Being Indy by Zoe Gaetjens, illustrated by Estee Sarsfield

Title: Being Indy

Author: Zoe Gaetjens, illustrated by Estee Sarsfield

Genre: Fiction

Publisher: WestWords/WestWords Children’s

Published: 1^st October 2025

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 40

Price: $29.95

Synopsis: There was no finer place to live than on the Mountain. Folks came from everywhere wanting to live there – including Indy. But the mountain was ruled by Percival, and he had rules. He didn’t let just anyone in.

This is a story of trying to fit in, and discovering the true worth of being yourself.

Set in Estee Sarsfield’s bold and surprising world of playgrounds, big hair and defiant colour, Zoe Gaetjens’ insightful and heartfelt text follows Indy’s journey to independence.

~*~

Indy lives on the Mountain. It’s where everyone wants to live, and they come from everywhere to do so. Except, it also has rules and is led by Percival, who wants everyone to follow his rules. Everything has to be black and white. Everyone has to fit in and look the same to keep everyone safe, or so Percival says. So Indy sets about finding a way to fit in. Until…a colourful bird and the rain emerge, and change everything. Can everyone be brave enough to stand up to Percival?

The latest picture book from WestWords and Daisy Lane Press is a touching story and fable about how we include people, and what fear can do to people. What happens on the Mountain is people are taught to mask and blend in, so they don’t attract bullying or unwanted attention, because to Percival, inclusion means being the same. Being protected means hiding who you really are.

Hiding who you are in this world is safe, which mirrors historical and social reasons people hide who they are. Think about World War II, where Jews and other people the Nazis wanted to get rid of went into hiding wherever they could. People like Anne Frank. Or think about LGBTQIA people, who might keep their true selves hidden from everyone except those they really trust. Something like the masking that autistic, ADHD and other neurodivergent people do because in wider society, they will be judged for being who they are. People use masks to cope with reality, to make sure they are accepted by the world.

But what this book does is magical and beautiful, because whilst the first part shows division and sameness as safe, it starts to allow colour to flourish. Colour – all colour – is used as a metaphor for people being themselves in whatever way that may be. Race, gender, disability, neurodivergence…any way of being. It speaks to Indy and Percival’s fears of being accepted or pushed away because of who they are.

Zoe’s words about acceptance and finding acceptance are complemented by black and white, and washed-out illustrations by Estee Sarsfield. They bring the world of the Mountain to life, at first, with very clear delineations on what is and isn’t allowed, slowly letting things change. But it’s not just about Indy finding acceptance, it’s about Percival learning to accept that inclusion doesn’t mean making everyone be the same and hide who they are. Everyone has a desire to join in, and they should be able to. Just as they are. People deserve to be liked just as they are, ad that’s what this book teaches us. It is the differences in the world that make things work because we can all learn from people who are different to us.

And we also learn that everyone has reasons for their actions, that humans are not black and white. Everyone has nuances of their personality and character, and whilst we might be unsure of some of these things, being yourself is more powerful than blending in.  The broader message of inclusion for everyone is powerful, and it shows that working together to break down preconceptions or misinformation being spread by one person, who in this case, just needed some empathy and understanding to see what he was doing was creating exclusion and masking rather than inclusion. It’s a very powerful metaphor that can be explained in a range of age-appropriate ways.  Children and readers of all ages will get something out of this wonderful book.