One of a Kind, Like Me / Único Como Yo

by Laurin Mayeno, Robert Liu-Trujillo (Illustrator), Teresa Mlawer (Translator)

Tomorrow is the school parade, and Danny knows exactly what he will be: a princess. Mommy supports him 100%, and they race to the thrift store to find his costume. It's almost closing time; will Danny find the costume of his dreams in time?

One of A Kind, Like Me / Único como yo is a sweet story about unconditional love and the beauty of individuality. It's a unique book that lifts up children who don't fit gender stereotypes, and reflects the power of a loving and supportive community.

Genres: Picture Books, LGBT, Childrens, Family, Gender, Latinx, Realistic Fiction

31 pages, Hardcover

First published September 15, 2016

Reviews

[Serena Yates · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are very few children’s books that challenge gender stereotypes, but this one is a perfect example of what such books could look like. It’s even better that this cute story reads much like a fairy tale – because the reality of having to face bullies of all kinds for any child not falling with “the norms” is too sad to put in a book for young children. In this version of events, much like in traditional fairy tales, the hero gets to be who he wants. Then he becomes both an example and a beautiful vision for what might happen if people were more accepting of children trying out different ways of looking at the world we live in. The author has written Danny’s story based on what happened to her son, and he is a very lucky boy!

The story line is basic and easy to follow for a young child; the recommended age range is four to seven. Danny wants to be a princess in the school parade, wearing a purple dress, and his mother takes him shopping for a costume. They find various types of purple garments, but none of them is quite right. Almost ready to give up, Danny has a brilliant idea: if they buy all the pieces, they can make the perfect dress by combining them.

The message that “being different is okay” is evident on more than one level of this story: Danny wants to be a “boy princess” as the other children end up calling it, and none of the ready-made costumes are right for him. He is special enough to have a completely tailored dress. The book is also bilingual English / Spanish, which adds an extra level of inclusion and, as unusual as it is, I think it works well.

I also want to mention the beautiful illustrations. They are well drawn, the colors are not overwhelming or look artificial, and the pictures show the story clearly enough to stand on their own. Stunning!

If you have a child, either your own or someone in your wider family or circle of friends, who is just slightly different from the norm and if you’re looking for a book to encourage them, ‘One of a Kind, Like Me’ could be one way to help them visualize a positive environment. It is also a great book to use for teachers as a basis for discussion, or to answer questions children in a classroom environment may have. And, based on my experience, it’s a very enjoyable short book to read even as an adult!


NOTE: This book was provided by the author for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.

[Jj · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked the author's notes at the end--she explains that this book is about her own son's experience, and includes a photo of him dressed for the parade. This depicts a very sweet, accepting family--and it is great to know that this is a true story.

[Kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute story about a boy who wants to dress as a princess in his school parade, and the challenges he faces when trying to do so. There is no ready-made costume that is exactly what he wants, so they have to get creative, and not everyone is totally accepting of the "boy princess". The message isn't heavy-handed, though. Bilingual, English/Spanish. Art was not my favorite.

[Craig Wiesner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautiful book about a boy named Danny who wants to dress up as a princess for his school's annual costume parade. The only drama is whether or not he and his mother will find the right things for that perfect purple dress and crown at the local Nifty Thrifty, the place where Danny's grandfather recommended they go since "they have everything!" Now, of course, there was a bit of internal drama when the author's son actually did ask for a princess dress to wear at school, and she did worry about him getting teased, but she supported him and out of that real-life experience came this wonderful children's picture book.

While we've seen a wealth of books coming out over the last few years covering LGBTQ issues, this is one of the first that is written in both English and Spanish, an extra gift of diversity so needed today.

One thing I particularly loved was that while Danny wants to dress up as a princess for the school parade, the book really doesn't give any indication as to whether this reflects anything about Danny's gender identity or sexual orientation. He simply has a special wish for the parade and his mother helps him make that wish come true. One kid at school points out that he'd never seen a boy princess before, to which Danny quickly responds that he'd never seen "a walking pineapple or a talking butterfly" either. Enough said and life moves on.

With simple but evocative pastel-colored illustrations, and a lyrical style for weaving the words, the book is a fun and easy read that will delight children and adults.

The author shares her own family's story and valuable advice to parents, caregivers, and educators at the end of the book, providing context for Danny's story and needed support for anyone with a child who wants to express his or her own self in a way that might be different from the 'usual'.

