Richard John Baker & James Michael McConnell were the first male couple to marry in the United States.
When she was little, Sarah McBride was called a boy. She was elected to the state senate of Delaware in 2020.

The book closes with “Fun Facts about Gender and Clothing”. My favourite is the black and white photograph of a young child with long blonde curls in a fancy white dress, ankle socks and black patent leather shoes.

One hundred and fifty years ago, all little kids wore white frilly dresses and long hair. Here’s a picture of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, a president of the United States, when he was four.

Pink, Blue, and You! Questions for Kids About Gender Stereotypes uses questions and engaging illustrations to encourage young readers to be curious and thoughtful about society and norms. The presentation is gentle and reassuring. The theme of the book is clear.

No matter who we are, what we like, how we feel, how we dress, and what our body looks like, we ALL deserve to be loved, protected, and respected.

I hope a revised edition will be more inclusive in its presentation of role models. Then Pink, Blue, and You! Questions for Kids About Gender Stereotypes will be a ‘must have’ for every library collection.