First Impressions: Something Great
Joey Mondello
When I was a little kid growing up in the 2000s, I was a voracious reader; whether Goodnight Moon, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, or Fletcher and the Falling Leaves, I had an endless appetite for picture books and the whimsical worlds they allowed me to explore. While I do have a lot of fond memories of this time in my life, there sadly wasn’t a lot of LGBTQ+ representation in the children’s books I was reading. It wasn’t until I was an angsty teen reading YA novels that queer stories truly entered my literary palette.
Since I’ve started interning with Pride and Less Prejudice, I’ve been happy to see firsthand that this is changing in a big way—LGBTQ+ representation in children’s literature is here, and it’s amazing.
One recent title that has really resonated with me for its imaginative illustration and non-binary representation is Something Great by Jeanette Bradley. Something Great follows the adventures of Quinn, a young child who uses they/them pronouns and loves to make inventions in their workshop. One day, using a recycled bottle, a red piece of string, and a great deal of youthful ingenuity, Quinn creates… something! Something Great, to be exact. Their creation can be anything—a clock, a bug catcher, or even an elevator.
This section really reminded me of what it’s like to be a kid, and to be content with play and creativity—a time in your life where imagination is the most important ingredient to having a good time. Sadly, as every kid has experienced, not everyone in Quinn’s life sees how magical their creation is. Quinn’s mom is warm and supportive, but she doesn’t quite understand how Quinn sees Something Great—to them, it’s more than a piece of recycling.
Quinn eventually runs into another child playing in a tree, referred to simply as the new kid, and the pair bond over Something Great with their shared sense of whimsical imagination—finally, someone understands! The book concludes with the realization that, of the countless roles Quinn’s creation can take on, the most rewarding use of Something Great is as a friend finder! This final page of the story is particularly endearing, and I even sent a picture of it to some of my friends.
In addition to the plotline, the book’s unique illustration style perfectly captures Quinn’s vibrant spirit, merging the ‘real world’ with the world of Quinn’s imagination—music notes swirling around them, planets forming in the wake of their creation, and rainbow waves bursting out of Something Great. There are also little details and idiosyncrasies like leaves on the tree containing sheet music and book pages revealed under the floorboards. These touches make the illustration feel like it could be something straight out of Quinn’s notebook.
So how does this book fit into the wider context of queer children’s literature? I believe having access to a wide range of LGBTQ+ representation is especially important, and Something Great’s subtle approach really resonated with where I am in my gender identity journey. A lot of plotlines about LGBTQ+ characters are directly centered around their identities and the trials and tribulations that come with being queer. While these types of narratives are absolutely necessary, it was refreshing to read a story where a kid like Quinn was able to just be a kid and have fun, with their nonbinary identity just being an accepted aspect of their humanity.
There also are a few parts that I thought could be interpreted as subtle nods or analogies to the queer experience, like this passage: “No one understood. Something Great wasn’t recycling! And it wasn’t supposed to be anything. It was just… itself.” Additionally, the ‘About’ section on the inner flap of the book reads, “Can’t Quinn just share the joy of their new invention without a label?” Both of these concepts felt like parallels to my own gender identity journey—labels and are great for finding community and creating a narrative for yourself, but often I find myself happiest when I feel the freedom to just ‘do my own thing’ without needing to explain or justify it.
Overall, I feel so happy that books like Something Great exist, and it’s exciting to know that kids of today can read books at an early age that have this sort of positive and affirming LGBTQ+ representation. These stories are crucial, both for kids who may identify as queer, and also for their peers, loved ones, and wider communities. It ultimately reinforces my belief in the work that Pride and Less Prejudice does—it’s so important to ensure that the Quinns of the real world are able to see themselves represented and appreciated.