This is a great new addition to our diversity and bilingual shelves and as Alma Flor Ada says on the book's back cover, "it deserves to be present in every library, school and home."

[Sunny · Rating 5 out of 5]

This bilingual picture book is a really sweet story about Danny who wants to dress up as a princess in a purple dress. Danny's family supports his quest to find the perfect costume materials at the thrift shop. There's a small moment when Danny doesn't get acceptance right away but in the end he and his friends revel in the fact that they are "one of a kind, like me/único como yo"

[Elizabeth]

I'm not super-interested in Yet More sparkle boy/princess boy stories (written by the mother of a gender-non-conforming boy drawing on their own experiences), but this one is bilingual (English and Spanish), which is nice -- and its primary conflict is struggling to find the princess dress Danny has imagined, not anything about a boy wearing a dress. (Danny does experience some pushback from peers at the end of the book, but it doesn't last long, and it's not particularly telegraphed by the text.)

We see the classroom has the days of the week listed in Spanish.

The book's website has more resources.

[Ariana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Danny has a parade at school, and he knows he wants to dress up as a princess. His mom fully supports him and takes him to the thrift store. Will he find what he needs before the store closes? The themes of this book revolve around gender expression and family support. "One of a Kind" is an excellent choice for introducing LGBT topics to young students, as it demonstrates that a boy can wear a dress. Clothing and colors are gender-neutral; anyone can wear whatever they like. This book is intended for students in grades 1 and 2. Before reading, I would ask the class questions such as, "Have you ever enjoyed something that others thought was only for girls or boys?" and "Do you believe both boys and girls can play with different toys?" After reading the book aloud to the class, I would pose questions like, "How did Danny's mom help him feel accepted?" and "What does it mean to be one of a kind?" Then I would create a chart to display everyone's favorite colors, hobbies, toys, and animals. This will visually show the class that any interest is open to everyone, regardless of gender.

[Shikara Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Text-to-World Connection:
I am honestly blown away by this book. It gave me a great sense of peace and made me happy seeing how loving and kind people in the book were although that is not a reality for many. I think that is what makes the book amazing is seeing a child that is fully supported and loved and able to simply be. Society norms are changing and changing fast so it is important for children to learn early on in life that everyone is different and different is not bad! All around the world we see people fighting for gay right's and trans right's. Sometimes we may not understand someone's lifestyle or their choices but compassion goes so far. I think this would be a great book to read to children and have a guided discussion.

[Lovee · Rating 4 out of 5]

The key themes of this book include self-expression, gender identity, acceptance, Individuality.
•Audience: 4-8 years old
•I chose this book because it illustrates a child's journey of self-discovery and acceptance. To accept others for who they are; even if it's not their norm. It serves as a positive message about being true to oneself and the parents being supportive in that situation. The joy and confidence of the young character is captured in the vibrant illustrations.
•I will use this book in my future classroom to discuss empathy, diversity, and self-acceptance. I would engage with the students about being different, understanding others, and liking who you are. It can also be used to teach new Spanish words and celebrate different cultures.

[Casey Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love that this book exists! Gender nonconforming kid in a family that knows what a thrift store is and how to use it. And hooray for bilingual text!!!

As a picture book reader, though, I wish there were fewer words per page. Economy is everything in this genre.

[Debbie Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the true story of Mayeno’s son Danny who asked to be a princess for Halloween.

Mayeno wanted to write a story (in Spanish & English) about families like hers exploring gender.

I read this one with my kids and loved it!!

