The Princess Boy

 

• 
  Element 1: Self-Love and Knowledge

• Author: Cheryl Kilodavis

• Illustrator: Suzanne DeSimone

• Age Range: 4 - 8 years

• Grade Level: Preschool - 3rd grade

• ISBN-10: 1442429887

• ISBN-13: 978-1442429888
  Click here to purchase

Short Summary:
This book is written by a mother who has a son who LOVES sparkly, pink things. He loves to dress up, wears a tiara  and climb trees. He is loved by his mom, dad and cool big brother. But people still stare and laugh at him, and he's not sure why and it hurts. If you ever see a princess boy, will you stare and laugh at him?

This represents element 1 of self-love and knowledge because it supports the idea of self-love, self-acceptance of their own identity regardless of their gender. It demonstrates a sense of pride of who he is and what he loves. This book supports the boy's natural interests in the book and breaking the society's template of gender roles of boys. This book can create compassion and tolerance.

Activities:
Teachers and Parents can read this book in a group, one-on-one, or during story-time reading. I suggest pausing a few times during the book to answer some questions. I think this book will raise a lot of questions from the youth. We as teachers or parents can answer these curious questions to give them an opportunity to share their feelings about this book. Also, the book asks questions: If you see a princess boy.. will you.. laugh at him? call him a name? play with him? like him for who he is? These questions can help children to respect people for who they are and for their uniqueness.

Since this book make emphasis on things this boy likes, asking the classroom to express all the things they like.

The breakage of gender roles can be incorporated in any daily choice play routine in a preschool classroom. You can change the classroom environment to equally value gender roles, for example, when you do a unit on community workers, make emphasis on the gender roles in the work force: police men and police women. Also, making the dress up area with every kind of attire to give the children an opportunity to choose whatever they would like to wear.

If you would like to make this activity a school-wide awareness to self-love, you can have a parade promoting self-love and knowledge.


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