Except When They Don't
By Laura Gehl
The Story
A rhyming picture book lists all the things boys and girls are supposed to like — football, fairy songs, kittens, ballet — then flips each expectation with three cheerful words: except when they don't.
Why It's Special
For the kid who loves trucks AND tutus, or neither, this book says out loud what many kids feel but rarely hear: you don't have to match the list.
- Big idea: Who you are matters more than what you're 'supposed' to like.
- Vibes: Playful, rhythmic, and quietly reassuring — more grin than lecture.
Perfect For Kids Who
- love rhyming and predicting the next line
- are working on feeling comfortable being themselves
- enjoy toys and games that don't fit a 'boy' or 'girl' box
- respond well to a simple repeating pattern with a twist
Ask Your Little Reader
- Real-life connection: What's something you love to play with or do, no matter what anyone says about it being 'for boys' or 'for girls'?
- Story pattern: Can you guess what 'except when they don't' means before the page turns?
- Feelings & empathy: How do you think it feels when someone tells you what you're supposed to like?
- Imagination: If you wrote your own 'except when they don't' page, what would it say?
- Big idea: Why do you think this book keeps saying things and then changing them?
