Peanut Goes for the Gold

by Jonathan Van Ness, Gillian Reid (Illustrator)

Jonathan Van Ness, the star of Netflix’s hit show Queer Eye, brings his signature humor and positivity to his empowering first picture book, inspiring readers of all ages to love being exactly who they are. Peanut Goes for the Gold is a charming, funny, and heartfelt picture book that follows the adventures of Peanut, a gender nonbinary guinea pig who does everything with their own personal flare. Peanut just has their own unique way of doing things. Whether it’s cartwheeling during basketball practice or cutting their own hair, this little guinea pig puts their own special twist on life. So when Peanut decides to be a rhythmic gymnast, they come up with a routine that they know is absolutely perfect, because it is absolutely, one hundred percent Peanut.  

This upbeat and hilarious picture book, inspired by Jonathan’s own childhood guinea pig, encourages children to not just be themselves—but to boldly and unapologetically love being themselves. Jonathan Van Ness brings his signature message of warmth, positivity, and self-love to this boldly original picture book that celebrates the joys of being true to yourself and the magic that comes from following your dreams.

Genres: Picture Books, LGBT, Childrens, Fiction, Animals, Sports, Queer

32 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 31, 2020

About the author

Jonathan Van Ness is a Critics' Choice Award winning, Emmy nominated television personality, podcaster, and hairstylist to the stars. He can be seen starring on Netflix's Emmy Award-winning reboot series "Queer Eye," where he shines as the show's groomer, hair guru and self-care advocate. In addition to "Queer Eye," Jonathan stars on the Emmy-nominated series "Gay of Thrones," (Funny or Die) a witty social commentary series recapping HBO's "Game of Thrones." Launched in 2013, the series just finished its eighth and final season, and garnered Emmy nominations in 2016 and 2018 for 'Outstanding Short Form Variety Series.' Jonathan also continues to work on his passion project, his podcast "Getting Curious," a weekly exploration of all the things Jonathan is curious about. The podcast was listed as one of the Top Podcasts of 2018 by Time Magazine, and won the iHeart Radio Award for Best LGBTQ Podcast. 2018 was a breakthrough year for Jonathan, who realized two new passions - for the arts of stand-up comedy and figure skating. Jonathan is currently on his first worldwide comedy tour "Jonathan Van Ness: Road to Beijing" where he is going for comedy gold. Most recently, Jonathan announced that his revelatory memoir, OVER THE TOP, will be released in September 2019.

Reviews

[Dahlia]

This picture book is super cute - a really charming story about a talented gymnast with one little downfall: a failure to successfully tie their shoes. The standout here is that the entire thing is told with they/them pronouns, which makes this a great way to introduce them early on.

[Alfredo · Rating 4 out of 5]

peanut é não-binárie e tem seu próprio jeito de fazer as coisas. um livro sobre amar e ter orgulho de quem você é!

[Miles · Rating 4 out of 5]

pretty basic run of the mill picture book - but CUNT

[Ashleigh Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Uch I thought it wasn’t possible to love JVN more and then he made a picture book with a guinea pig that wears a one shoulder unitard, loves rhythmic gymnastics, and whose pronouns are they/theirs.

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I appreciated the message of being true to yourself and following your dreams, though I thought Peanut got a little self-absorbed expecting everyone to suddenly help out getting them ready for the Olympics. Overall, though, it was better than I expected. It's by a celebrity author and I tend to be overly-critical of those books, though I do have a bit of a soft spot for Jonathan Van Ness.

[Gabe Novoa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adorable *and* teaches kids singular they pronouns for the protagonist!!!!

[Rod Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thanksgiving family read-aloud picture book binge.

A bit of fluff about a guinea pig going their own way to compete in rhythmic gymnastics. The use of they/them pronouns was appreciated but turned out to be the most interesting part of this celebrity book deal.

[Elizabeth]

A cute story of a quirky kid who succeeds. (Yes, the kid is a guinea pig, but there are a lot of picturebooks about anthropomorphized animals.)

Peanut uses "they/them" pronouns, but this never comes up as part of their Quirkiness. So it's definitely not About trans-ness/non-binary-ness and is instead just a cute, solid, story of a quirky kid who happens to be non-binary.

The illustrations are fun. The story is fairly simple, but enjoyable.

[Ms. Arca · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/ 4

Love the rep( they/them MC in a picture book YAYYYY), and the joyfulness. This is not an in depth story or a next level picture book if you read a lot of them like I do, but that’s not really what this one is about- it’s a message book. Do what brings you joy do it your way be yourself.

Cuteness.

