Except When They Don't

I genuinely appreciate and support what this book is trying to do. But I was surprised to see just how many pages of gender stereotypes it includes ("Boys play monster trucks with glee. Girls bake cakes and serve hot tea. Girls like pom-poms, pink, and jewels. Boys like fighting pirate duels. Girls sashay in sparkly shoes. Boys wear clothes of only blue. Boys cut bad guys down to size. Girls paint purple butterflies") in order to counter with the phrase, "Except when they don't." That's a LOT of words reinforcing stereotypes, up against a four word phrase which (a) probably won't be understood by many young children, and (b) still accepts the stereotypes as the norm. The final pages of the book communicate the book's purpose more clearly -- "be exactly who you are!" -- but I'm not a fan of books that teach stereotypes, even when it's for a good cause. I think particularly as stereotypes fade away culturally, or for children who are raised without such a heavy dose of them, books like this can be confusing. I'd rather read my kids books that actually show other kinds of role models in positive and complex ways, rather than page after page teaching them what I *don't* want them to internalize.

Great book about how kids don’t have to be bound by gender stereotypes! This has been helpful to counteract the messages my kid has been getting from schoolmates and certain family members about what he’s “allowed” to like or play with. Also the rhymes and illustrations make it fun to read, and he actually asks for this book!

Purchased this book and loved the meaning behind it. Great lesson to teach at an early age. Every girl doesn’t play with dolls and every boy isn’t an athlete...and that’s perfectly ok!!!! I will be purchasing another book in September to give to the school for the school library.

A must read for all children and their parents. Let’s break the gender stereotypes!

Love this book for my kiddos!

This book is a wonderful ode to knocking the traditional gender stereotypes without coming across as preachy. It has a nice rhythmic text, good for reading aloud, and wonderful illustrations.

Encouraging kids to be themselves, this powerful rhyming book breaks down gender stereotypes and builds kids up. Here's to celebrating unique individuals. Bravo!

We are always looking for books that reflect the diversity of our children's experiences, and this book is the perfect addition to that collection. Glad to share a book with our students that breaks gender stereotypes and acknowledges that all sorts of children like all different things.