From personal and professional experiences as a pediatric speech-language pathologist, I wrote this book to help teach children to respect each other's differences. The inspiration for the book stems from the experiences of a young boy who enjoys a wide variety of activities. Some are stereotypically "boy" activities, and some are not. His peers have put pressure on him to conform to, what some believe, are the norms of society. That's just not right. Nobody should have to give up what they are passionate about because of what someone else thinks. This book is not just about the likes and dislikes of a boy, it is a tool for parents, caregivers and educators to help children communicate about each other's likes and dislikes and to respect these differences. It is also an interactive book that encourages the reader to participate on each page. The hope is that it sparks some much need thought and dialogue about tolerance in society.
It is ok to be a boy who likes to dance. It is ok to be a boy who likes trucks. It is ok.
Yet so many young children have been raised with ideas of gender-specific stereotypes.
We need more tools for young children as well as for parents/caregivers/teachers, that help teach empathy and understanding in children.
The main character is a young boy who doesn't always follow the societal gender norms. He likes to dance, he likes the color pink, he likes to play with doll houses. But he also likes trucks, and Legos, and computers. All of this is ok and children need to understand this. This boy is too young to know how to stand up to peer pressure, so he has given up some of his favorite activities, just so that he can fit in. That's just not right.
