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Introducing Teddy: A Gentle Story About Gender and Friendship
One sunny day, Errol finds that Thomas the Teddy is sad, and Errol can't figure out why. Then Thomas the Teddy finally tells Errol what Teddy has been afraid to say: 'In my heart, I've always known that I'm a girl Teddy, not a boy Teddy. I wish my name was Tilly.' And Errol says, 'I don't care if you're a girl teddy or a boy teddy! What matters is that you are my friend.'
32 pages, Hardcover
First published June 7, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 275 reviews
June 26, 2024
This is the story about Errol and his Teddy named Thomas who wears a bow tie. They do everything together.
But one day, Errol notices that Thomas is not feeling particularly playful. So, he asks him what is wrong. And, Thomas says that he is not feeling like a Thomas he is feeling like a Tilly. And, he is afraid that because he wants to be a Tilly, that maybe Errol won’t want to be his friend anymore.
Well, Errol who loves Thomas very much gives the bear a hug and is happy to embrace Tilly’s new identity. And, when Errol’s friend, Ava comes over she offers to give Tilly her bow to wear.
This book offers opportunities for parents and teachers to talk with children about gender identity, being true to themselves and friendship in a thoughtful and caring way.
The question is, when is the appropriate age to understand this topic?
The artistic renderings through the illustrations are gently presented which makes it easy for young ones to relate to, but the subject matter may not be. So, this truly is an educable subject that needs to be managed sensitively.
The publisher says that Reading level is: Age 3 – 6 – Pre-school – Grade 1st
But one day, Errol notices that Thomas is not feeling particularly playful. So, he asks him what is wrong. And, Thomas says that he is not feeling like a Thomas he is feeling like a Tilly. And, he is afraid that because he wants to be a Tilly, that maybe Errol won’t want to be his friend anymore.
Well, Errol who loves Thomas very much gives the bear a hug and is happy to embrace Tilly’s new identity. And, when Errol’s friend, Ava comes over she offers to give Tilly her bow to wear.
This book offers opportunities for parents and teachers to talk with children about gender identity, being true to themselves and friendship in a thoughtful and caring way.
The question is, when is the appropriate age to understand this topic?
The artistic renderings through the illustrations are gently presented which makes it easy for young ones to relate to, but the subject matter may not be. So, this truly is an educable subject that needs to be managed sensitively.
The publisher says that Reading level is: Age 3 – 6 – Pre-school – Grade 1st
November 13, 2020
Yet ANOTHER voice of deception among today's ridiculous views on gender. Children are angsty and confused enough about life and relationships without being force-fed nonsense about "choosing" their own gender!!! Hello!! Last time I checked, gender is BIOLOGY, not psychology. Feelings are not facts.
August 25, 2017
Rating: 4.5 STARS
Introducing Teddy is a perfect book, in my opinion, to read to a young child. It explains just enough for a child to grasp the understanding of transgender, without getting into huge concepts. It is also just a lovely story with amazing illustrations.
Introducing Teddy is a perfect book, in my opinion, to read to a young child. It explains just enough for a child to grasp the understanding of transgender, without getting into huge concepts. It is also just a lovely story with amazing illustrations.
February 1, 2019
The “too good to be true” easy vibe of this story is a sweet surprise for me. I think it’s important to show challenges and compromises in children’s literature – but sometimes it’s ok to just show complete acceptance too. We need both, and we also need more.
August 25, 2021
Reread 25/8/2021, just as straightforwardly joyful as I remember. Really glad to now have my own copy 💕
4.5/5. Super sweet and touching, and I'm so glad my library got this in on my request so that it's now available for the kids (and adults) that need it.
4.5/5. Super sweet and touching, and I'm so glad my library got this in on my request so that it's now available for the kids (and adults) that need it.
