Jodie Patterson Social Activist Children’s Book — Born Ready: The True Story of a Boy Named Penelope

Jodie Patterson Social Activist Children’s Book — Born Ready: The True Story of a Boy Named Penelope

Here at New York Family, we know that parenting is all about learning. We learn how to talk to our kids about the world around us, we learn how to prioritize time for ourselves, we learn how to raise our little ones amidst a growing digital landscape (from TikTok to the new Instagram for kids and everything in between). But every now and then, our kids surprise us. They teach us something new, something that opens up our perspective and redefines the way we relate to others. And in her debut children’s book, Born Ready: The True Story of a Boy Named Penelope, Jodie Patterson reminds us how to be there for our kids when they do. We got the scoop on this must-read book, beautifully illustrated by Charnelle Pinkney Barlow, that puts gender identity and gender fluidity in conversation with young readers and their parents. Yes, Born Ready is the trans, queer, and Black representation that we need, but let’s think beyond representation. Instead, let’s look at how and why these communities are being represented. And if we do that — if we have the “beyond representation” mindset — we (kids and parents alike) just might discover what it means to love, learn from, and accept the people in our lives who are different from us.

We knew that Born Ready would totally be on the radar for our NYC parents, so we caught up with Jodie Patterson to dive deeper into what this book is all about. Read on to see what Jodie has to say about self-discovery, family, and experience as truth.

Read more about Jodie Patterson and her new book Born Ready here!