Children's books have great potential to reveal new possibilities to readers, because the intended audience is at an age of genuine learning.
I recently did a reading at an elementary school in Ottawa, and one of the children asked me if I was a girl. I said yes. Another child commented that I had a deep voice. I responded: "Can girls have deep voices?" There was a pause and then the group responded, "Yes!"
Children are receptive to talking about gender creativity, confirming the importance of the book as a means to instigate this dialogue at an early age.
