Born Ready: The True Story of a Boy Named Penelope

by Jodie Patterson, Charnelle Pinkney Barlow (Illustrator)

Overview

Jodie Patterson, activist and Chair of the Human Rights Campaign Foundation Board, shares her transgender son's experience in this important picture book about identity and acceptance.

Penelope knows that he's a boy. (And a ninja.) The problem is getting everyone else to realize it.

In this exuberant companion to Jodie Patterson's adult memoir, The Bold World, Patterson shares her son Penelope's frustrations and triumphs on his journey to share himself with the world. Penelope's experiences show children that it always makes you stronger when you are true to yourself and who you really are.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780593123638
Publisher:	Random House Children's Books
Publication date:	04/20/2021
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	366,632
Product dimensions:	10.10(w) x 10.20(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	AD480L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Jodie Patterson is the author of The Bold World: A Memoir of Family and Transformation and was Family Circle magazine's Most Influential Mom in 2018. She is the mother of five children, two of whom are self-proclaimed gender nonconformists—one transgender and another genderqueer. Jodie was inspired to write Born Ready to show how an entire community can be flexible and change for those they love. Jodie raises her family in Brooklyn, New York. Visit her at georgiany.com.

Charnelle Pinkney Barlow is an illustrator, an expert tea drinker, and a lover of all things doughnuts. She discovered a love for drawing and painting during her childhood in Poughkeepsie, New York, which led her to the world of children's book illustration. She now lives in Indianapolist, Indiana, with her husband Jukabiea.

Editorial Reviews

11/30/2020

This picture book companion to activist Patterson’s adult memoir The Bold World centers her transgender son Penelope’s coming-out journey, shortly before he turned five. Told in the first-person, the narrative follows Penelope, who knows that he’s a ninja, and knows what he likes—“Skateboards and high-tops, baggy blue jeans.” Initially, he acts out to get his busy family to pay attention, before he confides something else he knows to his mother: “No, Mama, I don’t feel like a boy. I AM a boy.” Without missing a beat, his mother affirms his identity: “We will make a plan to tell everyone we love what we know.... You are a boy.” Barlow’s illustrations, created digitally with handmade watercolor textures, emphasize the Black family’s expressions and movement, allowing young readers to take in the family’s emotions (and Penelope’s karate moves). A heartening true story for children that offers guidance to caretakers. Ages 4–8. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

"This representation of a Black family and transgender child shines with joy and affirmation... A triumphant declaration of love and identity." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"A heartening true story for children that offers guidance to caretakers." —Publisher's Weekly

“Readers will be rooting for Penelope from the first page to the last.” —The Horn Book

From the Publisher

★ 2021-03-02
A Black transgender boy shares his identity and competes in a karate tournament with the encouragement of his family in this picture-book biography.

Penelope knows who he is and what he likes even if his family is too busy to notice him. He stomps through the house, cuts in line, and pounds his fists so they will hear, see, and feel his anger that everyone thinks he’s a girl. When his mom stops to listen, he tells her about his gender and helps her understand that he doesn’t just feel like a boy, he is one. With his family’s support behind him and the strength of his own determination to never give up, Penelope comes out at school and faces a new challenge: competing in a karate tournament. First-person narration centers Penelope’s feelings and perspective in every stage of his story. Warmth and pride in identity radiate from the pages, brightened by the expressive, lively illustrations. The adults in Penelope’s life model care by encouraging him to speak for himself and listening to him when he does. One thing he speaks up about is that he likes his name: Penelope. Perseverance also stands out as a significant theme within the narrative, with emphasis placed on Penelope’s diligent practice and refusal to quit leading up to his victory. This representation of a Black family and transgender child (author Patterson is Penelope’s mother) shines with joy and affirmation. (Since the creation of this book, the author's son has changed his name to Penel.) (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at 50.4% of actual size)

A triumphant declaration of love and identity. (Picture book/biography. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews