Greek / Greece
Ē ntulapa
(The clothing wardrobe)
Kabbalu, Stergia
(Kavvalou, Stergia)
(text)
Polenakē, Zaklin
(Polenaki, Zaklin)
(illus.)
Athēna: Potamos, 2021. – 29 p.
ISBN 978-960-545-171-4
Gender role | Identity | Stereotype | Emancipation | Picture book
Reading age: 4+
White Ravens issue: 2022
Anastasis is a boy – so it is only logical that his room is filled with dinosaurs, cars, robots, and monsters. And naturally everything in his room is blue, even the wardrobe. But it is in this very boyishly blue wardrobe that Anastasis hides at night to play with his sister’s toys. Her princess dolls accompany his knight figures, while he rocks a doll to sleep, plays with the doll-size tea set, and acts out a whole variety of roles. One day he falls asleep inside the wardrobe and is discovered there by his mother. To his surprise, he doesn’t feel exposed, but instead is shown complete understanding. Finally, he is allowed to have any kind of toy he wants – regardless of whether they are »for boys« or »for girls«. With great sensitivity and in no way preachy, Stergia Kavvalou shows how important it is for a child’s development to be lovingly accepted for just who she/he is. Outdated clichés are also unmasked by the symbolically changing colour palette found in Zaklin Polenakis’ illustrations. [TA]