Payden’s Pronoun Party

Payden’s parents are supportive when their child embraces “e, em, and eir” pronouns; they even offer to throw a party to celebrate. But while considering what pronouns feel right, Payden, who’s portrayed with tan skin, first visits some friends: vet Hank, a cisgender man; artist Shay, a trans woman; nonbinary musical inventor Theo; and dancer Zoe, who uses she and ze pronouns. Each tells Payden how their pronouns make them feel (like they’re flying, like a hug, like dancing), and their different perspectives lead em to decide on pronouns that sound “just right.” As friends arrive at the party celebrating Payden’s neopronouns, Cornejo’s softly luminous art captures their communal enthusiasm alongside the racially inclusive group’s costumes and pronoun badges. Jaryn’s reassuring language shows that gender exploration doesn’t have to be painful, instead emphasizing the “skin-tingling, warm sense of wholeness” that self-discovery can bring. Ages 4–8. (Oct.)