True You

Ages 4 to 8, Grades P to 3

There are different ways to show and be who you are in this affirming photographic picture book that offers a celebratory and informative look at kids and their wide-ranging gender identities.

“Sometimes it’s hard when kids say you have to be a boy or a girl when you’re not. Everyone should feel safe to just be who they are.”Girls, boys, neither, both, or just not sure. Kids are kids! There are different ways to show and be who you are.It’s up to you—how you feel, how you dress, how you act, how you play, learn, and love.Who is the true you?With the permission of their parents, the children in this photographic picture book were recorded and transcribed by authors Gwen Agna and Shelley Rotner as they were photographed. These powerful testimonials paired with a spare narrative and vibrant, joyful portraits offer up a humanizing and moving exploration of kids and how they feel about their true selves.

About the Author

Gwen Agna has been an educator for more than forty years. Trained in early childhood education, throughout her career she worked to incorporate social justice, anti-bias, and anti-racism in all aspects of classroom practice. She lives in Northampton, MA.Shelley Rotner is an award-winning author and photo illustrator of more than fifty books for young readers. With a background as an elementary school teacher, museum educational specialist, and UNICEF photographer, Rotner is also a noted freelance photojournalist whose work has appeared in Time magazine, National Geographic’s World magazine, and numerous others. She is best known for portraying diverse children with inclusivity in her books, notably All Kinds of People and Shades of People, where she explores kids’ worlds to raise awareness and to promote curiosity and compassion. She lives in Northampton, MA.