Payden’s Pronoun Party, by Blue Jaryn/Illustrated by Xochitl Cornejo, (Oct. 2022, Page Street Kids), $18.99, ISBN: 9781645675587
Ages 4-8
Payden is a child on a quest to find the pronouns that best fit: “I’m not sure I’m a boy… so maybe he is not best for me”. With Mom and Dad’s love and support – and the promise of a party to celebrate Payden’s chosen pronouns. Off Payden goes, speaking to his friends about all the possibilities: he and she, they and ze, em and e… there’s a rainbow of possibilities to discover! Celebrating individuality and choice, Payden’s Pronoun Party is at once gentle and exciting, charged with potential. Endpapers extend the story, bookending Payden’s quest. Digital illustrations show cartoon art people, all delightfully content in their pronouns and in themselves. Colors of the rainbow permeate the artwork in both background and in character; each pronoun choice is bolded in a different color of the rainbow. A joy to read aloud, Payden’s Pronoun Party welcomes choice, empowers LGBTQIA+ youth, and encourages understanding.
Download a free activity kit from Page Street Kids, including a fun pronoun badge worksheet that is perfect for decorating library spaces, classrooms, and people. TeachersPayTeachers has some good gender pronoun posters to have up in your rooms, including these from Everyone Deserves to Learn and this set from The Tie Tuesday Teacher.
Mom Read It 