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a delightful book! 💜

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of a Kind Like Me /Único como yo written by author Laurin Mayeno and illustrated by Robert Liu-Trujillo was published in 2016. This bilingual text was a five star or green recommendation on the Social Justice Books website, and it was recommended and positively reviewed by both Latinx in Kid Lit and the SLJ (School Library Journal).
One of a Kind Like Me /Único como yo is a realistic fiction, bilingual-Spanish, picture book, is about a child named Danny and how Danny wanted to be a purple princess with a purple dress with round puffy sleeves and ruffles down to the ground, for the school Halloween parade. Danny and Danny’s mom searched the thrift store and found a silver crown. Danny went row by row and found only a purple robe that a wizard would wear, but a princess would not. Danny was disappointed when what Danny thought was the princess dress was a ruffly shower curtain, but Danny and Danny’s mom kept searching. Finally, the store was closing, and Danny has just about given up and given in when Danny had an idea and ran back for the ruffly, purple shower curtain and Danny’s mom agreed to help make the purple princess dress from the shower curtain. Then they both ran back to find the other purple items they had found to use for Danny’s purple princess costume. At home they got to work making Danny’s “one of a kind” dress. The following day at school, Danny was so excited when it was finally time and Danny’s teacher helped Danny put on the princess dress for the parade. The other children commented on one another’s costumes and Danny’s and Danny responded in a positive way and they all agree that they are all just “one of a kind.”
I chose to read this book because it was highly recommended by the Latinx in Kid Lit community and in the reviewer’s opinion, a realistic fiction book that should be in every elementary school, which made me want to read and purchase it for my library as well. This book covers cultural and gender diversity and multiple perspectives on inclusion based on gender identity and gender roles. I am so glad that I purchased this book because I truly enjoyed the story, the message from Danny, and Danny’s family, teacher, and friends, and that it is written in English and Spanish. As a bonus, there is the letter from the author at the end of the book. At the end of the book the author writes a letter to parents and educators explaining that this book was based on a true story when her child Danny was young and wanted to be a purple princess. There is a photograph of Danny in Danny’s purple princess costume as well as photos of Danny, as a child and adult, and the author, Danny’s mom. The letter from the author provides information from the author’s perspective as Danny’s mom. The author wrote this multiculturally authentic story with Danny’s help so that other children could see themselves in the characters and in the story in both English and Spanish.
This book would use this book with kindergarten through third and even fourth grade. There are many different types of social emotional learning lessons that could be done with this book in terms of respect, kindness, and bullying. I would also use this with my students to talk and write about perseverance and not giving up on something that is important to oneself even if others do not agree or make fun of you. I would use this book with my second grade, third, and fourth grade students as a read aloud simply to start a conversation and talk about Danny’s point of view on page 29. This book is an opportunity to write and talk about being “one of a kind” or “único y especial” in both English and Spanish.

[Arianne F · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read "One of a Kind, Like Me/ Unico Como Yo" written by Laurin Mayeno for my graduate class. One of a Kind is recommended on the Social Justice website and on the School Library Journal. I found this book on the Social Justice website. This book is about a boy named Danny who is getting ready for a parade at his school. He gets to dress up in whatever costume he wants to and Danny wants to be a princess. Danny and his mom head off to the thrift store to find him a beautiful purple gown and sparkly crown. This book is written in English with Spanish translation. Laurin Mayeno includes an author's note (and photos) about how the book is based off of a true story with her son and her multicultural family. She uses her "insider" perspective for both the Latinx family and son exploring his gender expression. She even includes resources for families about gender diversity.

This book has themes of social diversity and society as many realistic fiction books do. I'm happy that the book did show a few reactions of other students to Danny's costume and how he chose to handle these comments. It felt more realistic to how our world is and gave children examples of what they can do if they encounter these comments. This book was a culturally generic book since this storyline could have happened to a family of any cultural or race. There were a few cultural markers in the text like his cousin's name, Carmelita, and the family saying "princesa". The illustrations are watercolor paintings allowed the background colors look more 'thin' and the central illustrations more prominent. In the illustrations and the text, it shows that Danny lives with his mom, grandfather, and cousin which is diverse compared to the nuclear family that is usually portrayed in books. I think this book would be perfect to use in kindergarten to 2nd grade classroom (especially right before Halloween) with a SEL lesson that everyone is different and everyone can enjoy what they want to enjoy. I also think this could be a good guided reading book for students who are focusing on learning Spanish or English and focusing on the differences and similarities between the two languages while extending their language learning.

I liked "One of a Kind, Like Me/Unico Como Yo" because it was a sweet story of a boy wanting to find his perfect costume. I loved how they had to problem-solve and create the gown by using different materials and clothing they found at the thrift store. I also really liked how Danny mentioned how he had never seen talking butterflies or walking pineapples when the other students said they had never seen a boy princess and how they are all one of a kind. I feel like it created a sense of comradery and gave the children feel like it was safe for them to explore different things including their gender expression.

