PART 1: What are we really saying to our children? – Language Acquisition & Gender

5 Ways to Be More Inclusive

Pronouns are one of the first ways that small children are taught to gender themselves and others. As a child grows within the womb, they are introduced to our language and how we communicate in our world, including how they are spoken about. At first glance this can seem simple …

PART 2: What are we really saying to our children? – Language Acquisition & Gender

Instilling Skills to Help our Kids Negotiate Oppressive Systems

In PART 1 OF THIS SERIES, I explored how pronouns are one of the first ways children gender themselves and others. From an early age, many LGBTQI2S+ people understand the power of language and the impact it can have. This is why in my gender work, the Pronoun Circle is …

PART 3: What are we really saying to our children? – Language Acquisition & Gender

Unconsciously Passing on Gender Oppression and a Lack of Consent

An example of why it’s so important to understand the power of language and how we use it, especially in books for children. For context, see the previous two posts, Part 1 and Part 2. Prior to this blog series on language acquisition and gender, I haven’t written a blog …

My Story, Your Story, Their Story, Who Gets to Tell It?

First Voice/Own Voice and Indigenous, POC, LGBTQI Children’s Books

My Story I have been involved in the children’s book industry for over 20 years. I joke that they accidentally let me in. Indeed, something must have been going on…stars momentarily aligned, portals briefly opened… because not only did I get “in,” but my first book, Prietita and the Ghost …

What Keeps Me Strong in These Days – Checking IN and Blessings OUT

Children's Books as a Personal Practice

These days, these days, these days. Everything changing. So much discomfort. Everywhere hope and courage. So much waking up as the children take to the streets speaking truth OUT loud. So much more waiting in the wings. These days, I close much of my correspondence with “take good care through …

VIDEO and DRAWING PAGE for When A Bully Is President, Truth and Creativity for Oppressive Times

the revolution is allways NOW

It is with fierce love that I share a reading and arte of my children’s book When a Bully Is President, Truth and Creativity for Oppressive Times for today’s inauguration. In the days ahead we must know the truth of who we are and that we are pure creative power. …

The Rainbow Alphabet and The Girl in the Library

Finding Voice In a World of Silence

Two books that support kids: an LGBTQ intro for littles and a story about a girl coming into voice The Rainbow Alphabet with Mami Q and The Girl in the Library, The Library in the Girl will be published in 2017 by Reflection Press. Written and illustrated by me, The …

When a Bully is President/Truth and Creativity for Oppressive Times

A children’s book to support kids and adults in the wake of the 2016 US election. The book can be used as a way to talk about oppression in society or as a straight up tool to talk about the current political climate and the next 4 years with your …

The Case of the Missing Books/10 years of data

#ownvoices in Children’s Books: A State of Emergency/ Blog Series 1 of 3

The graph below shows the children’s books that were missing by POC and Indigenous people in the children’s book industry over the last 10 years. That is if we were creating an equitable number of books per year to white Americans. It can be challenging to wrap our minds around …

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