[Mandie · Rating 5 out of 5]

JVN read it to me live on Instagram in response to Peanut being on the list of possible books to be banned in St. John's County, Florida. What an adorable story about a guinea pig who just wants to do things their own way and become a gymnast with the loving support of their family. This is the cutest book and great way to introduce children to using they/them pronouns.

[Sulagna Ghosh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adorable!

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Peanut the guinea pig is the non-binary hero we need. This was just a cute book from some cute folx that normalizes they/them pronouns.

[Chelsea · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adore Jonathon Van Ness and absolutely LOVE this book. Peanut follows their heart and does what makes them happiest with the love and support of family and friends. And I love the use of gender neutral pronouns!

[OnceUponALibrarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adorable non-binary Peanut is a great addition to children's literature and picture book offerings and will help us normalize they/them pronouns while being a cute story of working hard for what you love to do.

[Adele · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nice example of the use of "they" as a singular pronoun without beating you over the head about it, but other than that not much to this.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

love JVN! Kid who uses they/them pronouns who is fully supported by their family!

[Olivia · Rating 5 out of 5]

See my full review here: https://www.yabookscentral.com/kidsfi...

PEANUT GOES FOR THE GOLD is a cute picture book about following your dreams and being true to yourself. Peanut, the non-binary guinea pig, always does things their own way- with plenty of finesse. One day, Peanut decides that they will be a rhythmic gymnast and begins the process of training with help from their family. Dad helps make their costume, Mom helps to choreograph, and Sammy helps with the music. Peanut trains until they get to the big day and enter the competition.

What I loved: Peanut's story is fantastic. Peanut's personality shines through the pages, and I love how bold and confident they were. The gender non-binary distinction is also a nice plus, as representation is very important. I also love how Dad helped to make the costume, and the whole family helps Peanut achieve their goals.

The amount of text was perfect, and the illustrations are full of color and detail that complement the storyline perfectly. This is a really fun read that children will definitely enjoy! The whole book is very positive and encouraging. Effort/hard work and confidence pay off in this adorable story about the guinea pig who excelled at rhythmic gymnastics!

Final verdict: A celebration of embracing yourself and working towards your goals, PEANUT GOES FOR THE GOLD is a delightful, light-hearted, and encouraging read.

Please note that I received a review copy. All opinions are my own.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Peanut is an adorable non-binary guinea pig using they/them pronouns. Peanut is confident in their uniqueness and is so full of joy and wonder! Throughout the story, some people think they are weird, but Peanut and their friends don’t care! They just do things their own way and enjoy life.

I absolutely love this fun book! I love the confidence that Peanut has. I love the acceptance their family and friends show. I love that Peanut not only enjoys their own quirks, they also jump fully into their passions! And, as a bonus, this book provides a great way to practice using singular they/them pronouns. Highly recommend!

[Honey Pie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the message of this book! It’s charming, light-hearted, and doesn’t make a *deal* about Peanut using they/them pronouns, it just does it which I think is the perfect way to normalize that within our society!

My daughter adores this book as well (which is really what’s most important) and loves that it has a picture of JVN on the cover. She’d for sure give it 5 stars, which is why I did.

I’d give it four because I’ve definitely found other kid’s books more engaging or informative, but come on, it’s JVN! You can’t go wrong with this one.

[Ziggi Chavez · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was adorable, and a beautiful early introduction to they/them neutral pronoun use. I truly believe one major issue behind the resistance to gender identity is lack of exposure, so I have high hopes when stories like this exist to show just how unique, and yet normalized it should be for all persons to be exactly who they are, and feel inspired just to Be, and not pressured to be a certain way. Not only was this a cute story, but had its very own twists and tumbles to make me laugh along the way.

[Hailey Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 out of 5 because in this household we blindly support JVN. Also it was adorable and I loved the use of they/them pronouns. Very important for tiny people to see themselves in the stories they read, and this is gonna be so important to so many non binary kids.

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is cute! We definitely need to normalize gender neutral pronouns, especially in children's work. Peanut being non-binary is pretty much only expressed through they/them pronouns, but it's still a sweet and important story.

[Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of a gender non binary Guinea Pig who goes out to perform as a gymnast and win the gold medal for the performance. An interesting use of the pronouns their, them and they throughout the story.

