My Rainbow

by Trinity Neal, Deshanna Neal, Art Twink (Illustrator)

A dedicated mom puts love into action as she creates the perfect rainbow-colored wig for her transgender daughter, based on the real-life experience of mother-daughter advocate duo Trinity and DeShanna Neal.

Warm morning sunlight and love fill the Neal home. And on one quiet day, playtime leads to an important realization: Trinity wants long hair like her dolls. She needs it to express who she truly is.

So her family decides to take a trip to the beauty supply store, but none of the wigs is the perfect fit. Determined, Mom leaves with bundles of hair in hand, ready to craft a wig as colorful and vibrant as her daughter is.

With powerful text by Trinity and DeShanna Neal and radiant art by Art Twink, My Rainbow is a celebration of showing up as our full selves with the people who have seen us fully all along.

Genres: Picture Books, LGBT, Childrens, Family, African American, Gender, Queer

32 pages, Hardcover

First published October 20, 2020

Reviews

[Prabhjot Kaur · Rating 4 out of 5]

"We are all a little different from one another. You're a beautiful rainbow, Trinity."

Trinity is a black girl and she has autism. She likes all things soft. She realises that she is a transgender girl and she'd like longer hair than she has now. Her family listens to her and helps her out by making rainbow coloured hair and Trinity loves it.

This was a such a heart-warming, brilliant, powerful, inclusive story that kids and adults alike can learn so much from. I loved how the family was so supportive. I loved the colourful artwork too.

4 stars

[Lata · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a lovely, sweet story about a black, transgender, autistic girl, Trinity, and her wonderful family, and how they expressed their love and support for Trinity’s need to have long hair.

[Courtney Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely adorable. Loved the mom making a wig, that part felt so authentic with checking online videos. (I checked spoilers..)
What a dream this is to have such a supportive family. Hope more stories like this are distributed so kids can be fully accepted as their rainbowy selves.

[Tyler Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautiful children's book about an autistic black trans girl who needs long hair, but her mama can't find what she needs in a store, after all she's a beautiful black girl with curly hair and the wigs in store are so straight, so she makes Trinity her own rainbow wig and she loves it!

This brought tears to my eyes. It's so wholesome and loving.

[TL *Humaning the Best She Can* · Rating 4 out of 5]

Won in @penguinkids pride giveaway ✨️ on Instagram:) All my opinions are my own.
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Beautiful and lovely story ❤️ This one'll get you smiling and tug on your heartstrings.

Artwork is great as well

[Mimi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Warm, cute, inclusive story.
Part of my adult brain questions if there aren't too many buzz issues in this story (about a black girl, with autism and transgender), on the other hand, it has a certain warm and genuine feel about it.
Vibrant illustrations, with lots of humor (look for the piggy).

I received a copy for review through Edelweiss, opinions are entirely my own.

[Lisa Boyd · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advanced copy of this title through Edelweiss with permission from Penguin Publishing Group. This book is packed full of positivity and GORGEOUS colors. A very nice story to share, but too much for family storytime as far as designs and words go. This would work well for older kids and very well for any Pride-themed read aloud. Character is trans and autistic in the book and is said to be based on the author's real-life experience with their child.

[LGBT Representation in Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Representation: Autism, Transgender

My Rainbow is a LGBT picture book about Trinity who expresses her wants of long hair like her dolls to her parents. She needs it to show who she truly is. Her family decides to take a trip to the beauty supply store, but none of the wigs is the perfect fit. Determined, Mom leaves with bundles of hair in hand, ready to craft a wig as colorful and vibrant as her daughter is.

This audiobook was provided as part of the Pride and Less Prejudice + Penguin Random House Audio giveaway.

What a fantastic story! This book provides an age appropriate lesson about the importance of being true to yourself. I love the idea of showing kids how we all identify differently and the pride we should take in that. I absolutely loved this story and the illustrations were amazing!

[Trapeezius Milkington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wowowow. I cannot stress how truly amazing this book is!!! A queer, Black family with an enby sibling, and an autistic trans girl in an accepting and loving environment 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book with a standard story arc that will please any kid, all the while helping increase understanding about the little details in Black, autistic, and/or trans kids' lives. While there is a lot that kids could learn from the book, it isn't a didactic story. Loved that it posed such a unique conflict and explained why it was so hard to resolve: Trinity needed a wig because the standards imposed on trans women and girls make it difficult for them if they don't choose typically "feminine" expressions such as having long hair; as an autistic kid, Trinity didn't like hair to be so long that it touched her neck; and as a Black mother, Trinity's mom wanted to make her a wig that celebrated her natural curls. All of these things are presented very concisely--I've taken ten times as long to talk about it here--so all of these complex issues and traits are just part of the story, which has the perfect amount of momentum to carry us to a happy ending.

