Last week, Donald Trump appeared on stage with a young boy who spoke about a time when he read a book at school that didn’t align with his beliefs. He shared how he felt ostracized by his peers when his parents spoke up against it.
Ironically, the book is about a child seeking acceptance.
The book in question was My Shadow is Pink written and illustrated by Scott Stuart. Its about a boy whose shadow, a symbol for his true inner self, is pink. The protagonist likes dresses, ponies, princesses and things that “aren’t for boys.” According to Trump, this book promotes “radical gender ideology.”
What is it about boys and pink that sets people off?
We recently read Pink is for Boys, one of the most banned children’s books in the 2023-2024 school year. If you haven’t read it, the message is that all colors are for every one. In a world where color stereotypes are prominent in everything from clothing to toys to school supplies, this book reminds us that colors are just colors. You can like any color you choose.
It’s not just colors. Stepping outside of any stereotypical gender norm seems to get books challenged. Earlier this year we featured Molly’s Tuxedo, a book about a young girl who wants to wear a tuxedo to her school picture day because it makes her feel more like herself. The book's author faced soft censorship in the form of cancelled school visits. Teo’s Tutu is a book about a boy who likes to dance and wants to wear a tutu during his recital like all the other ballerinas he looks up to. It was challenged in South Carolina.
What do all of these books have in common? They feature children that simply want to pursue their own interests.
From a young age, we tell children that pink is for girls and blue is for boys. Interestingly, it used to be the exact opposite. This only changed when clothing manufacturers realized they could increase sales by assigning colors to genders. But let’s get back to My Shadow is Pink.
Where the story truly excels is when the main character's Dad, someone with a strong blue shadow, encourages the young boy to embrace his “inner most you.” He explains that everyone may not accept his true colors, but “if some don’t like you, then they are the fool.” With support from his Dad, the boy goes back to school, feeling more confident in himself and finds belonging with friends who accept him.
The display of parental support and acceptance is what makes this book so powerful. Is that actually what makes it “radical” in their eyes? The idea of acceptance outside of stereotypical norms? The idea that little boys and girls can have interests that don’t fit neatly into blue or pink?
Author Scott Stuart recently spoke about the incident on his Instagram. My Shadow is Pink is part of a three book series. He states that his books “are not about culture wars or politics or about winning arguments. They’re about kids. They’re about helping kids be who they want to be without prejudice. Allowing kids to wear what they want to wear without being bullied. Kids believing what they want to believe and feeling safe and accepted for doing so.”
We hadn’t read this book prior to reading the news about it. It now proudly sits in our home library as an example of the power of acceptance and being true to yourself, a message that is apparently controversial.