[Melissa Kahn · Rating 4 out of 5]

“One of a Kind, Like Me/Único Como Yo” by Laurin Mayeno celebrates individuality and lifts those children up who don’t fit the normal stereotypes. When Danny, a Mexican boy, needs a custom for his class parade, he gets excited about being a purple princess. When Danny and his mom go to a thrift store, they can’t find the right dress. Danny gets an idea of sewing pieces together to make the dress unique, just like him. With the support of his mom, teacher, and classmates, Danny feels happy in his own skin. This book would be great to use as a read-aloud for children ages 1-2 grade, as students can discuss what makes them unique and it celebrates differences. Students could create a self portrait of themselves and write descriptive words to describe themselves. Students could then share with the class what makes them unique.

I listened to this story on Youtube but I recommend reading this book aloud to your students. I thought the reader’s voice was very monotone and took away meaning from the story. I only ranked this story 4/5 stars because the illustrations were dull and didn't help with comprehending the story. I did appreciate the English-to-Spanish translation as this lends itself opportunities for bilingual teachers to read it in both languages. This also shows the authenticity of the book with a Mexican character. I would have liked the story more if the author included more Spanish words in the English section to provide readers with a more culturally relevant feel. This book was discussed in the “Understanding Diverse Perspectives Through Children’s Literature” panel.

[Molly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This bilingual picture book in English and Spanish is about a boy named Danny who wants to dress as a princess for his school parade. With the help of his mother, he creates the perfect outfit from items they find at a thrift shop. This a lovely picture book featuring a character who does not follow typical gender norms and it does it in a very matter of fact way. I love how much Danny's mother helps him to be the princess he wants to be and the the biggest drama is that he has trouble finding the materials to make the costume. It is very sweet. It is based on the experience of the author and her son who wanted to dress as a princess for his school parade. She wrote this because they did not see themselves reflected in picture books while her son was growing up. I think this is a wonderful picture book reflecting the GLBTQ experience and gender expression. It is also nice that it is bilingual. I highly recommend it.

[Jordan Michelle Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

"One of a Kind, Like Me" (realistic fiction) is a bilingual story about a boy named Danny who wants to be a princess in his school's parade. His story is one of acceptance from his family and dedication in his pursuit to find the perfect princess dress. Once he finds the needed materials at a local thrift shop, he creatively engineers his ideal dress and wears it with confidence to the school parade. Even when Danny is questioned about his expression of gender he remains resilient and insists that "we're all-one-of-a-kind".

Looking closer at the book as a whole, the author provides a narrative of a young boy who refuses to stifle his own personal expression of gender to conform to societal norms. Therefore, Danny's story encourages children to be their authentic selves regardless of the qualities that society dictates young boys and girls should have. Additionally, Mayeno utilizes her personal experiences to create a character that has sustenance and is multidimensional, rather than depicting the stereotype of an overly feminine boy wearing a dress. For example, Danny's pursuit of his dress depicts that he has the tenacity to persevere, giving the character more sustenance than a boy who just likes to play dress-up. Additionally, the inclusion of Spanish and the Latino culture provides greater cultural diversity that is often missing in books focusing on gender norms.

Transitioning now to an educators perspective, "One of a Kind, Like Me" would be an excellent addition to an early elementary classroom library. More specifically, the detailed storyline may present challenges to early readers, but with the aid of matching, relevant illustrations younger ones could still follow along. Furthermore, Danny's story could also engage students to have an authentic discussion about gender and how to make the classroom environment a safer place for peers who don't conform to gender norms. Likewise, Mayeno's book could also help students see a new perspective concerning gender instead of what is implicitly taught in schools.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't usually add the books I read to my kid here but this one is a worthy exception. We love this book. My kiddo is gender nonconforming and this is just such a sweet book, we have found it really helpful in talking about self-expression with our 4 year old.

My favorite part about it is how completely unremarkably the subject matter is presented, which of course makes it remarkable in a way. Danny wants to be a princess in his school parade and so his mom helps him make a dress for the parade. At every point in the book where you might anticipate Danny meeting resistance or being ridiculed, he's just ... not. His family helps him, his teacher compliments the costume, his schoolmates question a little but then get over it. There's a place for books that deal with the adversity that comes with challenging gender norms but I love that this one just ... doesn't. Danny gets to live his dream of dressing as a princess with help from his family and school.

