Overview

Alex's world feels gray and drab...until he tries painting his nails and discovers a world of color he has never experienced before! This picture book's gorgeous illustrations progress from black and white to full color as Alex, his diverse group of friends, and ultimately his family all express themselves by doing things they love to do. The sweet and timely rhyming story challenges gender expectations around emotions and activities, and asks the reader to consider: what colors shine through when you're just being you?

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Reviews

"A boy learns not to be bound by gender expectations and to embrace his true self in this rhyming tale. As Alex heads to camp, the world is gray. He's not sure what to expect, although he knows that as a boy, ""he would have to be tough."" But at the camp, with the encouragement of other campers, he learns to express himself in the way that feels right to him-which includes wearing nail polish. He feels ""joyful and free""-but then chips off the polish before he goes home, worried about what his brother and dad will think. When he gets home, he's surprised to see his brother working on a drawing of a magenta rose, and this gives him renewed courage to repaint his nails and to show his dad. His dad hugs him and sets an ongoing example for Alex and his brother to share the things they love, letting their colors shine through. ""What colors shine through when you're just being YOU?"" the book asks in conclusion. The shift of illustrations from gray to full color as Alex learns to express himself lends impact to the tale. The sometimes-strained meter makes for occasionally awkward reading, but the message is joyful and affirming. Alex and his family are White; the other campers reflect a range of racial/ethnic identities. --Mombian ""https: //mombian.com/database/nail-polish-is-too-for-boys/"" (5/16/2024 12:00:00 AM)"

Author Information

Emma-Claire Sunday is an author and high school teacher who delights in bringing LGBTQ+ stories to the page. She's worked in outdoor education for the past decade, so she knows that summer camp is a magical place where campers and counselors can learn to express their true selves. Emma-Claire lives in New Jersey with her partner, Patrick, whom she met at camp. Caitlin O'Dwyer is an illustrator from New South Wales, Australia. As a child, she loved drawing from the moment she could pick up a pencil. She tirelessly copied artworks from her dad's collections of comics and would eventually create her own characters and scenarios filling countless sketchbooks. In high school she was gifted a drawing tablet and would log hours upon hours of digital illustration. Outside of her artwork, she loves music, especially Aussie bands. Caitlin is a dog person, whose too-smart-for-his-own-good Kelpie-x, named Ned, keeps her company in her home office.

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