Jacob's School Play: Starring He, She, and They

***Mentioned in The Wall Street Journal and ALA Rainbow Book List Selection***

***Recommended by Psychology Today***

JACOB—star of Jacob's Room to Choose and Jacob's New Dress, one of the most banned books of the decade according to the American Library Association—is back in his third book, and ready to put on a school play! Jacob’s School Play Starring He, She, and They gently introduces readers to gender identity and pronoun use.

As Mrs. Reeves class plans for their school show, Life on the Farm, all of the students, including Jacob, find themselves unexpectedly trying to understand Ari's identity as they. Ms. Reeves helps Jacob through his confusion by saying, "From the outside, we can’t see who anybody is on the inside. So we have to trust them when they tell us.” After the show premieres and is a hit with family and friends, Jacob comes to full realization of what he, she, and they means and embraces Ari as who they are andthe whole class reaches a new level of identity comprehension. This book introduces young readers to concepts of gender diversity and pronoun use and encourages an understanding of what gender is and how it needs to be respected for everyone, as who they are inside.

"Making space for everyone is no small task. Seeing one another, asking the right questions, and honoring how each person walks through the world is something learned, but not often enough taught... this is not a book about conflict or being accepted by others for who you are. It's about classmates each embracing that their experience is not the only experience and that every person fits beautifully into this world in their own way. I'm so grateful that children in every classroom will have the opportunity to see themselves and their friends represented in Jacob's School Play. That's so needed and so beautifully done in this book."--Matthew Winner, The Children's Book Podcast

Authors: Ian Hoffman and Sarah Hoffman

Hardback  Published 4 May 2021  32 pages

"This straightforward and important book that honors everyone will help adults have thoughtful conversations with young children about gender identity, particularly the message about respecting someone's choice to use ungendered pronouns. Case's beautifully textured illustrations invite the child reader into the bustling, friendly classroom. Pair with It Feels Good to Be Yourself (2019), by Theresa Thorn and Noah Grigni, for another picture book to continue the conversation about gender identity."― Booklist