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Jacob's New Dress
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From: Ian Hoffman <ianhoffman101_at_gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 21 May 2014 12:45:36 -0700
Thanks for the introduction, KT! It's a honor to be invited here today.
How did Jacob's New Dress come to be? Our son Sam asked for a pair of pink sneakers when he was two. Then Sam wanted a pink t-shirt, and soon a tutu. By the time he was Jacob’s age (preschool), he loved tiaras and fairy wings and wearing the princess dress-up costume at school. Then one day, Sam told Sarah and I that he wanted to wear a dress for real--to school.
Sam’s interest in all things feminine took us by surprise. Partly because it was so different from other boys, and partly because up until then he'd been a tractor-and-train loving little boy. But Sam was very clear and insistent about his evolving interests and desires. Sarah and I loved him and wanted him to be happy, so we couldn’t help but accept Sam in all his sparkly glory.
Of course, we were worried for Sam’s feelings and for his safety, knowing that other kids—and some adults—were not as accepting of boys like Sam as we were. It’s okay in our culture for girls to wear skirts-and-earrings or jeans-and-baseball-caps, but there isn’t a lot of leeway for boys. We wanted to do something to make the world an easier place for boys—and for all kids—who are different. So when Sam was three, Sarah started writing about gender diversity in children for adult audiences, in magazines and online and for the radio. At the same time, I was writing children's picture books on totally unrelated topics. As we became more and more immersed in the world of gender-creative kids, it seemed natural to bring our work together by collaborating on a picture book about a gender-creative boy.
Over the years, we've met many other parents of gender-nonconforming kids. Talking with those families, we've seen a lot of isolation and concern, and not a lot of access to resources for understanding what was happing or how to handle it. We envisioned Jacob's New Dress as a way to support families like ours, and boys like Sam.
-Ian Hoffman ianhoffman101_at_gmail.com
Sarah & Ian Hoffman, "Jacob's New Dress," Albert Whitman & Company, Spring 2014
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Received on Wed 21 May 2014 02:46:06 PM CDT
Date: Wed, 21 May 2014 12:45:36 -0700
Thanks for the introduction, KT! It's a honor to be invited here today.
How did Jacob's New Dress come to be? Our son Sam asked for a pair of pink sneakers when he was two. Then Sam wanted a pink t-shirt, and soon a tutu. By the time he was Jacob’s age (preschool), he loved tiaras and fairy wings and wearing the princess dress-up costume at school. Then one day, Sam told Sarah and I that he wanted to wear a dress for real--to school.
Sam’s interest in all things feminine took us by surprise. Partly because it was so different from other boys, and partly because up until then he'd been a tractor-and-train loving little boy. But Sam was very clear and insistent about his evolving interests and desires. Sarah and I loved him and wanted him to be happy, so we couldn’t help but accept Sam in all his sparkly glory.
Of course, we were worried for Sam’s feelings and for his safety, knowing that other kids—and some adults—were not as accepting of boys like Sam as we were. It’s okay in our culture for girls to wear skirts-and-earrings or jeans-and-baseball-caps, but there isn’t a lot of leeway for boys. We wanted to do something to make the world an easier place for boys—and for all kids—who are different. So when Sam was three, Sarah started writing about gender diversity in children for adult audiences, in magazines and online and for the radio. At the same time, I was writing children's picture books on totally unrelated topics. As we became more and more immersed in the world of gender-creative kids, it seemed natural to bring our work together by collaborating on a picture book about a gender-creative boy.
Over the years, we've met many other parents of gender-nonconforming kids. Talking with those families, we've seen a lot of isolation and concern, and not a lot of access to resources for understanding what was happing or how to handle it. We envisioned Jacob's New Dress as a way to support families like ours, and boys like Sam.
-Ian Hoffman ianhoffman101_at_gmail.com
Sarah & Ian Hoffman, "Jacob's New Dress," Albert Whitman & Company, Spring 2014
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Received on Wed 21 May 2014 02:46:06 PM CDT