February 19, 2018
Simple and sweet picture book that could be used to explain gender identity to children. I'm so glad this exists, and in a book that is so well done. Teddy is afraid to tell his friend that he really feels like a girl teddy and not a boy teddy b/c it may ruin their friendship. This makes him said and his friend notices and asks what is wrong, and then reassures him that he will still be his friend whether he is a boy teddy or a girl teddy. Matter of factly the boy explains to their friend Ava that Teddy is now named Tilly, Tilly moves her bowtie to her hair and life carries on. Great message of friendship, acceptance, and being yourself.
January 8, 2020
Awesome picture book about a trans teddy bear. Really liking all the LGBT and particularly T visibility in kids' lit lately. My only qualm: since part of the idea here is that we should call people by the names they prefer, wouldn't Introducing Tilly make a better title? Similarly, I thought the excellent book George would've been better titled Melissa.
August 24, 2016
Ajankohtainen asia, jonka vuoksi tämä varmaan on käännettykin. Sekä mahti-kuvituksen :)!
Samapa tuo, onko sukupuoli synnynnäistä, biologista, opittua, näyteltyä, sex tai gender. Tärkeintä on, että sen saa itse päättää ja määritellä, mitä se tarkoittaa - ja tulee silti hyväksytyksi.
Läheinen omatekemä kommentoi aika laittamattomasti: "Hyvä esimerkki siitä, kuinka lapsille on muka kauhean vaikeaa selittää tällaisia asioita. Eikä ole. Lapset vaan kuuntelee ja sanoo, 'okei' ja jatkaa leikkiään." Aikuisilla se selittäminen vaikeaa on. Ehkä ja toivottavasti tämän kirjan jälkeen vähemmän.
Samapa tuo, onko sukupuoli synnynnäistä, biologista, opittua, näyteltyä, sex tai gender. Tärkeintä on, että sen saa itse päättää ja määritellä, mitä se tarkoittaa - ja tulee silti hyväksytyksi.
Läheinen omatekemä kommentoi aika laittamattomasti: "Hyvä esimerkki siitä, kuinka lapsille on muka kauhean vaikeaa selittää tällaisia asioita. Eikä ole. Lapset vaan kuuntelee ja sanoo, 'okei' ja jatkaa leikkiään." Aikuisilla se selittäminen vaikeaa on. Ehkä ja toivottavasti tämän kirjan jälkeen vähemmän.
May 31, 2016
I'm a fan of this quiet story about a teddy named Thomas who nervously tells his best friend Errol that, in his heart, he is Tilly the Teddy. Hurrah for Tilly and her loving friends - both new and old!
April 5, 2020
Premesso che è un tema che “sento” molto, per il quale mi batto pur non vivendo in prima persona la questione. Credo che ogni libro che possa portare ad una maggior inclusione sia da benedire, figuriamoci per quanto riguarda battaglie culturalmente più difficili da affrontare.
Già per questo, il libro merita stima e rispetto, visto che parlare ai bambini è sempre una grande sfida... ma mi aspettavo di più, sono sincero.
La trama è forse troppo semplice (necessario ridurre al minimo i concetti, certo, ma si poteva fare di meglio) e si legge davvero in due minuti. Credo che non si possa, anche in tenera età, ridurre tutto ad un semplice papillon spostato (dal collo alla testa) e cambio di nome. Il contesto è troppo “facilone”, a mio avviso, senza ostacoli o resistenze, lontanissimo dalla realtà.
I disegni, invece, li ho adorati. Uno stile davvero grazioso che accompagna con grande dolcezza l’ingenua bontà dei dialoghi.
Nel complesso non so se lo regalerei: forse, e dico forse, esistono libri su questo tema più efficaci. Vale comunque la pena di essere letto (o meglio sfogliato).
Già per questo, il libro merita stima e rispetto, visto che parlare ai bambini è sempre una grande sfida... ma mi aspettavo di più, sono sincero.
La trama è forse troppo semplice (necessario ridurre al minimo i concetti, certo, ma si poteva fare di meglio) e si legge davvero in due minuti. Credo che non si possa, anche in tenera età, ridurre tutto ad un semplice papillon spostato (dal collo alla testa) e cambio di nome. Il contesto è troppo “facilone”, a mio avviso, senza ostacoli o resistenze, lontanissimo dalla realtà.
