You Be You!

April 1, 2019
This candid, informative handbook begins with two children, one holding a pink cutout wearing a skirt, the other child holding a blue cutout in trousers. “Maybe you’ve heard that all boys should like the color blue and play sports and wear pants. And that only girls should like pink and play with dolls and wear dresses.” Readers should feel free to toss aside these stereotypes, the volume asserts. Writing in warm, assuring prose, Branfman explores the topics of gender, sex (two friendly nude figures demonstrate the difference between anatomy and gender expression), and gender identity, defining terminology such as cisgender, genderqueer, and transgender. Additional chapters focus on attraction and love, having children, facing discrimination, privilege, intersectionality, and “being an ally.” Branfman urges readers to think about identity as ever-evolving, while Benbassat’s comics-style depictions of variously diverse families embody the spirit of free expression and individuality. Ages 5–10.

Starred review from July 1, 2019

Gr 3-6-This conversational primer on gender, sexuality, and family supports and affirms all identities, urging readers to see, human experiences. The author posits that the narrow and conventional ideas many children are taught-born a boy or girl, marry someone of the "opposite" sex, have children, conform to gender roles-are untrue, and "that's great news!" Instead, a world of possibility is open to all children. Full of joyful, bright, comic-style illustrations, this brief guide touches on assigned sexes, people who are intersex, stereotypes, and gender identity. The author clarifies that marriage and children are a choice, not an expectation, and explains discrimination (looking specifically at sexism, transphobia, homophobia, and biphobia), privilege, intersectionality, and what it means to be an ally. Readers learn definitions for identities and orientations like genderqueer, nonbinary, gender-fluid, transgender, cisgender, asexual, aromantic, bisexual, and pansexual. This supportive, educational look at identities offers constant reminders that no matter your chosen identity, whoever you love is great. A varied depiction of ethnicities, races, abilities, ages, and body shapes are shown in the vibrant illustrations. This guide could easily be read together with younger readers; certainly many older readers, including adults, could benefit from this quick and easy look at acceptance. VERDICT This inclusive and respectful guide should be part of all curricula about family, gender, and sexuality. Short, accessible, and important.-Amanda MacGregor, Parkview Elementary School, Rosemount, MN

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