‘Happy No Snakes Day’: Riley Gaines debuts children’s book about ‘standing up for truth’

Riley Gaines, activist swimmer, plus fellow athlete-author Bethany Hamilton slated for Brave Books library reading in Missouri.

There are no transgender athletes in Riley Gaines’ newly released children’s book, but there are some deceitful snakes, naïve squirrels, and a message about having the courage to tell the truth.

The illustrated story, “Happy No Snakes Day,” represents the first book by Ms. Gaines, who became the face of female athletes fighting for single-sex sports after she competed against transgender swimmer Lia Thomas at the 2022 NCAA women’s championships.

That made her a natural for Brave Books, the children’s publishing house that features stories written by prominent conservative figures promoting traditional values such as bravery, virtue, honesty and humility.