I disegni, invece, li ho adorati. Uno stile davvero grazioso che accompagna con grande dolcezza l’ingenua bontà dei dialoghi.
Nel complesso non so se lo regalerei: forse, e dico forse, esistono libri su questo tema più efficaci. Vale comunque la pena di essere letto (o meglio sfogliato).
October 1, 2020
There was a lot less substance to this than I was expecting. It was okay. The teddy bear was Thomas and then announced that people should use the name Tilly. And then moved the bow from neck to head. I can't imagine this explaining anything to kids, but it's probably a good conversation starter for family who want to talk with very young children about being transgender.
June 14, 2016
A copy of this novel was provided by Bloomsbury Australia & Allen and Unwin for review.
Introducing Teddy was, in one word: gorgeous. I also think that everyone should read it, so here I have a nifty list just for you, detailing all the reasons why Introducing Teddy should be on your TBR.
1) It’s LGBTQIA+ kid lit.
I am an advocate for LGBTQIA+ lit in YA (as most of you probably know), but I also know that there is a need for LGBTQIA+ middle grade lit, and also kid lit. So to see Introducing Teddy being published makes me incredibly happy. And, hopefully, people will give it the love it deserves so that publishers know how important it is to have LGBTQIA+ books in all genres.
2) It’s trans kid lit.
Not only is Introducing Teddy LGBTQIA+ kid lit, which is important in and of itself, but it’s trans kid lit. Tilly is a transgender teddy bear, and the way that this presented is so incredibly lovely.
3) Errol’s acceptance of Tilly.
Now, I didn’t really think that Tilly’s friend, Errol, would turn around and be horrible to Tilly, but it was absolutely gorgeous to see him just completely accept Tilly as she is. He says: “I don't care if you're a girl teddy or a boy teddy! What matters is that you are my friend.” And then they just keep playing and hanging out. It was sad to see Tilly so afraid of telling Errol how she really felt, and it was just amazing to see and feel such emotion from a picture book.
4) Gender stereotypes are absent.
Not only is Introducing Teddy about Tilly and her interaction with Errol regarding her being trans, but the gender roles of Errol, and his friend, Ava, are not stereotypical in any way. Errol likes gardening and having tea parties. Ava doesn’t like bows and builds a robot. It was so lovely to see this complete and utter lack of gender stereotypes that we see so often in kid lit (and other genres, as well).
5) The illustrations.
Every picture in Introducing Teddy is absolutely gorgeous. I loved it. The fact that every stroke of pencil (or whatever was used – I have no idea being completely unartistic myself) was visible gave such an authentic feel to the images, and the story. The mix of messy and smooth was just something I really, really liked.
6) The epilogue picture.
There’s a picture on the very last page of Introducing Teddy, and it’s a polaroid-like picture of Tilly wearing her bow, with her name written underneath. This was such an adorable addition to the book, and had me smiling so much when I turned the last page and saw it. It just reinforced everything that Introducing Teddy had brought forward: that Tilly was being herself, and accepted and loved by her friends.
Introducing Teddy is an incredibly touching story that will warm every reader’s heart – whether you’re a kid or adult or somewhere in between.
© 2016, Chiara @ Books for a Delicate Eternity . All rights reserved.
trigger warning: none
Introducing Teddy was, in one word: gorgeous. I also think that everyone should read it, so here I have a nifty list just for you, detailing all the reasons why Introducing Teddy should be on your TBR.
1) It’s LGBTQIA+ kid lit.
I am an advocate for LGBTQIA+ lit in YA (as most of you probably know), but I also know that there is a need for LGBTQIA+ middle grade lit, and also kid lit. So to see Introducing Teddy being published makes me incredibly happy. And, hopefully, people will give it the love it deserves so that publishers know how important it is to have LGBTQIA+ books in all genres.
2) It’s trans kid lit.
