Vincent the Vixen. Alice Reeves

      Vincent the Vixen

      A Story to Help Children Learn about Gender Identity

      ALICE REEVES

      Illustrated by

      PHOEBE KIRK

      Part of the

      series

      Vincent the Fox loved playing

       with his brothers and sisters.

      Sometimes the fox cubs played

       hide and seek in the woods.

      Sometimes they all went

       swimming in the stream.

      Sometimes they played tricks

       on the farmer’s grumpy old cat.

       Whatever the fox cubs did together,

       they always had lots of fun.

      When Mum and Dad needed peace

       and quiet, the fox cubs went to

       Betty the Badger’s house to play.

      They loved running around the

       winding tunnels, but the best

       thing about Betty’s house was the

       dressing‑up box full of her old clothes.

      The fox cubs laughed at the

       old‑fashioned dresses, draped

       themselves in the jewellery, and wobbled

       around in the high-heeled shoes.

      Vincent loved dressing up more

       than anything in the world, because

       he could use his imagination to

       be anything he wanted to be.

      Sometimes he was a rich queen

       sitting on the throne, watching

       over the whole kingdom.

      Sometimes he was an evil witch

       making potions out of snails, slugs,

       bugs, and other slimy things.

      Sometimes he was a famous performer,

       delighting crowds of adoring fans.

      One day, Vincent’s brothers and

       sisters asked him, “Vincent, why

       do you always pretend to be

       girls when we play dress up?”

      Vincent didn’t know what to say. He had

       never really thought about it before.

      Suddenly, he didn’t feel like playing.

      He took off his dress and shoes and

       wandered through the tunnels until

       he found a quiet place to think.