The owner of the American Girl Doll brand, Mattel, has refused to address critics of its latest book, which promotes puberty blockers and gender transitioning.
"A Smart Girl's Guide: Body Image" was released on Nov. 1, targeting children three through 12. The book contains advice on changing gender without parents' blessings to teach pre-teen girls "to live comfortably in their own skin."
The book reads, "If you haven't gone through puberty yet, the doctor might offer medicine to delay your body's changes, giving you more time to think about your gender identity."
It goes on to provide a list of resources for organizations the children can turn to "if you don't have an adult you trust."
Feedback to the book, which was first announced in February, has been critical. Mattel did not promote the book on its official Instagram page but released a press statement saying, "Every girl needs to learn to live comfortably in her own skin, and this book will show the way!"
"In these pages, a girl will find everything she needs to know about loving her unique self, staying confident through her body's many changes, and appreciating her body for the life it lets her live," the statement continued. "Full of activities, tips, crafts, and real-girl stories, this book is a feel-good reminder that all bodies are worthy of love and respect."
Anne Young writes for the Christian Post, "Contrary to what the first chapters appear to promote, the book starts teaching girls that they can destroy their girlhood."
"It causes girls to question the beauty of their bodies and even instructs them on how they can find help to change their bodies, including potentially mutilating their distinctly female anatomy," she added.
Young wrote, "To those of you who may think I'm crazy, American Girl is under the parent company Mattel, which has already put out transgender Barbies. One of them showed up recently in my friend's daughter's 'Surprise Barbie' package. Her horrified 8-year-old screamed, 'What is this, Mom?'"
The book was authored by Mel Hammond and is currently on store shelves around the nation. She started working at the company in 2019, according to her LinkedIn profile.
In 2021, she wrote a book named "Love the Earth" under the American Girl Doll brand. The book was focused exclusively on climate change.
Hammond spoke about the book in an interview with American Girl Doll News, saying, "I love educating people about the climate crisis, which is why this book was so much fun to write. I enjoy talking about climate change issues and sharing this book with neighbors, friends, and family."
The release of her book comes amid a wave of increasingly "woke" content from the American Girl brand.
Earlier this year, its parent company Mattel, released a transgender Barbie doll. American Girl sells more than 30 million dolls a year. The company has yet to release a statement on its latest book.
The book normalizes being transgender, pushing puberty blockers upon children.
It read: "Parts of your body may make you feel uncomfortable and you may want to change the way you look."
It then advises children: "You can appreciate your body for everything it allows you to experience and still want to change certain things about it."
On the same page, the book recommends using puberty blockers, telling girls to seek them out from doctors if they feel confused about their gender but are not physically ready to undergo hormone therapy.
It then tells readers that "if you don't have an adult you trust, there are organizations across the country that can help you. Turn to the resources on page 95 for more information."
Parents' outrage riddled social media, with one user saying the brand uses its educational backdrop to convey "deceptive and dangerous" messaging to convince girls to question their bodies.
She added the company is “"tripping away all innocence."