Not only is Introducing Teddy LGBTQIA+ kid lit, which is important in and of itself, but it’s trans kid lit. Tilly is a transgender teddy bear, and the way that this presented is so incredibly lovely.
3) Errol’s acceptance of Tilly.
Now, I didn’t really think that Tilly’s friend, Errol, would turn around and be horrible to Tilly, but it was absolutely gorgeous to see him just completely accept Tilly as she is. He says: “I don't care if you're a girl teddy or a boy teddy! What matters is that you are my friend.” And then they just keep playing and hanging out. It was sad to see Tilly so afraid of telling Errol how she really felt, and it was just amazing to see and feel such emotion from a picture book.
4) Gender stereotypes are absent.
Not only is Introducing Teddy about Tilly and her interaction with Errol regarding her being trans, but the gender roles of Errol, and his friend, Ava, are not stereotypical in any way. Errol likes gardening and having tea parties. Ava doesn’t like bows and builds a robot. It was so lovely to see this complete and utter lack of gender stereotypes that we see so often in kid lit (and other genres, as well).
5) The illustrations.
Every picture in Introducing Teddy is absolutely gorgeous. I loved it. The fact that every stroke of pencil (or whatever was used – I have no idea being completely unartistic myself) was visible gave such an authentic feel to the images, and the story. The mix of messy and smooth was just something I really, really liked.
6) The epilogue picture.
There’s a picture on the very last page of Introducing Teddy, and it’s a polaroid-like picture of Tilly wearing her bow, with her name written underneath. This was such an adorable addition to the book, and had me smiling so much when I turned the last page and saw it. It just reinforced everything that Introducing Teddy had brought forward: that Tilly was being herself, and accepted and loved by her friends.
Introducing Teddy is an incredibly touching story that will warm every reader’s heart – whether you’re a kid or adult or somewhere in between.
© 2016, Chiara @ Books for a Delicate Eternity . All rights reserved.
trigger warning: none
October 15, 2018
Good message, lackluster execution.
It's cute, but there's not a lot to it. I guess the subtitle, "A gentle story about gender and friendship," is a good description. Gentle, slow-paced, and brief.
A little boy named Errol has a teddy bear named Thomas. They play every day. One day, Thomas isn't feeling good. They go to the park, but it doesn't cheer him up. Errol asks Thomas what's wrong. Thomas says, "If I tell you, you might not be my friend anymore." Errol says, "I will always be your friend, Thomas!" Thomas explains that he's not a boy, he's a girl. And she wishes her name was Tilly, not Thomas. Errol says that's fine with him. Errol calls his friend, Ava, who is putting together a robot (she's almost aggressively non-stereotypical), and she comes over to play. Errol explains that Teddy has a new name, Tilly. It's kind of strange that Errol refers to the bear alternately as "Teddy" and as the bear's name, especially since "Teddy" and both names start with "T", which makes it rather confusing. Tilly moves her bow tie onto her head, making it a hair bow. Then they have a tea party. The end.
It's okay. There's no real explanation of anything. It's just assumed that Tilly would worry about Errol's opinion of her gender, without explaining that some people are prejudiced that way. Young enough children might not understand the worry if they haven't encountered that sort of thing before. Ideally, nobody would encounter that sort of prejudice, but since we do, addressing it is useful. Glossing over this the way it does almost invalidates the difficulty that a lot of people have with this. On the other hand, the way that it's presented, nothing happens. It's treated as a complete non-event. Which, although that's the ideal way for it to happen, doesn't make for a very interesting story. Nothing happens other than the complete avoidance of conflict, and a handful of play activities. It ends up boring. Basically, they've taken something which should, in an ideal world, be a non-event, and made it a non-event, and then made a book telling the story of this non-event. It's like telling the story of somebody putting their socks on. It's not interesting anymore. This book could be improved by talking about how much better Tilly feels now that she's expressing what she feels inside, how much better it feels to be yourself rather than hiding who you are. Or, alternatively, if it's something that she just discovered about herself recently instead of suffering in silence for a long time, how much better it feels to understand yourself more than you did before. As it is, there is so little character description in this book that I don't identify with these characters and I don't really care what happens to them beyond the average nondescript character. The writing does not make it easy to empathize with these characters.
