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Summary
Summary
A dedicated mom puts love into action as she creates the perfect rainbow-colored wig for her transgender daughter, based on the real-life experience of mother-daughter advocate duo Trinity and DeShanna Neal.
Warm morning sunlight and love fill the Neal home. And on one quiet day, playtime leads to an important realization-Trinity wants long hair like her dolls. She needs it to express who she truly is.
So her family decides to take a trip to the beauty supply store, but none of the wigs is the perfect fit. Determined, Mom leaves with bundles of hair in hand, ready to craft a wig as colorful and vibrant as her daughter is.
With powerful text by Trinity and DeShanna Neal and radiant art by Art Twink, My Rainbow is a celebration of showing up as our full selves with the people who have seen us fully all along.
Author Notes
DeShanna and Trinity Neal are a mother-daughter team of writers, advocates for black and transgender rights and awareness, and have been featured in major publications such as National Geographic , The Advocate , and Essence . DeShanna and Trinity write to foster understanding between transgender, cisgender, and nonbinary children.
Art Twink is a creator and lover of all things queer, colorful, and cute. They've worked on artivism for prison abolition, transgender liberation, and mental health issues. Catch them @art_twink for more stories of queer brown happiness.
Reviews (3)
School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2--A lively #OwnVoices picture book tribute to a family's unwavering support of their transgender daughter, written by a mother-daughter advocate duo and based on their experiences. Trinity, who is a Black transgender girl, liked to play with her siblings, her dolls, and her pet pig, Peter Porker. One day, Trinity expressed frustration that she couldn't be a girl because she didn't have long hair. She needed long hair to feel like herself. When Trinity's mother pointed out her own short hair, Trinity explained, "People don't care if cisgender girls like you have short hair. But it's different for transgender girls. I need long hair!" The family took a trip to the beauty store. None of the wigs seemed to be the best choice for Trinity. Mom took matters into her own hands and crafted a one-of-a-kind rainbow wig just for her daughter. Trinity loved it: "It's me, Mom. My hair has finally come!" The text's frank and refreshing usage of terms such as cisgender will spark necessary conversations between children and caregivers. Twink's digital illustrations are vibrant and colorful just like Trinity and feature small but important details, including a beauty store employee named Maya wearing a "they/them" pronoun name tag. Some readers may feel that a few details could have been expanded on, such as Trinity's autism, which is acknowledged throughout the book but is not the main focus. VERDICT There are very few books widely published and readily available that spotlight Black trans girls and women; this picture book is an affirming, uplifting story to add to school and public library collections.--Allison Staley, Lake Oswego P.L., OR
Publisher's Weekly Review
In their #OwnVoices picture book debut, mother-daughter duo and transgender rights advocates DeShanna and Trinity Neal center a Black transgender girl looking for hair that suits her gender expression. Inspired by the younger coauthor, protagonist Trinity's gender "was part of what made her a masterpiece, just like her autism and her Black skin." Trinity feels a keen desire for long hair like that on the dolls she shares with nonbinary sibling Hyperion, despite hating "how it made her itchy when it was growing out." With inspiration from sibling Lucien, their mom sets out to create the perfect multicolored wig for Trinity--one that doesn't trigger the girl's sensitivities and that aligns with her "already perfect" natural curls. Artist Twink's inviting use of color highlights the family's warm home and the bright rainbow wig--an object that makes Trinity feel like a more authentic version of herself: "It's me, Mom. My hair has finally come!" A joyful family story that emphasizes the importance of listening and loving people for who they are. Ages 4--8. (Oct.)
Kirkus Review
A loving mother helps her daughter express herself and feel like a rainbow. Trinity, an autistic, Black, transgender girl wishes she had long hair. But growing it out is a struggle because she hates hair touching her neck. Seeing her daughter's sadness, Trinity's mom, a Black cisgender woman with natural hair cropped close, listens to Trinity's concerns. At first, she tries to reassure Trinity that girls can wear their hair short, but Trinity still doesn't feel happy. Honoring the truth that Trinity knows herself best, Trinity's mom puts her love and devotion into creating a curly, teal, pink, and purple wig for Trinity, with some help from Trinity's older sibling. Richly colored and invitingly detailed full-spread illustrations that complement the story's title and theme accompany the text. The narrative centers a Black family whose members are depicted in the illustrations with skin that is a range of rich browns. In the midst of Trinity's struggle with her gender expression, her mom models listening and affirmation. She acknowledges that her own experiences with societal expectations of gender expression as a cisgender woman are different from Trinity's. Even as the story shifts to show Trinity's cisgender mother's perspective, Trinity's feelings remain the focus and her happiness the motivation. Apart from the use of person-first language ("kids with autism") instead of identity-first language, Neal and Neal emphasize that all aspects of Trinity's identity deserve celebration and make her a masterpiece. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10.8-by-17-inch double-page spreads viewed at 60.9% of actual size.) A revolutionary representation of joy and self-expression. (Picture book. 4-7) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
