The Adventures of Tulip, the Birthday Wish Fairy by S. Bear Bergman

• Plot Summary: The Adventures of Tulip, Birthday Wish Fairy follows title-character Tulip as he deals with the birthday wishes of all the nine-year-olds in North America. Somewhat reminiscent of the Disney film Prep & Landing, The Adventures of Tulip, Birthday Wish Fairy gives an inside look into what exactly happens to all those wishes, what Wish Fairies eat for lunch, and what kinds of tools they're issued. When a wish Tulip is unfamiliar with crosses his desk, from a child known as David who wishes to live as Daniela, he seeks the wise counsel of the Wish Fairy Captain and learns some new Wish Fairy Skills (while also introducing the concept of trans-identified children in a friendly, sympathetic way). Tulip gets in a little hot water, but ultimately his compassion and thoughtfulness win the day, while serving as a model for readers.

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• This is an interesting trans book as it focuses on a fairy as the main character. The fairy has to figure out how to grant a trans-girl’s wish to have a different body. It’s very rare to have a fantasy element in a book with a trans character. While cute and introducing the concept of trans, some people have taken issue with the constant reaffirmation of the gender binary by depicting trans characters as “a boy with a girl heart.” That said, as long as this is not your only book about trans kids, a valuable addition to your library.