Their Name Is Alex

by Paloma O'Toole

Overview

A colorful, fun picture book about gender identity and pronouns—and super cool fish!

Alex’s class is taking a field trip to the aquarium! While there, the teacher encourages the students to pick a sea creature they’d most like to be.

Freddie picks jellyfish for their awesome dance moves.

Rebecca picks an octopus for their eight wriggly arms.

But Alex struggles to find a fish that feels just right. After all, there are so many incredible creatures to choose from!

Until Alex discovers the goby, a very special fish that encourages Alex to be just who they are . . .

A moving picture book about gender identity and fluidity, Their Name Is Alex shows readers just how powerful it can be for a child to feel seen and understood. 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780316577571
Publisher:	Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	05/12/2026
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	8.75(w) x 11.25(h) x 0.38(d)
Age Range:	6 - 8 Years

About the Author

Paloma O’Toole is an autistic and nonbinary artist from Spain. They studied Fine Arts in Seville, and graduated with a Master’s in Painting. While working as a Spanish language teacher in the UK, they were introduced to a student who identified as gender fluid. Inspired by their student and armed with a term to describe how they always felt, Paloma began identifying as nonbinary. This, coupled with their long time fascination with animals (specifically, the many creatures that are gender fluid), inspired them to write their debut picture book, Their Name is Alex. They live in a small town in England with their husband and two black cats. Paloma invites you to connect with them at palomaotoole.com.