Message: It's okay to express the gender that you feel, even if that gender is not the way you externally appear.
For more children's book reviews, see my website at http://www.drttmk.com.
It's cute, but there's not a lot to it. I guess the subtitle, "A gentle story about gender and friendship," is a good description. Gentle, slow-paced, and brief.
A little boy named Errol has a teddy bear named Thomas. They play every day. One day, Thomas isn't feeling good. They go to the park, but it doesn't cheer him up. Errol asks Thomas what's wrong. Thomas says, "If I tell you, you might not be my friend anymore." Errol says, "I will always be your friend, Thomas!" Thomas explains that he's not a boy, he's a girl. And she wishes her name was Tilly, not Thomas. Errol says that's fine with him. Errol calls his friend, Ava, who is putting together a robot (she's almost aggressively non-stereotypical), and she comes over to play. Errol explains that Teddy has a new name, Tilly. It's kind of strange that Errol refers to the bear alternately as "Teddy" and as the bear's name, especially since "Teddy" and both names start with "T", which makes it rather confusing. Tilly moves her bow tie onto her head, making it a hair bow. Then they have a tea party. The end.
It's okay. There's no real explanation of anything. It's just assumed that Tilly would worry about Errol's opinion of her gender, without explaining that some people are prejudiced that way. Young enough children might not understand the worry if they haven't encountered that sort of thing before. Ideally, nobody would encounter that sort of prejudice, but since we do, addressing it is useful. Glossing over this the way it does almost invalidates the difficulty that a lot of people have with this. On the other hand, the way that it's presented, nothing happens. It's treated as a complete non-event. Which, although that's the ideal way for it to happen, doesn't make for a very interesting story. Nothing happens other than the complete avoidance of conflict, and a handful of play activities. It ends up boring. Basically, they've taken something which should, in an ideal world, be a non-event, and made it a non-event, and then made a book telling the story of this non-event. It's like telling the story of somebody putting their socks on. It's not interesting anymore. This book could be improved by talking about how much better Tilly feels now that she's expressing what she feels inside, how much better it feels to be yourself rather than hiding who you are. Or, alternatively, if it's something that she just discovered about herself recently instead of suffering in silence for a long time, how much better it feels to understand yourself more than you did before. As it is, there is so little character description in this book that I don't identify with these characters and I don't really care what happens to them beyond the average nondescript character. The writing does not make it easy to empathize with these characters.
Message: It's okay to express the gender that you feel, even if that gender is not the way you externally appear.
For more children's book reviews, see my website at http://www.drttmk.com.
July 11, 2018
I know that gender transitioning is tough, but sometimes young children need to know a simple explanation for someone close who has those feelings inside, just as Teddy the bear does. And just as Teddy the bear finally shares how he feels, he asks for change, to be called Tilly. A couple of small switches, like putting the bowtie in her hair makes a simple point too, about expectations of others, or the outer needs of someone who wants what hasn't been allowed before. It's a lovely book, written by Jessica Walton because her father transitioned into a woman and she wanted a book to read to her younger son. Dougal MacPherson's straightforward illustrations create the expressions and the actions, from serious to satisfied to just plain happy, just right for little ones to understand, too.
May 27, 2019
Erkki-nalle vaikuttaa eräänä päivänä surulliselta ja ystävä on huolissaan nallen alakulosta. Erkki tietää sydämessään olevansa tyttönalle ja toivoisi nimensä olevan Elli eikä Erkki. Onneksi puhuminen ystävänsä kanssa auttaa ja leikit jatkuvat yhdessä aivan kuten ennenkin.
Ihastuttava tarina ja kuvitus <3
Ihastuttava tarina ja kuvitus <3
June 11, 2016
At first, I didn't like this book because it seemed to oversimplify things. But then I remembered this was meant for kids- and really for the adults who need to explain a complicated matter to kids. I'm glad a conversation can be had if the situation arises.
