Felix's New Skirt

by Kerstin Brichzin, Igor Kuprin (Illustrator)

Overview

“Gentle story about a nonconforming child... fills a need for books on gender.”—Michael Cart, Booklist

Felix likes to wear skirts. He thinks they’re fun—plus he likes the way his legs move in them. His family doesn’t mind, but that’s not the case for Felix’s classmates. Their merciless teasing makes him want to give up school for good. Can Felix's parents come up with a way to validate Felix's expression, while also teaching the other children a lesson in acceptance? A timely picture book that tackles themes of empathy and tolerance in a world where it’s tough to be different.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9789888341580
Publisher:	Astra Publishing House
Publication date:	10/01/2018
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	9.56(w) x 11.63(h) x 0.38(d)
Age Range:	5 - 7 Years

About the Author

Kerstin Brichzin has written numerous award-winning children’s stories, as well as thrillers and mysteries for older readers. She currently works as an educator in a Cologne kindergarten.

Igor Kuprin's illustrations have been featured in numerous international magazines, as well as on book covers and in children’s books. He lives with his family in Hamburg, Germany.

Editorial Reviews

Gentle story about a nonconforming child... fills a need for books on gender.”—Michael Cart, Booklist

"A solid message about gender expression and acceptance. An essential purchase for libraries." —Elaine Fultz, Madison Jr. Sr. High School, Middletown, OH, School Library Journal

From the Publisher

2018-05-28
If you didn't know by now that boys sometimes wear skirts, this picture book will explain that again.Felix likes wearing skirts. After all, "I can run faster and climb more easily." But not everyone is comfortable with his choice. The plot is so well-worn that it hardly warrants description: First he wants to wear skirts, then people are mean to him. The plodding, artless text follows Felix as he goes from victimization to grudging acceptance. "Real boys don't wear dresses. Why don't you go play with someone else…," say his classmates. And " ‘That's inappropriate,' the other parents whispered to each other. ‘What kind of parent allows his child to do something like that?' " Then his dad decides to wear a skirt, too, and Felix feels better about going back to school. The story concludes with "From that day on no one asked if he was a boy or a girl. They simply called him Felix," an apparent (and misguided) attempt at supporting a boy who seems clear enough about his gender identity. The art is strangely retro, depicting very little outside of characters' expressions of joy, sadness, or discomfort, and the text doesn't utilize structure or pacing to lend interest or artistry to the story. Felix is a white boy, as are most of the other people depicted, though one classmate wears hijab.A heavy-handed, already-dated attempt to explain a well-documented experience. (Picture book. 3-6)

Kirkus Reviews