Review of "Silas on Stage" by Joel Shoemaker

Score: 94+/100 (9.4+ out of 10)

Silas on Stage joins the rank of Joel Shoemaker's best books!

Silas on Stage follows Silas, a theatrical and imaginative transgender child who dreams of playing the sparkling angel in their church’s Christmas pageant.

Acting runs in the family, and Silas throws themself into preparing for the audition: making wings, adding glitter, finding matching shoes, memorizing every line, and even creating a halo.

Silas performs flawlessly but is cast as a shepherd instead. We've all had experiences like that in which you envision something and work so hard to achieve it, then fall short or get passed over.

Deeply disappointed, Silas tells their parents that they wanted to be an angel so they could sparkle. Their parents gently explain that shepherds can sparkle too and that helpers are often the true stars of a production.

During rehearsals, Silas begins noticing the many people helping behind the scenes: Molly paints the backdrop, Mrs. Allen provides the music, and Mr. McCurdy, the church custodian, cleans and prepares the stage. Silas gradually understands that a successful performance depends upon far more people than those standing in the spotlight.

This might be one of the best and most admirable aspects of the book: how Silas is able to appreciate all the different people and moving parts that make something successful. It's like the NASA janitor once said, "I'm helping to land a man on the Moon!"

It also paints Silas as a good person, a considerate and conscientious one who notices the efforts and talents of others. That's great.

In addition, it allows Silas to develop as a person and a character, realizing that just because they didn't get the role they wanted doesn't mean they don't matter.

On the night of the pageant, the angel, Max, disappears. Silas finds him crying in a coat closet because his costume is too large, his halo will not stay in place, and glitter has spilled everywhere. Rather than seizing the opportunity to take Max’s role, Silas becomes the helper their parents described. They adjust his halo, use the belt from their own shepherd costume to make his robe fit, and reassure him that he will be wonderful.

The pageant earns a standing ovation. Afterward, Max places his halo on Silas’s head. Glitter falls everywhere, allowing Silas, Max, and everyone around them to sparkle together.

The previous book prominently featured Silas as a transgender child, focusing on Silas wrestling with their identity and how society might view them. Both books use gender-neutral language to describe Silas.

That might wear on readers who have different world views or opinions.

One great thing is that this book doesn't really focus on gender identity or the LGBT+ stuff aside from the gender-neutral pronouns. Like, this book doesn't go as far as to make Silas romantically interested in Max or vice-versa. It doesn't have Silas cross-dressing, which is the impression someone might get from the cover. Silas is just simply playing a part. So, in other words, being transgender isn't the sole focus of the book or the character.

With that said, this book seems to accomplish something that arguably tops the previous book: it presents Silas as a typical, normal person. In fact, their trans identity is the furthest thing from Silas's mind or the book's narrative. The book really doesn't linger or fixate on Silas's gender identity. Instead, it presents Silas as a person—a kid—who has hopes, dreams, feelings, and aspirations just like everyone else.

That actually says a lot. Someone's gender, sex, or sexuality doesn't become their whole identity. Or it shouldn't be. Yes, it might be PART of that person's identity, but it's not all-encompassing. Every song is made of more than one note, and everyone has a variety of things going on in their head and in their life. That's true for us, that's true for you, it's true for someone who is straight, someone who is gay, someone who is cis-gender, or someone who is trans.

And, hey, Silas is an example that you can be LGBT+ and be Christian too! Silas is no more a sinner than anyone else. Silas is not any less in need of Christ's salvation and God's mercy than anyone else.

Ok, let's talk about the aspect of this book that really makes it exceptional: the illustrations!

Taranggana’s artwork is absolutely wonderful. The illustrations are bright, expressive, polished, and full of personality. Silas’s emotions are immediately understandable, whether they are confidently admiring their costume in the mirror, slumping beside the cast list, searching anxiously for Max, or finally sparkling beneath the stage lights.

The artwork also does a great deal of storytelling on its own. One of the strongest images shows Silas standing before the posted cast list while their parents comfort them. Silas’s disappointment is visible before the text even explains it. Another memorable scene shows Max hiding in the coat closet, overwhelmed by an oversized costume, an uncooperative halo, and glitter that has gotten absolutely everywhere. The situation is funny, but Max’s distress is treated with enough sincerity that the moment never becomes cruel.

We also love how the illustrations give attention to the people working outside the spotlight. Molly paints the nighttime backdrop and its enormous star. Mrs. Allen plays the piano. Mr. McCurdy sweeps and prepares the stage. These scenes reinforce the book’s message by visually placing each helper at the center of their own page. For a few moments, they become the stars because Silas has learned to see them that way.

There is a great deal of inclusion throughout the artwork as well. The pageant features children and adults of different races, body types, ages, and abilities, including a child who uses a wheelchair. Again, the book does not stop the story to announce these differences or turn each person into a lesson. They are simply part of the church, the production, and the community.

The final sequence is especially effective. After the pageant succeeds, Max places the halo on Silas’s head. Glitter falls around them as Silas stands with their shepherd’s staff, symbolically combining the role they received with the role they originally wanted. Silas does not need to become the angel in order to sparkle. Their kindness has already made them worthy of the moment.

That conclusion also creates a meaningful exchange between the two characters. Silas gives Max the belt from their shepherd costume when he needs help. Max later gives Silas the halo. Neither gift is presented as a transaction, yet the two gestures reflect one another beautifully.

This book is expected to be released in November 2026. Follow the author!