Acceptance and kindness start with oneself. Anang, ten, is two-spirit and nonbinary from the Turtle clan. Neither girl nor boy, Anang knows they are a different gender. They were being home-schooled because they had a difficult time with bullying in school, from other children who don’t understand. In summer, Grandmother is hosting Sherry, Anang’s friend.
The above illustration is a self of author and illustrator Cameron Mukwa.
While Sherry and Anang had disagreements, their quarrels were overshadowed by talking turtles and crows who were helping Anang in their quest to make a ribbon skirt for the pow-wow. The ribbon skirt—traditionally worn by women—is an important symbol of Anang’s cultural identity as Anishinaabe. Through fantastical dreams and visions, Anang understands the ancestors’ advice to celebrate their true self.
The heartwarming Scholastic graphic novel by two-spirit Anishinaabe cartoonist and educator Cameron Mukwa, who introduces young readers to expansive gender identities in Indigenous worldviews. The ribbon skirt plays a significant role in Anang’s journey to self-acceptance as they learn to be confident in who they are and how they want to dress and look.
Sherry embodies the uncertainty that some children may feel about changes they see in their friends. During a time when a record number of anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation is being introduced in various states, The Ribbon Skirt is a timely and poignant medium to teach children about the true meaning of friendship and embracing the differences in others.
Editor's Note: This review was originally published in the San Francisco Book Review.
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