i am jazz written by jazz jennings & jessica herthel and illustrated by shelagh mcnicholas

Herthel, Jessica, and Jazz Jennings. I Am Jazz, Illustrated by Shelagh McNicholas. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers, 2014. ISBN: 9780803741072

Plot Summary:
     Jazz Jennings is just like any other adoolescent girl. Her favorite colors are pink and green, she likes makeup, and she loves to dance. One thing that sets Jazz apart from her peers in school is that she was born in a boy's body with a girl's brain. Being diagnosed as transgender, Jazz's family begins to understand and accept her being a girl and allows her to live her life as such.

Critical Analysis:
     I Am Jazz is a children's picture book that tells the story of Jazz Jennings, the youngest publicly documented person to be identified as gender dysphoric. The author, Jessica Herthel, collaborates with Jazz Jennings as her co-author. By co-authoring with Jazz herself, the story is told through Jazz's eyes. Jazz is a child who tells her story about how she's always known that she was born with a girl's brain in a boy's body. By allowing Jazz to tell her own story, she adds a simplicity to understanding the complexity in gender dysphoric.
     Not only do the authors share the story of Jazz through context, but they strengthen her story with illustrations. The illustrator, Shelagh McNicholas, conveys each emotion that Jazz describes accurately. During the story where the authors state, "Be who you are. We love you no matter what," Shelagh illustrates Jazz with a huge smile on her face. Not only does she demonstrate facial accuracy, but she also subtly shows the physical transition that Jazz goes through from boy to girl. The details in these instances allow readers to understand the basics of transgender people.

Review Excerpts:

"This enlightening autobiographical picture book tells the story of a transgender child who knew from the time she was two that despite her physical body she wasn't really a boy. Young Jazz was passionate about her love of mermaids, dancing, dress-up, and pop stars, as well as her conviction that her gender identity was female. Readers are taken through her journey with upbeat, pink-hued watercolor illustrations that are a good complement to the cheerful tone and positive message of the story ("I don't mind being different. Different is special! I think what matters most is what a person is like inside."). Joining the ranks of new books targeted at young children that examine gender roles, such as Ian and Sarah Hoffman's Jacob's New Dress (Albert Whitman, 2014), this title highlights a topic that has not been well represented in children's literature in an uplifting and empowering way. Jazz's explanation of what transgender means ("I have a girl brain but a boy body") is somewhat simplified. However, for those looking to introduce the concept to young readers or those seeking books that value differences, this illustrated memoir is a solid choice." - School Library Journal

"An autobiographical picture book describes trans-youth activist Jazz Jennings' story of embracing and asserting her transgender identity.Both the title and the opening text proclaims, "I am Jazz!" The book goes on to detail Jazz's various interests and tastes, which follow traditionally feminine gender norms. But as Jazz goes on to explain, she has "a girl brain but a boy body. This is called transgender. I was born this way!" Although the realistic watercolor illustrations consistently display only happy faces in these beginning pages, the text recounts her family's struggle to understand her early-childhood assertion of femininity: "At first my family was confused. They'd always thought of me as a boy." Jazz recalls her pain when compelled to wear "boy clothes" in public. "Pretending I was a boy felt like telling a lie." Her parents' efforts to understand prompt them to meet with a doctor who introduces the word "transgender," which enables the family's powerful affirmation: "We understand now. Be who you are. We love you no matter what." The story balances this acceptance with honest acknowledgement of others' ongoing confusion and intermittent cruelty, and it briefly addresses Jazz's exclusion from girls' soccer in her state. Ultimately, Jazz's self-acceptance, bolstered by her family's support and advocacy, acts as a beacon for readers, trans- and cisgender alike.An empowering, timely story with the power to help readers proclaim, in the words of Jazz's parents, 'We understand now.'" - Kirkus Reviews

Connections:
Customers who purchased this book also purchased the following titles: Jacob's New Dress, My Princess Boy, and It's Okay to Be Different.

Interactivity:

• Ask boys if they have ever played with a doll or wore the color pink. Ask girls if they have ever worn pants or wore the color blue.
• Educate children on the importance of accepting people on who they are.
• Facilitate a discussion encouraging children to ask questions and help them understand the trans- community.