Jack

by Erica Silverman, Holly Hatam (Illustrator)

In this heartwarming picture book, a big sister realizes that her little sister, Jackie, doesn't like dresses or fairies-she likes ties and bugs! Will she be able to accept that Jackie identifies more as "Jack"?

Susan thinks her little sister Jackie has the best giggle! She can't wait for Jackie to get older so they can do all sorts of things like play forest fairies and be explorers together. But as Jackie grows, she doesn't want to play those games. She wants to play with mud and be a super bug! Jackie also doesn't like dresses or her long hair, and she would rather be called Jack.

Readers will love this sweet story about change and acceptance.

Genres: Picture Books, LGBT, Childrens, Family, Gender, Fiction, Gender Identity

40 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2018

Reviews

[Stella Teddy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Since when did it become socially acceptable to define girls by the length of their hair and interest in mud or insects or climbing trees or being adventurous i.e. they have no interest in these things or *should not* have an interest in these things in order to be a 'girl' and a boy by the length of his hair and lack of interest in Barbie, pink or dresses? Since when did progressives want to turn the clock back to the 1950's and define people by outmoded and mindless sexual stereotypes?

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a bit stuck on reviewing this. Because I think it's awesome to have a book like this that addresses trans-identity through the eyes of a child seeing it unfold with their younger sibling. However, it REALLY stereotypes "what girls like" and "what boys like." And while I get the point that was trying to be made, I think it missed the mark. But this book could still be incredibly important to transgender children and young children trying to understand people who are transgender.

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredibly insightful book about being the sibling of person who is transgender (or at least isn't gender normative). Written in easily accessible language this is a fantastic book to raise awareness and empathy.

Jack (Not Jackie) also just a great book for siblings who feel put out that their younger brother or sister isn't quite what they expected.

Highly recommend.

[Matthew · Rating 1 out of 5]

I would consider this child abuse. I did not read this to my kids.

[Ashley · Rating 1 out of 5]

Disappointed. Such an easy story to tell, but this one relied SO HEAVILY on gender stereotypes. Jack doesn't like fairies, he likes jumping in the mud. When Susan plays cats and meows, this fucking kid woofs (because dogs are a boy thing, obvi). Jack plays cars and idolizes his dad, which girls absolutely could never ever do. When Jack announces he wants to go by Jack and he's a boy, his mom says that he's been trying to tell them that for a long time--BY PLAYING WITH CARS AND BARKING? This book makes it seem like preferring stuff that's gendered for boys rather than the stuff that's gendered for girls is what makes you a boy. That's not what being trans is. This book comes across as more regressive than the Berenstain Bears. It's too bad because I really like the idea of having a picture book deal with a girl who feels sad that her trans brother isn't going to be like her. There are so many cool, interesting conversations in there. Reading this, I felt like new-to-trans-stuff parents could interpret it as Jack only thinking he was a boy because he didn't want to be a girly girl.

There needs to be better picture books about trans kids. This one is not even something I would recommend in the meantime, while better books are being written. The conclusions in it would just be confusing to kids both cis and trans, and serves to reinforce gender norms which negatively affect us all.

[Jae · Rating 3 out of 5]

Deep appreciation to this for being the first picture book about a trans masculine child. HOWever, do we really need to be so gender essentialist? Disliking dresses isn't what makes one a boy. AND, does a child's transition always need to be so traumatic for their siblings? I'm still waiting for the picture book that is actually FOR us trans folk. This is yet another that seeks only to explain us to cis folk.

[Mery ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5

I did like this story but I felt conflicted because gender identity and gender expression are different. I felt like they were putting "boy" and "girl" (trans and cis) into a very binary box.

And that girls (trans and cis) can like mud, short hair, and cars. Even the behaviors of the children were very stereotypical gendered. I'm glad that stories of transgender children are readily available, but let's break the binary and gender conformity :)

[Rebecca Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book to help kids understand gender identity and its development. I liked the repetition of "we wear what feels right' and the emphasis that different doesn't mean wrong. I do see why some people might criticize the focus on the sister's emotions/perspective, it would be excellent to get more picturebooks from the perspective of the child themselves. I can also see that the dresses vs pants fit only the stereotypical associations of gender. I do think that this book would ring true for some people's experiences in gender identity, even though it isn't representative of all of them. The illustrations are cute, the emotions feel very real, and the material feels age-appropriate for kids as young as preschool.

[Maggie Mattmiller · Rating 4 out of 5]

YES! We need more books like this!

I hear the concern about gender stereotypes, and I too am very against gender stereotyping (and I think I was an example of that as a kid.)

