When his mom stops to listen, he tells her about his gender and helps her understand that he doesn’t just feel like a boy, he is one. He stomps through the house, cuts in line, and pounds his fists so they will hear, see, and feel his anger that everyone thinks he’s a girl. Penelope knows who he is and what he likes even if his family is too busy to notice him. That it's also a true story will leave readers hopeful and inspired by Penelope's affirming world.A Black transgender boy shares his identity and competes in a karate tournament with the encouragement of his family in this picture-book biography. Penelope is surrounded by a joyful and affirming Black family and community, an important representation in kid's books. The digital illustrations with handmade watercolor accenting are full of expressive faces and dynamic movement (kids will especially appreciate the skateboarding page and karate kicks). The shift from Pen's coming out as a boy to his hard work preparing for a karate tournament shows the power of what it means to be loved and supported: He can now focus on achieving his big life goals. It's also got many elements young kids will connect with - from Pen's frustration that the people in his life don't see who he is to his love of skateboards, math, science, and karate to his ninja identity, readers will 'get' Penelope from page one. Born Ready is relayed in the first person voice of Penelope himself, which puts his perspective front and center. This lovely, heartwarming story about the author's son, Penelope, is a testament to the power of love and affirmation. With no violence or language concerns, this heartening true story is appropriate for all kids and their adults. He acts out to make them see, but only after a heart-to-heart with his mom can he start living as who he is and focusing on other goals, like perfecting his roundhouse kick in karate.

But his family, friends, and teachers see him as a girl. Penelope knows what he likes - skateboarding, high tops, baggy jeans, and karate - and he knows who he is - a ninja and a boy. Parents need to know that Born Ready: The True Story of a Boy Named Penelope, by author and activist Jodie Patterson, illustrated by Charnelle Pinkney Barlow, is the story of Patterson's son's coming out as transgender just before his fifth birthday. Background characters are also mostly Black, and various skin tones, hair textures, and styles are reflected in the illustration. The adults in his life are supportive and loving, models of appropriate care for gender nonconforming kids. He is insistent that the world see him as he sees himself, and that they call him Penelope because he likes his given name. Penelope is a confident and self-aware 5-year-old.

Born Ready by Jodie Patterson