Summary
This AWARD WINNING book, ‘Be Yourself’ written by Jackie Swirsky and illustrated by her 7 year old gender creative son Jacob Swirsky and sister-in-law Jaimee Appel, features a gender creative child as the main character and teaches the message of acceptance. It empowers children to be proud of themselves just as they are and be accepting of all people no matter their style. It provides positive language around gender diversity and gives strategies for how to be accepting of others.
At the end of the book child friendly discussion questions are provided for an adult / educator to be able to guide a dialogue about acceptance specifically around the topic of gender followed by information on how to create an inclusive, supportive environment for gender creative children. Listening to the song / reading this engaging book with your children or in your classroom is a fun and educational way to share the concepts of empathy, kindness and acceptance.