Although I do think an element of that is age appropriate in this book, but in the target audience age and helping kids learn and understand, and in what you see in some trans kids and how the express themselves (based on the trans youth I have met/known.) I think a piece of that in this story (again, as much as I don't like stereotypes) helps establish the idea in a way kids will understand, that Jack was living in a way that is authentic to himself, and that he knew firmly what he wanted/didn't want and liked/didn't like. I also think some trans youth do engage in those gender stereotypical interests/behaviors because that's what society is telling them. We have to end that first before we expect kids to not follow suit.

For example, I know a trans man who as a kid hated wearing dresses and refused. And a very young trans girl who always wanted to wear dresses. Is it because the boy/girl identity within them wanted those stereotypical things? Or is it because for example, this child knew he was a boy, and knew that society says dresses are for girls, and therefore rejected the dress not because of the dress but because of what it represented? Or wanted to short hair not because he necessary wanted that hair length, but wanted it because with long hair, people in his community assumed he was a girl and he rejected being identified as a girl? So yes. I hear concerns about gender stereotypes, but some of it may not all be making assumptions about what a child might actually be interested in, but in their understanding of the world around them, and what they need to do in order to be seen as who they authentically are.

It might not be perfect, but I absolutely think we need more of these books.

[Kate · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book embodies everything that is wrong with teaching young children about gender ideology. This book is about two sisters, one (the narrator, Susan) who represents classic female stereotypes and another (the eponymous Jackie) who does not. Susan likes having long hair, wearing dresses, playing fairies, and acting like she is a cat. Jackie likes having short hair, wearing shorts, playing in the mud, and acting like she is a dog.

Rather than being a book about how it is OK for girls to have varied interests, to like things that have been stereotypically masculine, etc. this book concludes that Jackie is actually a boy. Even though she is not. She is a girl.

This book promotes harmful, confusing gender stereotypes to children ages 4-8. This book promotes a greater narrative that exists in the modern world: that girls who like stereotypically boy things are actually boys. This book is going to hurt many a young girl.

[Charlotte · Rating 1 out of 5]

Apparently the library has implemented a "gender identity books only" acquisition policy for the children's collection - I've lost count of the board and picture books on this topic. Why isn't the adult response to a little girl who says "I want short hair, to play with trucks, and I don't like dresses!" something along the lines of "Great! Girls can look and act all kinds of ways!" instead of "Well my gosh, you must be a boy then!" We don't trust seven-year-olds to (just for starters) drive; vote; marry; get their ears pierced; get tattoos; self-medicate with pain relievers; smoke cigarettes; consume their Halloween candy in a measured, judicious manner; go to the park by themselves; or cook dinner unsupervised. And yet, here we are.

[Jillian · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to love this because we need more stories about trans kids to share with students. And parts of it I did, but as told through an older sister's cisgender viewpoint, and with such a stereotypical stance on clearly binary gender lines (trans child likes mud and bugs and doesn't like dresses, so she must actually be a boy), I fear it is also problematic. I love the mother's perspective and clear acceptance, however. It is not clear if the author was or lives with a trans child, and the author's note says her editor asked her to write a story on this topic, but it left me feeling excited about parts and disheartened by others.

[Sydney · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this title by watching the video “Understanding Diverse Perspectives Through Children’s Literature” provided by my course instructor. I didn’t have access to a physical copy of the book so I watched a read aloud of the story through YouTube. This story is about a child discovering their true gender identity and how their older sister comes to understand that her sibling is still the same person no matter their gender. The story is told through the perspective of the older sibling named Susan. Susan is very excited when her parents bring Jackie home from the hospital. Jackie has big round eyes and a wonderful giggle. Susan loves being with her younger sister. As Jackie grows older, she wants to play with mud and bugs, she wants to dress in “boy” clothing, and she wants her hair cut short. Jackie realizes he is actually Jack, not Jackie. At first Susan has trouble understanding this. But she takes the time to process and realizes Jack is still the same person with big round eyes and a wonderful giggle. This story is intended for children in preschool and the primary grades. However, it could be used to accompany other texts in older grades. Teachers can use this story to discuss societal norms, being yourself, acceptance, gender identity, etc. I would recommend using this story in a classroom.

[Wonderpus Photogenicus · Rating 5 out of 5]

YES. More of these, please!!

[Tania Ramos · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful and sweet way of showing acceptance, respect and love.
I had the opportunity to have a small presentation by Erica which was even much more touching.

[Elizabeth]

I was excited about this book -- though a little hesitant since it's about an older sibling learning her young sibling wants to be called Jack, not Jackie, and "story told from the POV of a cis sibling/etc. of a trans person" has felt overdone for years.

Spoilers: Would not recommend.

