Harvey the Hippo Meets Mickey Mandarin is a story of gender binary and non-binary new friends making introductions, learning a little background about each other and finding that although they may identify differently, they all still like to play and have fun the same way. The animals are proud to say how they like to be addressed, such as he/him, she/her or they/them.

“Harvey the Hippo Meets Mickey Mandarin is a timely and much-needed addition to the body of literature for young children. The tale delivers the message of love and the understanding of differences in a tender yet thoroughly unambiguous way. The illustrations are not only beautifully rendered, but also serve to amplify the rhyme. They are gentle and, at the same time, strong and vibrant, serving to engage a child and caregiver in conversation about the characters and the words.” — Toni Seidl, child psychotherapist

“Harvey the Hippo Meets Mickey Mandarin is a lovely book for young children and serves as a gentle introduction to gender identification. Using animal characters, it describes how some individuals identify as male, some female and some who feel they do not fit either descriptor. The use of ‘he/him, ‘ ‘she/her’ and ‘they/them’ vocabulary provides the young child with real-world terminology. The book stops there and does not delve into more advanced concepts of sexuality, allowing even the most reluctant parent to become comfortable with introducing these evolving societal norms to their child. It is a fine book for teaching children that everyone–same or different–is wonderful as they are and may become your friend.” — Laurie Zelinger, PhD, ABPP, RPT-S, board-certified psychologist and author of Please Explain Anxiety to Me

“If you want to read a book that will help kiddos feel seen, included and celebrated, you will find this story of friendship and community wonderful. Harvey the Hippo Meets Mickey Mandarin is heartwarming, as it uses fun and welcoming language that invites all genders to feel a sense of belonging, even if there are differences.” — Anna Kiesnowski, psychotherapist