Travis El Grandioso
Una historia acerca de ser seguro y original
By Hannah Carmona
Illustrated by Brenda Figueroa
- About
- Details
“You’re a boy!” the kids exclaim. “You can’t play with a doll.”
But Travis has lots of confidence and little regard for social norms. There are so many things to like in the world. Why should there be limits that keep him from enjoying those things?
“I am who I am! There’s no boy or girl line. In sports or in dress-up, I’ll sparkle and shine.”
Dresses and armor one day, ballet and basketball the next. Travis sets no limits on what he enjoys doing. But when some of the kids on the playground begin to pick on him, will Travis dull his shine or decide to truly dazzle?
Complete with colorful illustrations and bold comebacks, this empowering story encourages kids of any gender to challenge the social norm and reveal their true selves.
Dazzling Travis by Hannah Carmona Dias carries the key message of gender stereotypes and being different supported by the many advocates of positive parenting solutions. This book will perfectly round out your home or school library among other stories that focus on confidence and being who you are.
Stories like the work of Alexandra Penfold (All Are Welcome) and Gabi Garcia (I Can Do Hard Things).
Published Reviews
In Torgan-Randall’s picture book, a duck-obsessed girl makes a friend at summer camp after she learns how to listen to others.
Margaret, depicted as a white-skinned, brown-haired girl (rather in the Charlie Brown mold), prefers to be called Ducky. She is obsessed with ducks, and, while attending camp, she works duck facts into every conversation and activity, often talking over her peers (and even the counselor). No one else is much interested, and one boy in particular—red-haired Marvin[4]—loses patience with Margaret’s garrulous duck fixation. “YOU ARE NOT A DUCK! YOU ARE MARGARET!” he tells her. Margaret is momentarily saddened, but she cheers up for the learn-to-swim activity. There, she lends her duck-shaped float-aid to Marvin. Her duck knowledge proves useful, and, more importantly, she learns about Marvin’s own obsession: rocks. Now that their interaction is less one-sided, Margaret and Marvin become friends. Torgan-Randall narrates Margaret’s tale in straightforward, non-rhyming prose, arranging pictures and text so that dialogue appears in natural blank spaces near the speaker. The present-tense constructions and faux-handwritten font lend a sense of immediacy. Torgan-Randall’s illustrations, which are hand-drawn and then digitally refined, evoke the open, ingenuous existence of young children. The campers are ethnically diverse, and all of the characters display distinct personalities (even Bill, the duck float-aid). A pre-story checklist of questions encourages readers to think about listening, communication, and friendship.
A fun, quirky little story about thriving individuality and social integration.