August 18, 2016
Ihan ensin mie mietin, että oliko tämä pikkuisen kepeä - kunnes tulin siihen lopputulokseen, että justiin näin kepeä onkin sopiva kuvakirjaan. Nimi ja rusetti muuttuvat, kaverin tuki auttaa. Siinä se. IHKU!
February 7, 2018
I get a lot of people asking me for recommendations for trans literature for all ages and I think this is the youngest one I've found: A picture book about a boy and his teddy.
Oh wow, am I glad that I picked this up. It's a short read of course, but it's hugely profound.
Told in the standard, simplified narrative of a picture book for children, this story follows the tale of a teddy who is miserable until his companion, the boy in the story, asks him what's wrong.
It explores the fear of the teddy, that the boy will no longer be friends with him. It explores pronouns, gender and naming people. And, just as importantly, it explores the no drama ways to respond to this whenever it comes up.
I particularly liked Ada, a friend who builds robots in her spare time, who also seemed to have some genderqueerness hinted at, although this was not explicit.
Seeing Tilly ending up so happy at the end as she and the boy do the same things as they had at the start, only now with the acknowledgement that Tilly is a girl, was just wonderful to see.
Oh wow, am I glad that I picked this up. It's a short read of course, but it's hugely profound.
Told in the standard, simplified narrative of a picture book for children, this story follows the tale of a teddy who is miserable until his companion, the boy in the story, asks him what's wrong.
It explores the fear of the teddy, that the boy will no longer be friends with him. It explores pronouns, gender and naming people. And, just as importantly, it explores the no drama ways to respond to this whenever it comes up.
I particularly liked Ada, a friend who builds robots in her spare time, who also seemed to have some genderqueerness hinted at, although this was not explicit.
Seeing Tilly ending up so happy at the end as she and the boy do the same things as they had at the start, only now with the acknowledgement that Tilly is a girl, was just wonderful to see.
July 19, 2016
No book as ever given me so much trouble as a reviewer before this one.
Not because of the subject matter, but because it is less than 30 pages with just a few sentences and beautiful drawings:).
I just did not know if I would have enough to say about it! That was until I realised that it was not about the plot but about the message.
I realised I needed to review it, because it was, and is a very important book.
It is an important book whether or not you identify with your assigned gender and whether or not you feel that it is a reality that concerns you.
It is an important book because even if your child seems to be happy being a boy or a girl right now, and may always be, he or she is bound to meet or befriend someone who lives their life with a different gender than the one they were born with.
“Introducing Teddy” not only introduces this reality gently and accompanies the message by simply saying that being who you want to be is ok, and that true friends will love you for who you are no matter what, and with that going to a place that is beyond gender.
Just a few words with a beautiful drawings. Sometimes, it’s all that is needed to deliver a powerful message.
Not because of the subject matter, but because it is less than 30 pages with just a few sentences and beautiful drawings:).
I just did not know if I would have enough to say about it! That was until I realised that it was not about the plot but about the message.
I realised I needed to review it, because it was, and is a very important book.
It is an important book whether or not you identify with your assigned gender and whether or not you feel that it is a reality that concerns you.
It is an important book because even if your child seems to be happy being a boy or a girl right now, and may always be, he or she is bound to meet or befriend someone who lives their life with a different gender than the one they were born with.
“Introducing Teddy” not only introduces this reality gently and accompanies the message by simply saying that being who you want to be is ok, and that true friends will love you for who you are no matter what, and with that going to a place that is beyond gender.
Just a few words with a beautiful drawings. Sometimes, it’s all that is needed to deliver a powerful message.
May 2, 2017
sometimes we adults make this verrrrry complicated. jessica walton made a possibly complicated issue very simple. love it!!
