Lost in a Good Book

Published: 1 January 2021
Publisher: Albert Whitman Company
Illustrator: Chris Case
Pages: 32
Format: Picture Book
★   ★   ★   ★  – 4 Stars

This new book is a clever way to introduce young readers to non-binary and gender-fluid people. As Ms. Reeves’ class produces a play about a farm, the entire class comes to understand about being true to who you are, as classmate Ari expresses their identity as they, which prompts Jacob to look more deeply about what it means to be who he is, and how others identify. Explaining the use of pronouns of one’s own choosing to kids, while all along reinforcing that an individual is much more layered and unique then how others may see him, her or them, is a developmentally important milestone to help foster respect of one’s self and one’s peers.

I love the Jacob books and I am always keen to see what each one will deliver. With a class full of kids there are a lot of different stories to tell and whether it’s about an individual or a family dynamic the stories are always wonderfully done.

I liked the loose metaphor of the play and Ari’s role in it and how organically these conversations come up about pronouns. These are primary school kids so of course there can be real discussions and still be in a simple term they can understand. Ms Reeves is always a great teacher and helps her class understand one another better.

The explanations and exploration of different pronouns is woven through the prep of the play, the plot remaining largely on organising everything and everyone with Ari’s pronouns not being a major focus. This works well because it isn’t a big deal, and it normalises that these conversations might pop up, but while you may need to learn a few new things, there is still a play to prepare for.

Case’s illustrations are once again delightful. Seeing the kids in their costumes and classroom scenes brings their environment to life and it’s easy to see these conversations playing out in real life. There’s nothing comical or fanciful about it, the down to earth nature of it and the focus on the storytelling really comes through, even in the pictures.

The curiosity of the kids is handled tactfully, and even Jacob, who was the star of the first gender non-conforming book, has to learn about other identities. Technically most of the book is about the play, we even get to go through the life cycle of crops growing at the end and the roles everyone plays more than they discuss Ari and their pronouns. It takes the focus off this being only about Ari and it instead gives a fun story about costumes and storytelling while also having a simple lesson about who people are and how everyone is their own unique person.

You can purchase Jacob’s School Play via the following

Dymocks | Booktopia

Wordery |  Blackwell’s | Angus & Robertson

Fishpond | Amazon | Amazon Aust