William’s Doll by Charlotte Zolotow

• Plot Summary: "An excellent book about a boy named William who wants the forbidden—a doll. The long-awaited realistic handling of this theme makes it a landmark book."—School Library Journal. More than anything, William wants a doll. “Don’t be a creep,” says his brother. “Sissy, sissy,” chants the boy next door. Then one day someone really understands William’s wish, and make it easy for others to understand, too. William gets a doll, so he can learn to be a loving parent someday. Written by beloved author Charlotte Zolotow and illustrated by Newbery Medal-winning author and Caldecott Honor Book illustrator William Pène du Bois, William’s Doll was published in 1972 and was one of the first picture books to deal with gender stereotypes.

• Youtube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyxEd21OIiY

• As one of the first books to deal with gender roles, this one does a good job of showing that it’s ok for a boy to want to play family, (even though everyone keeps reminding him that that’s a girly thing to do). This story was also adapted for a short cartoon (narrated by Alan Alda) in the Marlo Thomas project, Free to Be You and Me. This story does a good job of never casting William’s masculinity into question, but still questioning gender essentialism.