Prince Transforms Into a Princess in New Children’s Book
In his new fairytale, author Greg McGoon breaks new ground with a hero who becomes a heroine on her 16th birthday.
The Royal Heart spins a fantastical and inspiring tale of a teen prince named Lyric who runs away from home thinking that he can’t reveal to his parents he doesn’t feel that he can be a king — because he identifies as female.
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“I wrote a story about love, acceptance, and leadership,“ actor and artist McGoon told the Huffington Post on Monday of his second book, for kids ages 3 to 8, published in September. "It just so happens that it features a transgender character.”
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Photo: Greg McGoon
In the illustrated 32-page story, Lyric is transformed — Cinderella-style, thanks to the spirit of his grandmother — into Princess Lyra when the magical former Queen whispers, “Thy true self be seen.”
Photo: Greg McGoon
The author writes, “Lyric finally felt free. Tears trickled down her cheeks. ‘This is who I am. This is who I’ve always been. In my heart, I knew I was not meant to be king. But maybe I can still be a leader.’"
And like in most fairy tales, there’s a happy ending, with Lyra’s royal parents embracing and supporting her. “There is no villain in this story,” McGoon told TakePart. “If you were to find one, it would be one’s own self-doubt.”
Photo: Greg McGoon
The fairy tale genre was perfect for the story that the children’s book author wanted to share. “Fairy tales have moments of transformation, whether Cinderella going to the ball or Ariel getting legs. This is no different,” he told Metro UK. To Fast Company he said, “[I] realized that the ultimate form of transformation was being transgender.”
What if, he asked in Details, “the transformation was for personal growth and recognition? Uniting mind, body and spirit, and recognizing the beauty in that?”
The first in a series of fairy tales about lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender characters, McGoon has more stories in the works. Yet he has insisted, “I don’t want [The Royal Heart] to be known as the ‘Transgender Fairy Tale.’” It’s not “just for transgender children,” he has explained. “It has universal themes of acceptance, love, and leadership that can be embraced by all children.”
There’s value in what mothers and fathers can get from the story too. “For parents of trans or gender-nonconforming children, I would like them to know the greatest gift you can ever give your child is love and support,” said the author. “Be careful not to suppress your child’s voice. It is crucial for children to have guidance and comfort in knowing they can be heard.”
After all, McGoon wants everyone, he’s proclaimed, “to feel like they can have their own 'Once upon a time.’”
Top photo: Greg McGoon
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