“This is our world.
Like many things in nature it’s round and holds everyone at the same time.
This is the Gender Wheel.
Like our world it’s round and holds everyone at the same time too…”
In 2010 Maya introduced the Gender Wheel and the Gender Team in the second book we ever published, the Gender Now Coloring Book. It was a jammed packed coloring extravaganza exploring bodies, nature and history in relation to multiple gender identities. It also opened up the possibility of play and expansion around our still limited language of “boy” and “girl.”
Now the Gender Team returns, expanded and stronger than before, inviting you on a picture book journey through the Gender Wheel. This book is a powerful opportunity for a supportive adult and child to see a range of bodies, understand the roots of the current binary gender system, how we can learn from nature to see the truth that has always existed and revision a new story that includes room for all bodies and genders. The Gender Wheel offers a queer centric, holistic framework of radical gender inclusion in a kid-friendly way for the budding activists who will change our world. This is our world!
NOTE TO PARENTS, EDUCATORS, AND ADULT ALLIES: The “ORIGINAL” version is a body-positive picture book showing bodies in their natural state (i.e. with no clothes on, albeit in a stylized way) and is specifically created for a supportive adult to explore alongside a child. If you prefer a clothed version more conducive to school environments, choose the “School Edition.” They also offer a nice complement to each other, one as a home version and one to provide to your child’s school. Also, our other book They She He Me is a powerful companion to this book and also suitable for classroom environments and breaking down gender assumptions and stereotypes.
Find more resources and downloads at www.genderwheel.com
More about Gender Now:
Our Gender Now Coloring book and curriculum has been used by Gender Spectrum (an organization that helps to create gender sensitive and inclusive environments), school districts in Canada and educators throughout the United States.
One educator expressed, “I work in a cross-section between elementary education and gender/sexuality studies, and I find that your Gender Now Coloring Book is one of the best pedagogical tools teachers can have (love your other books like [Call Me Tree], as well). Almost nobody gets it right, but you do. What a wonderful opportunity to help children see themselves and others, create a space for trying on different identities until they find one that “fits” (or more than one 😊). What great resources for helping all of us understand the range of gender in all it’s wonderful complexity in ways that challenge us to move beyond binaries. Thank you, Maya!”