In the seventh instalment of the Lulu series, we meet Lulu’s Nana-Bibi, who arrives for a visit. We see the preparation for, as well as the visit itself – Lulu gives up her bed for her Nana-Bibi and instead gets to sleep on a blow-up mattress in a snug spot in the living room!
My Own Way, written and illustrated in the original Portuguese by Joana Estrela, and translated and adapted by the poet Jay Hulme, is a great way to introduce the concept of gender to children. With brightly coloured illustrations in a direct, clear style, the poem shows children that they are the ones who get to decide who they are – and that includes their gender and its expression. In simple language, the book teaches children to critically think about the world and about the things they assume about who others are.
