Born Ready: The True Story of a Boy Named Penelope
Penelope is sure of two things: He’s a ninja, and he’s a boy. The rest of the world—including his parents, two brothers, and sister—all see him as a girl. But he knows deep inside that he is a boy, one who’d very much like to wear high tops, baggy jeans, button-up shirts, and a Mohawk haircut. He’s a boy who likes skateboarding, karate, math, and science, and when the world doesn’t see him as he is, he sometimes acts out in anger and frustration. When Penelope finds the courage to tell his mom, she helps him tell the rest of the family, as well as his classmates and principal. Everyone accepts who Penelope is right away, and that’s one of the things that makes this picture book about a five-year-old trans boy unusual (and quite welcome). Penelope and his family are African American, and so are his principal, his karate teacher, and most of his school friends. The first-person voice of the narrative pulls readers into the story, while textured digital illustrations show the contrast between the way the world initially sees Penelope and the way he sees himself moving through it. ©2022 Cooperative Children’s Book Center
Illustrated by Charnelle Pinkney Barlow
CCBC Age Recommendation: Ages 4-7
Age Range:
PreK-Early Elementary (Ages 4-7)
Formats:
Biography, Autobiography and Memoir
Picture book
Subjects:
African Americans
Boys and Men
Gender Identity
LGBTQ+ Persons
Transgender People
Diversity subject:
Black/African
LGBTQ Character/Topic
Publishers:
Crown, Random House
Publish Year: 2021
Pages: 32
ISBN: 9780593123638
CCBC Location: Picture Book, Patterson