By Christian Trimmer

Art by Madeline Valentine

Teddy's Favorite Toy is loosely based on an event from my own childhood and is a celebration of great mothers everywhere. I wrote an essay for LGBTQ Reads describing the story’s origin.

★ "Joining the plethora of gender-norm-defying picture books comes this refreshingly bold story that makes its message clear without being pedantic....Simple, sophisticated language (“He sought out his mom and detailed the situation”) suggests a respectful alliance between mother and son, and is perfectly complemented by charming, gouache-and-pencil illustrations that capture the characters’ emotions as the story unfolds. Slightly older readers can unpack other layers about social norms and diversity, but all will appreciate this dynamic book's adventurous yet relatable style."--Booklist (starred review)

★ "Trimmer’s smart, closely observed portrait celebrates a boy and a mother whose relationship grows out of mutual respect. Although it’s left unsaid, Teddy’s play resists gender stereotyping in that he’s allowed the freedom to play with whatever toys he likes in whatever way strikes his fancy—and the result is an imaginative free-for-all."--Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"The story’s implicit messages—that it should be unremarkable when boys play with dolls; that parents can become superheroic to do right by their children—ring loud, true, and (in a book full of comical flourishes, particularly in the mixed-media illustrations) funny...in terms of presenting gender nonconformity as perfectly normal, it’s ahead of the curve."--Horn Book

A Junior Library Guild Selection

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