Our trip into San Francisco yesterday evening passed through Borderlands and consequently I was at last able to get a copy of my friend Marcus Ewert’s book, 10,000 Dresses. This is probably the world’s only children’s book about a transgender child. Quite why the Forces of the Patriarchy are not calling to have it banned I don’t know – I’m sure that Marcus would sell a lot more copies if they did, but for now you can still buy it from Amazon (click on the cover image).

Being a kids’ picture book, 10,000 Dresses is very short and heavy on the art. There’s also a lot of repetition in the text, again as you’d expect. The basic story is as follows: Baily spends her nights dreaming of fabulous dresses, but her mother, father and brother keep confusing her by telling her that she’s a boy and isn’t allowed to wear dresses. Of course there is a happy ending, and the art (by Rex Ray) is lovely. Here’s hoping that a lot of kids get to read it.

So, where can I buy a crystal dress that shimmers with rainbow colors in sunlight?