Princess Kevin

February 24, 2020
Kevin decides to dress up as a princess for school costume day, “and that is that,” writes Escoffier, whose narration—fiercely upfront regarding his protagonist and gimlet-eyed about everything else—is the real star of this story. Garrigue’s pen-and-ink cartooning shows Kevin regarding himself in the mirror—the floofy pink gown with matching shoes, the crown, the jewelry—with unshakable confidence: “Kevin knows this costume looks good.” All he needs is a costumed knight to escort him, but everyone shuns him except a girl in an unfortunate dragon costume, who admires his outfit and helps him navigate in high heels until Kevin realizes that being a princess is, for him at least, “way too complicated.” The authors don’t push any particular motivation for Kevin’s costume, but they do offer a perplexing message for dress-up occasions: “When you wear a costume... you become someone totally different. Otherwise, it makes no sense to dress up in the first place.” Ages 4–7.

March 1, 2020
A determined boy wears a princess costume to his school's fancy dress show. Despite what others think and in defiance of their laughter, Kevin, a little white boy, refuses to dress as a knight, cowboy, or superhero for his school's costume event. Kevin is a princess. If girls can wear any costume they want, after all, then so can he. Proud of his outfit, Kevin seeks one final addition to "complete the look": a knight to hold his hand. Bright, hand-drawn pen-and-ink illustrations accompany the narration. Kevin and Chloe (the other character named in the text) appear white, but their class includes students with light and dark brown skin. While the narration suggests that Kevin has support from his family, he faces rejection from his classmates without intervention. Apart from brief mentions of Kevin's mother's lipstick and Chloe's father, adults play no role in the story. None of the students in class stand up for Kevin either. Even Chloe's giggling remark that "You've got a lot to learn before you can be a real princess" as she helps him undress keeps Kevin from self-expression. Furthermore, Escoffier places strict judgment in the text that "the whole point" of wearing a costume "is that you become someone totally different. Otherwise it makes no sense to dress up in the first place," leaving no room for personal exploration. Insensitive and unwelcoming. (Picture book. 4-7)

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