April 30, 2024
Me ha emocionado mucho y lo he leído en colectivo en la casa del pumarejo durante la feria del libro anarquista
December 27, 2017
Un libro tierno, encantador y, sobretodo, necesario. En los tiempos que corren y habiendo tantas personas (que son un mundo cada una de ellas) es muy necesario poder explicar a los pequeños los temas que hasta hace poco eran "extraños" o "tabúes" y este libro es una gran ayuda a tratar el tema de la transexualidad y la amistad. Precioso.
https://youtu.be/CHnMqQGZChI
https://youtu.be/CHnMqQGZChI
June 29, 2022
A "feel-good" book that peddles sexist gender roles and sex stereotypes to children. Teddy wants to be a girl instead of a boy so that he can wear his bow on his head instead of his neck? Boys can wear hair accessories. Kids don't need to hear that you need to change sex to wear what you like.
May 24, 2016
A sweet and beautiful picture book that introduces young children to the concept of gender identity in a gentle and age-appropriate way.
October 13, 2018
I applaud the idea and think books about gender identity are needed, but the story felt too simplistic.
August 31, 2019
When the book says its a 'gentle story' they really mean it!
December 20, 2020
So wholesome I almost cried.
March 10, 2022
"Introducing Teddy" is a story about a Thomas the teddy who knows in her heart that she is a girl, not a boy. Thomas and her friend Errol do everything together from riding bikes to planting vegetables together. Thomas the Teddy is worried that if she tells Errol that she wishes her name was Tilly not Thomas because she knows in her heart she is a girl teddy, that Errol will not want to be friends with her. Errol tells Tilly that it doesn't matter whether she is a girl teddy or a boy teddy, and that what matters is that she is his friend. Tilly moves her bowtie to be a bow in her hair and her friend Ava is accepting as well. By the end of the book, Tilly is much happier, because she has found her identity and her friends are very accepting of her.
In the story, the illustrator uses placement and distance to convey the idea of conflict. Before Tilly tells Errol that she knows in her heart she is a girl teddy, she has an inner conflict with herself, because she is afraid that once she tells Errol, Errol won't want to be her friend anymore. This conflict is visually represented by the illustrator placing Errol and Tilly on opposite pages, distanced from each other. When Tilly finally tells Errol and Errol is accepting of Tilly, they are always shown on the same page together. In many picture books, transgender characters are shown alone at the beginning of the book as they struggle with their gender identity. The message of acceptance is then conveyed visually by the characters surrounded by others. In the beginning of the book, "Thomas" is seen lying alone and sad on a pillow, and at the end of the book, Tilly is happy and joined by her friends Errol and Ava as they are having a tea party together. Mirrors are also utilized as a symbol in this book, because on the title page, "Thomas" is shown looking into a mirror and seeing the person she really is, Tilly. At the end of the book, Ava takes a picture of Tilly who is happy on the seesaw, and this picture is like a window into understanding who Tilly truly is. This book gives students the opportunity to truly see themselves, giving a sense of acceptance and value. This book also allows readers a view into the lives of others, and the internal struggles that some people may be facing.
There isn't much diversity in this book, because Tilly is a teddy bear, and the two other characters in the book are Tilly's friends who are both white. I would have loved to see more diversity in this book, but that is harder to do with such few characters. At the end of the book, Tilly looks at the readers, and this uses the visual element of demand to convey the characters entering into a direct relationship with the reader. These characters look at the reader as if to say, "I am here, you must accept me". All the characters in the story are depicted as accepting of Tilly's gender identity and I think this is an excellent book that represents the struggles that transgender people go through. This book has a good balance of conflict and positive empowerment as well. Picture books commonly depict LGBTQ characters encountering LGBTQ-specific problems, and I feel like this book did as well as Tilly was faced with the problem of possibly losing a friend because she knew in her heart she was a girl, not a boy. This is beneficial as a way in which to understand the difficulties that transgender individuals face. This is a good book for students of all ages to learn the importance of acceptance as well as being who you truly are.
