Jacob’s New Dress, by Sarah and Ian Hoffman
As an introduction to this book, try the lesson, “Boys Like, Girls Like, Kids Like” or another lesson on gender stereotypes (see Pink Day post). It is helpful to explain that rules for clothes change over tine and differ across cultures. In the past, girls and women weren’t allowed to wear pants and now they can, pink was a boy’s colour, then it became a girl’s colour and now it’s everyone’s colour. Jeans were invented for gold miners to wear while working, now everyone wears them. In Scotland, there is a skirt for boys and men called a kilt and so on.
You and/or your class can do their own research on clothes across cultures and through history. You can look at hairstyles, too.
Questions while reading:
- How do you think Jacob felt when Christopher pulled his towel dress off? How do you think his friend Emily felt?
- Why do you think Christopher is upset that Jacob wants to wear a dress? (Sample response: his dad told him dresses aren’t for boys. His dad hasn’t learned that the rules for clothes change and that’s its okay for boys to wear dresses just like its okay for girls to wear pants.)
- What would you say to Christopher?
- How do you think Jacob feels now (last page of book)? (For example, proud, powerful, happy, okay to be himself and wear his favourite clothes, etc.)
Questions after reading:
- How would you feel if you were told that you couldn’t wear your favourite clothes? What would you say if someone at school told you this?
- If Jacob was in your class, what would you say or do to help Jacob feel happy and included?
- What would you say if someone told Jacob he couldn’t wear a dress?
You can role-play scenarios from the book and students can practice how they would respond.
For more information, contact VSB’s Diversity Mentor: pride@vsb.bc.ca