About the Author

Jessica Walton lives with her wife, son, and cats in Melbourne, Australia. She was inspired to write Introducing Teddy after her father transitioned into the woman she had always been on the inside, and Jess wanted to find a way to tell that story to her young son. A former secondary teacher, Jess is passionate about literature, board games, the ukulele, and funky prosthetic legs (her current one features green dragon scales). This is her first book.
www.facebook.com/introducingteddy

Dougal MacPherson once drew a truck on a rainy Sunday afternoon to entertain his young son. Since then, he has illustrated for tech websites and conferences and now, a children's book. Dougal lives with his wife, son, daughter and a cat called Monster, in Australia. He documents the antics of his family through fifteen-minute drawings in a popular Instagram account.
@15mindrawings

Reviews

Walton gently explains Tilly's gender, which is a small ripple in the lives of children at play, and subtly pokes at gender roles with Errol's tea parties and Ava's robot building. MacPherson's illustrations are sweet, with a sketchy, contemporary style. . . . This book beautifully changes the narrative of gender and gender roles, but fair warning--the hug scene might bring a tear or two. - starred review, Kirkus Reviews The book's spirit of easygoing openness makes it a worthwhile resource. Debut artist MacPherson's ink-and-watercolor illustrations are striking for their emotional immediacy and compositional polish, and he effortlessly moves from the poignancy of the opening pages to breezy good times. - Publishers Weekly Walton's matter-of-fact exploration of gender doesn't get into any particulars, focusing instead on the importance of friendship and respect. The final pages, during which Tilly and Errol do exactly the same things they did before, reassure kiddos that changing gender won't change who a person (or bear) fundamentally is ideal for the target audience. A useful resource for adults broaching conversations about transgender issues with little ones. - Booklist