Gender Nonconforming Boys in Picture Books: Using Protagonists to Examine Social Roles and Stereotypes

Abstract

As I was exploring the children’s literature section at my community library, I spotted the picture book Williams’ Doll by Charlotte Zolotow (1972) standing upright on a bookshelf. I picked it up and reminisced about reading it to my students when I taught second grade in the early nineties. At that time, I noticed a pattern in some of my students’ conversations that caused me concern because of some of their comments.