[Emma Jope · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: Peanut Goes for the Gold
Author: Jonathon Van Ness
Illustrator: Gillian Reid
Genre: Fiction, Humor
Theme(s): LGBTQ+, Self-Confidence
Opening line/sentence: “Peanut has their own way of doing things.”
Brief Book Summary (2-3 sentences in your own words): Peanut is a non-binary guinea pig who does things different from everyone else. One day, they decide they want to be a rhythmic gymnast, and they start practicing their new routine with the support of their family. During their big performance, peanut trips on their untied shoelace, but turns it into a show-stopping move and receives perfect scores!
Response to Two Professional Reviews: Common Sense Media wrote that this book is an “upbeat tale.” I would describe this book as more than that, I would describe it as inspiring rather than just upbeat. The New York Times wrote that Van Ness’ story of uncertainty in their gender and them becoming the person they are makes this story special. I agree, and I think that it is so great to know about the author and his story, but I also think that this story shines on its own.
Tell Me Framework:
Like(s): I like how a negative was turned into a positive when Peanut’s show was untied.
Dislike(s): There was nothing I disliked about this book.
Patterns(s): Peanut always believed in themself, so they always succeeded.
Puzzle(s): Will students realize that this guinea pig is nonbinary and does things that they want, not because they belong to a specific gender.
Consideration of Instructional Application: I would pair this book with another that covers the topic of pronoun preferences, so that the students can see a nonbinary character doing things not according to gender roles.

[Saturniidead ★ · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are no content warnings I find necessary for this book.

Peanut is a hamster who uses they/them pronouns and does things differently from the other animals, always with a smile on their face. They cartwheel on basketball courts and have pancakes instead of birthday cakes, always excited to be themself. We briefly see how some others may find Peanut “weird”, but their friends who play with them find them to be fun. Their creativity leads them to be a gymnast, and we watch as their family helps them prepare and they practice for their big recital at the end.

Summary:
Readability: ★★★★★, This is a very short and simple read with energetic and expressive illustrations, perfect for any story time! The phrases are short and sweet, and there’s lots of nice examples of using they/them pronouns when talking about Peanut.

Entertainment: ★★★★☆, The illustrations are a perfect pair to the empowering story! Peanut’s unique ways of doing things is positively spoken about and affirmed as a good thing with the story. There’s little to no conflict and a upbeat ending making it a feel-good read.

Audience: This is a great example of using they/them pronouns effortlessly for someone, so it’s a nice practice for anyone wanting to work more on using them. It’s an easy to follow and happy story that I think would be great to read out loud to a class or story circle!

[Kaethe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Celebrity picture books for children don't impress me very often: they tend to be heavy on message and light on storytelling. Publishers like them because adults buy the picture books, and they like to see a famous name on a book, since they are often unfamiliar with current creators. A similar phenomenon is at work with the shiny award stickers: they make something stand out. Of xourse, it only takes a moment to examine a picture book once it is in hand, and odds of a sale go up substantially when people actually look at them.

So, of course there's an author picture on the front cover: this is not an established author of picture books, and I wouldn't have recognized the name out of context. And there's a message, but it's fun and positive. And I love it when picture books leave the gender of young, children unspecified.

Library copy

[Sally Kruger]

I must share this amazing book! PEANUT GOES FOR THE GOLD by Jonathan Van Ness is about a guinea pig named Peanut who identifies as non-binary. They love banana pancakes, cartwheels, and hula-hoops. When Peanut announces they are going to become a rhythmic gymnast, everyone pitches in to help make their dream come true. Though some people may think Peanut is weird, that doesn't keep Peanut from having fun and doing things their way.

Jonathan Van Ness, of Queer Eye fame, joins forces with illustrator Gillian Reid to create this awesome new picture book. With a focus on being who you are and expressing yourself as you wish, PEANUT GOES FOR THE GOLD is sure to help kids be comfortable with themselves and each other. It will also give many adults a little something to think about.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is included in PEN America's Index of Banned & Challenged Books and was generously donated by a friend as part of an initiative to distribute banned books to Little Free Libraries in my community.

I love Jonathan Van Ness as a human being and have read his previous two books for adults and loved them. This one was an absolutely adorable story for kids that is entirely child appropriate and there is definitively zero reason for it to be challenged or banned. The story is fun, the illustrations are colorful and the message is positive and uplifting. I look forward to passing this copy along for a child to enjoy.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Non-binary gender guinea pig Peanut LOVES gymnastics and practices all the time (yeah! except for the questionable choice to practice on the bus...unsafe); Peanut enlists the help of family and friends and never gives up on their dream. The constant practice comes to the rescue when things take a sudden twisty turn, and Peanut must stick the landing if they are to achieve their dreams of the gold.

The art is okay, and the instant win felt forced but otherwise a sweet story with an untraditional MC.

[Katrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book despite myself.

Number one feature: this is the only picture book I know of that used they/them pronouns.

I have opinions about the protagonist being represented as an animal instead of a person because I think visual representation matters. Peanut is very cute, but we need more enby representation and I sort of wish this had gone harder. However, it is charming and approachable and would be great for conversations OR just normalizing! Maybe conversations aren’t necessary and readers will accept Peanut for who they are.