Introducing Teddy: a gentle story about gender and friendship

Thomas the teddy bear struggles with his gender but he is afraid that if he becomes a girl he will lose his friendship with his human friend Errol. When Errol assures Thomas that he doesn’t care if his friend is a boy or girl, it takes the simple shifting of Thomas’ bow tie from Thomas’ neck to his hair for Thomas to become Tilly and be true to herself. This simple, engaging picture book, with rich illustrations that elaborate on the story, is a gentle exploration of gender identity, accessible to young children who may not have been exposed to the topic before, and a useful read-aloud to explore diversity, personal identity, being true to oneself, and friendship.