Published: 31 March 2020
Publisher: HarperCollins
Illustrator: Gillian Reid
Pages: 32
Format: Picture Book
★ ★ ★ ★ – 4 Stars
Peanut just has their own unique way of doing things. Whether it’s cartwheeling during basketball practice or cutting their own hair, this little guinea pig puts their own special twist on life. So when Peanut decides to be a rhythmic gymnast, they come up with a routine that they know is absolutely perfect, because it is absolutely, one hundred percent Peanut.
This upbeat and hilarious picture book, inspired by Jonathan’s own childhood guinea pig, encourages children to not just be themselves–but to boldly and unapologetically love being themselves.
This is a fun story that explores doing your own thing and being proud of it. Peanut is presented as a non-binary character and uses they/their pronouns. I loved that the story wasn’t about Peanut’s identity, and we see all the wonderful things they can do instead.
The story describes the seemingly strange things Peanut does like having banana pancakes instead of birthday cake and cutting their hair while hula-hooping but soon moves on to their dreams of competing in gymnastics competition. Reid’s illustrations are adorable and I loved seeing Peanut in their gymnastics costume and practising all over the place.
Peanut’s unflappable nature is also endearing. They don’t mind others thinking they’re weird, in fact their friends end up joining them in their activities. It’s also a great build up to the end where quick thinking and stylish flair save the day. It’s a story of success and passion all wrapped up in adorable illustrations.
Van Ness has also come out as non-binary and it’s wonderful to see more picture books exploring different identities and offering more representation. If you ignore the pronouns this could be any other picture book and that’s brilliant. The more books that are around with representation that isn’t the focus of the book is just what we need.
You can purchase Peanut Goes for the Gold via the following
QBD | Booktopia | Book Depository
Based on a true story this is a great book about a young boy discovering his sister is transgender. The focus of the story is on Evan and his understanding and it was great to have a book that explores the adjustment phase when a sibling transitions and how it can be confusing. Books with trans protagonists are important but I love that it’s acknowledged that it can be hard for siblings to understand at first, especially when kids are young.
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