An excellent story, obviously, for reflecting one aspect of a Black, autistic, trans girl's life, but also a fabulous story for anyone looking for stories that show families that love and support each other, and stories about self-expression. While it doesn't have the zaniness of a Robert Munsch story, it reminded me of how his stories are structured and how families work together to resolve an issue in a fun, colourful way that culminates with an extremely pleased child. There are many opportunities for stopping to point out fun things on each page. This could be the perfect first story to read at a storytime celebrating trans kids.

[Shaye Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are very few picture books about young transgender children, and definitely few that would use actual terms like cisgender within the story. We immediately learn that young Trinity likes soft things, “…just like many kids with autism.” She doesn’t feel like she can be a girl without long hair. And she has a mama who is going to make sure she has exactly what she needs, even if it doesn’t exist in a store. This was created by a mother-daughter writing team. The inside cover says they’ve been featured in National Geographic, The Advocate, and Essence. However, this was my first exposure to the team, so I really wish there had been an Author’s Note to share more about their experiences in real life. The artwork for this book was created digitally.

For more children's literature, middle grade literature, and YA literature reviews, feel free to visit my personal blog at The Miller Memo!!

[Carol Farrington · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was disappointed in this book for two reasons. The first being that the words transgender and cis-gender were just dropped in without addressing what that means at all except that it made her different from her mom. The second is that it felt like adults looking back and being casual observers and remembering it rather than being written from A child’s point of view. It could be I had the wrong expectations that caused disappointment. I do this could be much more effective from a child’s perspective and with some explanation of the terms for those that aren’t certain of the definitions or how to explain them to children listening to the story.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trinity is a young autistic African American transgendered girl who likes soft and colorful things. She likes to use her imagination to play with her doll and her sister. She realizes after staring at her doll for awhile that she wants long hair because it made her seem more like a girl. Her mother, brother, and father want to help her but are unsure how. They start by going to a wig shop, but nothing seems right for their little rainbow girl, until they find all the multicolored hair weave and her mom stays up all night to make her the right wig with the right kind and color of hair. When Trinity finally tries the wig on, she falls in love with the bright and curly teal blue, dark pink, and purple hair! I wasn't expecting this to be a book about a transgendered child when I first picked it up, but I liked Trinity's character right away. She just wants to fit in with the other girls and be seen for who she is, a worthy goal for anyone adult or child. And her hair is beautiful, just like she is. I think a book like this is very important to have in our children's section as it tells about not only neurodivergent African-American children (a group that is rarely represented) but also a transgendered one, and I'm pretty sure that is even less represented. Hooray for more diverse books and characters! Recommended for ages 7-12, 4-1/2 stars.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Rainbow is an incredibly affirming picture book that ticks so many of the boxes of what I hope for in a book for my 6 year old kid: Affirming, own voices representation of disability (autism, in this case) and transgender identity; acknowledgement of race and the power of representation; own voices representation of diverse, fiercely loving families. Watching this family share the journey of helping Trinity find a hairstyle she feels more accurately presents her gender identity is like a big warm fun hug. The book was written by the real Trinity and her mother, inspired by their real life experiences, which is basically the cherry on this awesome hot fudge sundae.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trinity is special, loved and making a discovery. She is finding herself loving her own feminity.
How can her mom help her?
By creating a beautiful wig to show her love for Trinity and Trinity's coming out as transgender.
A colorful and fun book that addresses multiple topics (Racism, LGBTQ identities, Autism) in a respectful way

[Jody Cornelius · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love the artwork and the message. As someone who is autistic, I found some of the writing a little clumsy, but overall it's definitely worthy of any children's library. I am glad to see books like this exist.

[Elyia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perfect for children!

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super cute book about a transgender girl with autism who wants her hair to reflect who she is. When her mama makes her a brightly colored wig with colors her brother picks out, she cries tears of joy! I love how the illustrator sneaks hearts in whenever they can.

Great for preschool or older kid storytimes.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Trinity wants long hair to express who she truly is. Her brother comes up with an idea and he & mom go to the store to buy supplies for a rainbow wig.

How refreshing to have a picture book that joyfully stars a transgender black character. The positivity in the representation is sorely needed on the shelves and undoubtedly the book will be whisked away and shared again and again.

