Illustrated by Joshua Heinsz
Publisher: Abrams Books for Young Readers (2023)
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When it comes to playing dress-up, best friends Annabelle and Benjamin both want to be the bride, the ballerina, and the princess. Can both of them be the Fairest in the Land? Why not? Two princesses means twice the fun! A heart-warming inclusive story about supportive friendship and expressing one’s true self with pride.
Why I wrote this book:
One year when I attended Family Week in Provincetown, I found myself standing next to a dad who was watching his son run around gleefully in a rainbow-colored tutu. The dad turned to me and said wistfully, “I wish my son was free to wear a tutu every day of the year, not just for one week in Provincetown.”
As a children’s book writer, I take the task of Tikkun Olam (Hebrew for “repairing the world”) very seriously. It is my job to help create a safe world in which all children can openly live their authentic lives. The Fairest in the Land was written to smash gender stereotypes and make the world a safer, freer place for us all.
Excerpt
“Let’s get dressed up,” said Annabelle.
“Who would you like to be?”
“A princess!” shouted Benjamin,
“who lives down by the sea.“I’ll wear a purple velvet gown
stitched through with silver thread.
A shiny golden crown of jewels
will sparkle on my head.“And rainbow slippers made of silk
will dance upon my feet.
I’ll be the finest princess
that you’ll ever hope to meet….”