Knowing how the book was going to end, I was uncomfortable that the younger sibling was referred to as Jackie/sister/she for so much of the book. I get that it's told from the older sibling's POV and the present tense is just a narrative choice as we move through the first year's of the younger sibling's life. But it grates so much against current best practices of using people's current name/language to refer to them even when telling stories that took place before they were publicly using that name/language. So I'm just gonna use Jack/he to refer to the younger sibling, based on how the kid identifies at the end of the book.

Susan (the older sibling) likes playing at being a forest fairy and is presented as stereotypically girly/feminine in lots of ways -- which is fine; lots of kids are like that.

Jack, in contrast, is increasingly tomboyish -- which is also fine, but it's clear that Susan is uncomfortable with this (wincing at getting splashed when Jack plays in a mud puddle, for instance), and what begins as differences in preferred activities driving them apart escalates as Jack starts to prefer more traditionally masculine dress. (Discomfort at not liking the same things totally makes sense, but I was bummed that as it progressed it slipped more into feeling like, "Ew, boys.")

At Jack's (third? judging by the number of candles on the cake) birthday party, he is upset at getting a dress and Mama says, "That's okay. She can wear whatever feels right," and Jack puts on Daddy's hat and vest and mimics him (a variation on the excellent cover image of this book).

Turn the page and the family is clothes shopping, and Jack picks out a tie and Susan says, "But ties are for boys!" and Mama says, "We wear what feels right. Remember?" and Susan says, "But it's wrong," and Mama says, "Not wrong, Susu. Just different."

I really appreciate the parents' insistence that their kids can express themselves in whatever way they want and that this doesn't necessarily have to be gendered -- even though this is sort of undercut by the book's undercurrent of "we can tell Jack is really a boy because he acts/dresses stereotypically boyish" :/

Soon, the younger sibling adopts the name "Jack" and says, "I am a boy."

Mama says, "Well, Jackie's been trying to tell us that for a long time," which felt like a misstep since (1) this undercuts the idea that had been nicely suggested earlier that people's gender isn't defined/constrained by their attire or activities, and (2) just two spreads earlier J had used the name "Jack" on the playground. Which also made it feel weird to me that then we turn the page and Jack walks over to Susan and says, "Please call me... Jack." I mean, there are a lot of reasons why Jack would particularly want the approval/acceptance of his older sibling, but it would have made so much more sense if Mama had just called Jack "Jack."

Susan is resistant at first and she and Jack have an argument and both end up in tears. Susan does some processing and comes to acceptance and initiates imaginative play with Jack in which they each get to dress up the way they want.

So we get a happy ending, and there are some good moments along the way (and I quite like the illustrations!), but it feels too problematic for me to recommend.

[Beate · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the drawings, the colors, the amount of text. I think it is an easy story to follow, and will be good to talk about being authentic to yourself. In many ways a lovely story, and so much better executed than a lot of "books with a message" I've seen in the past.

I do see the stereotype concerns through girl/boy, but I think it opens for conversations about gender roles. I also think another reviewers observation that likes/dislikes may manifest in stereotypical ways in order to change their place in societal perception (aka creating likes/dislikes to the stereotypes). I've known cis kids who pick a favorite color because it matches the stereotype aka boy loving blue because blue is the boy color, or the research on color and assigned qualities with preferences (really interesting).

[Laurie Hnatiuk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Would rate 3.5
Always on the look out for books that allow students to see themselves so was very excited for Jack (Not Jackie). This is the first book I have encountered that is trans masculine.
An older sibling who was so excited to be a big sister to her new sibling learns to accept along with her parents that Jack does not identify as female but male.
What I like about the book is the simple language to help younger students with gender identity. With that being said there are gender stereotypes such as Jack liking trucks and not wanting long hair. Bought for the library as stated before the first book I have come across that is trans masculine.

[Kris · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like the idea here, but it is very binary in assuming that kids who like to play in mud or play with trucks must want to be boys? Nah. Plus, it's told from the sister's perspective, not Jack's. I'm all for kids being called what they want to be called and identifying as whatever they identify as, and that part of this is great. But is still separates things, however innocuously, as "boy things" and "girl things".

[Taylor Kundel-Gower · Rating 2 out of 5]

It felt very stereotype-y and binary-ish, but I'm sure it's someone's experience. Liking baseball shirts, dinosaurs, super heroes, and short hair are not exclusive to boys, but I guess this is trying to be overly simple for a young crowd? I don't know. It was okay. I wish there were more books about LGBT kids, so we'll take what we can get, I guess.

