Written by Jill Esbaum, Illustrated by Joshua Heinsz
Sterling Children’s (2020)
There’s only one thing Dylan wants: frog boots! But what happens when this little boy discovers they’re meant for . . . girls?
School shopping is no fun for Dylan—until he spots a pair of boots decorated with poison-dart frogs. They’re so cool that he even wears them to bed, where he discovers they glow in the dark! He can’t wait to wear them to class. But before he can show them off in circle time, a kid exclaims: “Ms. Kory, that boy’s wearing girl boots.” And, suddenly, when everyone’s laughing at him, the boots don’t seem so wonderful anymore. Will he ever want to wear them again? A timely story about embracing what you love, staying true to yourself, and defying stereotypes.
“An upbeat tale about following your bliss.” –School Library Journal
“Esbaum understands how kids try to lay low after a humiliation (Dylan avoids eye contact for a week) and ends on the right note: he wears what he wishes, and makes a new friend along the way.”–Publishers Weekly