In the story, the illustrator uses placement and distance to convey the idea of conflict. Before Tilly tells Errol that she knows in her heart she is a girl teddy, she has an inner conflict with herself, because she is afraid that once she tells Errol, Errol won't want to be her friend anymore. This conflict is visually represented by the illustrator placing Errol and Tilly on opposite pages, distanced from each other. When Tilly finally tells Errol and Errol is accepting of Tilly, they are always shown on the same page together. In many picture books, transgender characters are shown alone at the beginning of the book as they struggle with their gender identity. The message of acceptance is then conveyed visually by the characters surrounded by others. In the beginning of the book, "Thomas" is seen lying alone and sad on a pillow, and at the end of the book, Tilly is happy and joined by her friends Errol and Ava as they are having a tea party together. Mirrors are also utilized as a symbol in this book, because on the title page, "Thomas" is shown looking into a mirror and seeing the person she really is, Tilly. At the end of the book, Ava takes a picture of Tilly who is happy on the seesaw, and this picture is like a window into understanding who Tilly truly is. This book gives students the opportunity to truly see themselves, giving a sense of acceptance and value. This book also allows readers a view into the lives of others, and the internal struggles that some people may be facing.
There isn't much diversity in this book, because Tilly is a teddy bear, and the two other characters in the book are Tilly's friends who are both white. I would have loved to see more diversity in this book, but that is harder to do with such few characters. At the end of the book, Tilly looks at the readers, and this uses the visual element of demand to convey the characters entering into a direct relationship with the reader. These characters look at the reader as if to say, "I am here, you must accept me". All the characters in the story are depicted as accepting of Tilly's gender identity and I think this is an excellent book that represents the struggles that transgender people go through. This book has a good balance of conflict and positive empowerment as well. Picture books commonly depict LGBTQ characters encountering LGBTQ-specific problems, and I feel like this book did as well as Tilly was faced with the problem of possibly losing a friend because she knew in her heart she was a girl, not a boy. This is beneficial as a way in which to understand the difficulties that transgender individuals face. This is a good book for students of all ages to learn the importance of acceptance as well as being who you truly are.
March 20, 2023
It was a sweet story for young kids to show that's it's ok if you don't recognize yourself with the gender assigned at your birth. This time the author used the hero's teddy bear to show the reader how to be a good ally to your friends facing the same journey.
The illustrations by Dougal MacPherson were sweet and simple. I especially liked that my eBook was presented it like a mix of story book/audiobook, with a narrator reading the story, the text changing color and the pages turning as he goes. So that young readers can read this book on their own. It makes the reading even more interactive. The author, Jessica Walton, is a queer, disabled writer and speaker, so it's really nice to see such representation.
I've read this book as part of the #TransRightsReadathon (20-27th march 2023).
The illustrations by Dougal MacPherson were sweet and simple. I especially liked that my eBook was presented it like a mix of story book/audiobook, with a narrator reading the story, the text changing color and the pages turning as he goes. So that young readers can read this book on their own. It makes the reading even more interactive. The author, Jessica Walton, is a queer, disabled writer and speaker, so it's really nice to see such representation.
I've read this book as part of the #TransRightsReadathon (20-27th march 2023).
February 16, 2017
As you all may know, I don't usually write reviews for picture books. The last one I reviewed was about a boy who wanted to wear a dress. His boy classmates teased him but realized at the end that anyone can wear a dress.
Introducing Teddy is about a teddy bear named Thomas who is very sad. His owner Errol asks him what is wrong and Thomas says "I don't feel like a boy teddy I feel like a girl teddy and I want to be called Tilly."
Just wanted people to be aware of this transgender picture book that helps introduce diversity to a younger audience. It wasn't the most interesting premise. Friend and bear just go to the park, but it was impactful because Errol the kid doesn't care what gender his bear is, as long as they are friends.
Introducing Teddy is about a teddy bear named Thomas who is very sad. His owner Errol asks him what is wrong and Thomas says "I don't feel like a boy teddy I feel like a girl teddy and I want to be called Tilly."
Just wanted people to be aware of this transgender picture book that helps introduce diversity to a younger audience. It wasn't the most interesting premise. Friend and bear just go to the park, but it was impactful because Errol the kid doesn't care what gender his bear is, as long as they are friends.
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