X: A Fabulous Child's Story facts for kids
The picture book's cover
|
|
| Author | Lois Gould |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Jacqueline Chwast |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre |
|
| Publisher | Ms. (short story) Daughters Publishing (picture book) |
|
Publication date
|
December 1972 (short story) July 18, 1978 (picture book) |
| Media type | Print (hardcover) |
| Pages | 52 |
| ISBN | 9780913780213 |
| OCLC | 4499675 |
X: A Fabulous Child's Story, written by Lois Gould, was first published as a short story in the magazine Ms. in 1972 and then illustrated by Jacqueline Chwast and republished by Daughters Publishing as a picture book in 1978. The book tells the story of X, a child raised as part of an experiment to keep its gender unknown to everyone but its parents and the scientists conducting the experiment.
X: A Fabulous Child's Story received praise for its thought-provoking conceit and witty prose. Meanwhile, some writers have questioned the extent to which the story successfully challenges gender roles. X: A Fabulous Child's Story is sometimes considered a precursor to later picture books about transgender characters, and it has been anthologized several times. The story inspired a 1975 experiment and was adapted into an animated short film in 2016.
Plot
As part of a scientific experiment, a baby is born and its gender is kept a secret from the world. This child, Baby X, is adopted by Ms. and Mr. Jones, who promise to raise the child without imbuing it with traditional gender roles. The Joneses raise X by mixing toys and clothes meant for both girls and boys. When X begins school, its classmates try to determine X's gender but are unable to do so. X excels in all areas of its schooling and remains kind and caring to classmates, ultimately leading them to begin rejecting normative gender roles as well.
The parents of X's schoolmates become concerned and forbid them from playing with X. At a meeting of the Parents' Association, they decide X must be examined by an impartial group of experts. Upon examination, the experts announce that X is perfectly healthy and well-adjusted, and that its gender will be known one day. The Parents' Association reluctantly abides by the determination of the experts and allows their children once more to play with X. The children go to visit X later on and find it playing with its new baby sibling, Y.