[Ariana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Susan loves her little sister, Jackie. She adores Jackie's giggles and her big, round eyes. Susan is excited for the day when they can play forest fairies together. However, she did not expect Jackie to dislike dresses, want her hair short, or prefer to be called Jack. Susan realizes that even though Jackie now wants to be called Jack and likes toy trucks and playing in mud, Jack is still her brother. The key theme of this book is gender identity and acceptance. I enjoyed reading it because it highlights the confusion and sadness that can arise for a sibling when they see their brother or sister wanting to transition to a different gender. This experience is presented in a way that shows it is okay. The story illustrates how Susan eventually comes to accept Jack, realizes that Jackie and Jack are the same person, and that they are still Susan's sibling. This book is intended for preschool through third grade. I would ask Susan aloud to my class and ask them how they would feel if a friend wanted to change their identity, and what they would do to help make that friend feel included and accepted.

[— nova]

***a portion of the proceeds from the sale of this book will be donated to glaad***

This was cute and potentially very important, but I think it needs to be noted that it’s also very stereotypical, and just because someone likes stereotypical “boy” activities and clothes does not make them a boy.

[Javi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Me pareció una forma HERMOSA de educar a niñes sobre la transición y encontrar la identidad de género, creo que puede ser muuy útil para familias donde hermanos y hermanas tienen que entender lo que está pasando de forma tranquila y natural.

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good for cisgender siblings of non binary types

[XOX · Rating 5 out of 5]

A children book about a transgender boy

A children book about a transgender child. Pretty lovely and rare to have such positive book on transgender children.

[Naomi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet story of a trans kid in an accepting family told from the older sister's perspective. Information and resources for parents in the back.

[gabs ⛤ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love this family😭😭😭😭😭

[Sydney Cole · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was definitely unlike any children's book I have read in the past. This is a book about an older sister who loves to play fairies and wear dresses. Her younger sister, Jackie, is not as big of a fan. Jackie would rather play outside in the mud and with bugs. Jackie would also refer to be called by the name, Jack. This book is a great example of a sister going through change and the issue of accepting her sister. Would definitely recommend placing this book in classrooms today. Society is constantly changing and including these books in classroom libraries is a great way to start the discussion.

[Saturniidead ★ · Rating 1 out of 5]

Content warnings are listed at the end of my review!

I don't think I'll ever enjoy a cis author writing trans hardships. Jack (Not Jackie) is almost identical to Sam Is My Sister, but somehow even more clunky and cruel to the misunderstood trans sibling featured. I thought I could give it the credit of being antiquated, since it did come before Sam, but it is less than three years older than it, coming out in 2018. This doesn't do anything groundbreaking other than being a kids book with a trans character, otherwise it's stereotype reliant and depicts far too much unchecked trans trauma for my liking. Similar to I Am Jazz, Jack's transness is hinged on very stereotypical behavior, like play and style, not tying into more personal aspects.

Susan is a young girl who is welcoming the new baby into the family, and is infatuated with the idea of being a big sister and playing together. Susan's younger sibling is very eccentric and hyperactive, running, playing in the mud, and not taking interests in Susan's games she wanted to play. Her sibling is crushed when getting a dress as a gift, says eww to hair ribbons, and instead wants to wear more masculine clothes. The parents are ok with this but as her sibling becomes more and more masculine, Susan becomes more and more upset, with only minimal and anecdotal intervention from the parents, allowing it to escalate to Jack coming out and Susan making the both of them cry.

The resolution from there is really nonsensical and forced, as after Susan flees from a heartbroken Jack, she is somehow content after drawing pictures of her sibling before and after coming out- as Jack still seems similar enough. Jack seems to overlook what happened and this just sets the same tired tone of the emotional labor of coming out fully put on the trans person is "okay". Coming out is hard enough, especially as a trans child, and it's a confusing and unknown experience for those around them- but pushing those emotions back onto the person who came out to you isn't appropriate, it's selfish and makes them feel guilty for telling you.

Summary:
Readability: ★☆☆☆☆, You are stuck in the point of view of Jack's older sister who has a very hard time understanding his gender, making it a very uncomfortable read. Trans readers will not be able to enjoy this, as they will only feel hurt for Jack or hurt by his sister's words. Cis readers will think this behavior is normal, acceptable, or excusable which isn't the case.

Entertainment: ★☆☆☆☆, Not much else I can say besides I'm getting really tired of reading trans stories by cis authors.

Audience: As I've recommended before... Want a healthy story about trans siblings with a trans illustrator, My Sister, Daisy. Want a story about a loving trans big brother, When Aidan Became A Brother. Want a young trans boy coming out, Calvin or Call Me Max.

Content Warnings: deadnaming, misgendering, transphobia

[Elisabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I want to love this because I love what it is trying to do...but it's terribly gender stereotypical and I was hoping for more of the malleability of childhood play/identity to be included (ala Jessica Spanyol's Clive and Rosa books).