The artwork is vibrant, so bright & colorful. I adored the double-page spread of the rainbow colors in the beauty supply store: a feast of colors for the eyes. I also loved the animation of the pig; pig was everywhere in this story and quite a story within itself.

My hesitation? I’m not sure how old Trinity is supposed to be in the story. It is a picture book so, when I read picture books, I default to “toddler age” in my brain. While Trinity clearly explained she needed long hair to feel like herself, the words “transgender” and “cisgender” seemed to me to be abruptly dropped in conversation. I guess it is to give the feel of “this is what is, this is how it is”? This is obviously not a story about discovering one’s self through identifying gender: Trinity already did that. So, maybe my feeling that the gender words seem out of place/sudden/undefined is my own cisgender-self imagining all the questions that would pour from a child to whom these terms are new?

I do not want to leave the impression that I didn’t like the book. I did. I imagine, though, that some parents will pick it up expecting explanations or instruction – and this is not that book. It is a book that affirms self-identity and it is a needed addition to the picture book collection. As our world is populated with so many different shapes, colors, identities, it is nice to have this title on shelves, making our shelves look like the world around us.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of those books that's so important because it's so needed. What I particularly liked about it is that it showed the mother truly listening to her daughter, and not just brushing off her daughter's concerns. I also like that it was the older sibling who came up with the solution. This book is just as much about familial love and acceptance as it is about being a transgendered child. Also: I kind of love the pet pig.

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great picture book about a transgender girl. I loved the family dynamic in this book and the patient and thoughtful way the mother in the book found a solution to her daughter's need for long hair.

[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trinity has a lot going on and a very supportive family. It is difficult to wrap your head around everything, but this does address an issue in the lives of more families than we think.

[Juli Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lovely story and delightful illustrations, though hindered by heavy-handedness.

[Cortnee · Rating 4 out of 5]

The strongest element of this story that stood out to me was the representation throughout the story. The Black familiy within this story is also represented with a child that is autistic and transgender as well as a mother with facial percings, characters in glasses, and a variety of body shapes. The family also is not the typical mom, dad and two kids, but is larger. All of these elements are not typically strongly represented in children’s literature.
The story opens with a scene of the family and develops with siblings playing just like any other family. The main character, who happens to be transgender, is not the sole focus early on in the story. There are so many other elemets of a family shown and expressed before the challenges with the child’s transgender identity and hair is revealed. This book works hard to show a family, with a strong piggy pet motif woven throughout.
This story has some vocabulary that could be more challenging for some children to understand such as transgender or cisgender, but these pieces of the story lend themselves to great opportunities for some rich discussion. Additionally, the mother in the story could be a great support for some parents that are unsure about how to support their own transgender children. Another reason for this is most of the story seems to be written from the perspective of the mom.
Overall, I felt this book included and expressed many underrepresented areas of children’s literature in a fun and engaging way.

[RJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very sweet story, and the vibrant illustrations are so beautiful.

I feel like I can tell when a picture book is based off a parent's real experience, because they often cast the parent as the main character. That's the case here, and I don't think will work for every kid reader. I do really appreciate that this story is not "explanatory" - it assumes the reader understands the basics and can go a little deeper. For parents, it's a great model of listening and asking questions to try to understand your kid's experience when it's different than your own - and for kids, it's a happy story about a loving family. I think in many ways this book would be a better fit for families or kids with a trans person in their lives than a lot of picture books that feel the need to depict trans kids facing adversity or serve as an introduction to the concept of being transgender.

[Adriana Martinez Figueroa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A dynamic picture book by a mother-daughter duo about the experience of a Black trans autistic girl, providing context to a marginalization that perhaps many haven't deigned to put in the spotlight. This was a lovely story about family and acceptance and what we would do for the ones we love. Kokila keeps impressing me with its incredible catalog.
Thanks to Kokila and Edelweiss for the advanced review copy!

[Chinook · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It was really thoughtful in they way it portrayed parenting and talking about gender. The main character is a Black autistic transgender girl, and a sibling uses they/them pronouns. It was lovely to see a moment of gender euphoria portrayed.

[Elvira · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is gorgeous! From the stunning illustrations to the loving story, I enjoyed every bit of it. It’s a necessary story of affirming oneself and of asking from our loved ones what we need to feel more ourselves. I love that it showed how joyous it is to show up for our loved ones in all the necessary ways so that they feel joy and loved.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a cute little story co-written by an acquaintance of mine with her trans daughter. The illustrations are fun and colorful. You can read more about Trinity's story here.

[Dax · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gorgeous illustrations and just the sweetest main character and family!