[Tashanna Gilliam · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first thing that I love about this book is that it is bilingual and the book itself includes English and Spanish translations throughout the whole book. With that the illustrator did a great job at illustrating the pages to combine both languages. Aside from the that, the story itself is amazing and tells of a little boy who wanted to dress up as a princess for the school parade. Together he and his mom go to the store to hurry to find a dress, as the parade is the next day at school. When Danny finally gets to school and puts on his dress he initially feels bad about other kids remarks. Then seeing all the kids dressed up in silly costumes made all the kids realize that they all were one of a kind. The author Laurin Mayeno wrote this book inspired by her real son Danny and his experience with realizing he was gay as a child. This book teaches acceptance and support not only from family but also at school and would be great for grades (1st-3rd).

[Edna Gonzalez · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is about a young boy named Daniel. Hiss school is having a parade and decides he wants his costume to be a Princess with a purple dress. His family supported him and his mom took him to a thrift store to look for his dress and a silver crown. He found many things that later he made out of them his purple princess dress with his mother's help. He took his dress to school and his supportive and loving teacher helped him put it on. Him and his friends wore costumes and were very happy having fun at their school's parade. I love how Daniel received his mother's support. She knew he was one of a kind and the story never mentions her telling him otherwise. It shows how much love this mother had for her son and supported him.

[Tracey · Rating 4 out of 5]

diverse picture book- bilingual English/Spanish (gender, dressing up, costumes; preschool and up)
* Prominently features diverse characters - Yes, Danny/Danielito's Latinx family speaks Spanish and Danny wants nothing more than to wear a sparkly purple princess dress and crown, based on the author's own son.
* Suitable for Kindergarten storytimes (or maybe preschoolers, if they'll sit for long stories); also great for one-on-one readalouds. There is a lot of text here, so I think this is perhaps best one-on-one.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

While the illustrations aren't entirely to my liking, the story is well done. Exclusive of the tale of a boy wanting to wear a dress, the story of a child wanting to wear a particular costume is universal. The family support and the creativity to find and make the costume are perfect. The ending with Danny's reply to his classmate questioning his choice is good and affirms they can all be one of a kind.

[Maria Ramos-Chertok · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an important book for every school to have. It offers insight and compassion to children (and adults) about what it looks like for a child who does not identify with binary gender roles. It also provides insight for parents who want to support who their child is (instead of who they might want their child to be). I did a review of this book on Latinxs in Kids Lit for anyone who might want to read it:https://bit.ly/2uVOCIM

[Sarah Burris · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of a Kind, Like Me/ Unico Como Yo is a fiction children's literature. This book is written in Spanish and English. In the story, Danny is getting ready for the school parade. For the parade he wanted to be a purple princess. The main character in the book pushed gender stereotypes by wearing a typically feminine costume. This book also teaches acceptance of an individual's identity. The illustrations are bright and vibrate. This book grabs the reader in!

[André Habet · Rating 5 out of 5]

adorable bilingual (English/Spanish) children's book that touches on non-normative gender expression. love how supportive in a non chalant way all the adults are to the main character Danny, a boy interested in dressing as a princess for a school event. Danny and I also share favorite color, which helps for sure.

[Allie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lovely bilingual picture book about a kid exploring gender expression. The pages feel really text heavy because there is both the English and Spanish text on each page, but the actual content per page isn't too much at all. I would definitely use this in pre-school story time, especially if I were doing something about costumes + Halloween. I like that there's some light crafting/making energy

[Meghan]

This book is about Danny and how he wants to be a princess at the school parade. This book would be great to include in the classroom to encourage the students to be who they want to be and express themselves however they would like. Having someone be supportive of them being who they are and expressing themselves is an important aspect of their identity.

[Emily✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adorable, based-on-actual-events story about a mom supporting her son's decision to dress up as a princess for Halloween. While not strictly queer on the page, this book is all about confronting gender stereotypes and interacting with people as individuals.

[Ciara Madarieta · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a sweet story about love and acceptance from family and friends. This would be a good story to use to bring up the concept of being transgender and even just being yourself.

Genre: Childrens

Copyright: 2016

[Dax · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was beautiful and I wish this was the world that all kids got. Understanding parents, teachers, and community members. No one should be limited by gender-norm expectations and thank you to all parents who let their kids be themselves!!