My Rainbow

PreS-Gr 2–A lively #OwnVoices picture book tribute to a family’s unwavering support of their transgender daughter, written by a mother-daughter advocate duo and based on their experiences. Trinity, who is a Black transgender girl, liked to play with her siblings, her dolls, and her pet pig, Peter Porker. One day, Trinity expressed frustration that she couldn’t be a girl because she didn’t have long hair. She needed long hair to feel like herself. When Trinity’s mother pointed out her own short hair, Trinity explained, “People don’t care if cisgender girls like you have short hair. But it’s different for transgender girls. I need long hair!” The family took a trip to the beauty store. None of the wigs seemed to be the best choice for Trinity. Mom took matters into her own hands and crafted a one-of-a-kind rainbow wig just for her daughter. Trinity loved it: “It’s me, Mom. My hair has finally come!” The text’s frank and refreshing usage of terms such as cisgender will spark necessary conversations between children and caregivers. Twink’s digital illustrations are vibrant and colorful just like Trinity and feature small but important details, including a beauty store employee named Maya wearing a “they/them” pronoun name tag. Some readers may feel that a few details could have been expanded on, such as Trinity’s autism, which is acknowledged throughout the book but is not the main focus.