Published by Harry N. Abrams

Summary:  Noah is excited about his upcoming birthday, dropping lots of not-too-subtle hints about what he hopes to get.  But he keeps his greatest wish–to grow his hair–to himself, worried that it’s not acceptable for boys to have long hair.  At his pre-birthday haircut, the barber follows Dad’s instructions for “the usual,” causing Noah to burst into tears at the sight of his short hair.  Mom and Dad figure out what’s going on, and on his birthday, Noah’s favorite gift is a long purple wig.  A year later, he’s back at the barber, but now the directions are, “A little off the ends, please,” as Noah is revealed to have shoulder-length hair.  Includes a list of conversation starters about gender, identity, and self-expression.  40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  The author of Teddy’s Favorite Toy has created another fun story with a likable narrator that facilitates discussions around gender norms and expectations and provides some excellent parental role models.

Cons:  I almost missed the list of conversation starters which is printed on the endpapers.