The GayBCs

by M. L. Webb

Overview

A joyous, timely alphabet book of LGBTQ+ vocabulary, celebrating the beauty of embracing one's true self.
 
In this inclusive book of ABCs, four friends play and explore during a playdate extravaganza. As they sashay out of closets and discover a wardrobe fit for a king or queen, they realize that many problems can be solved with a little makeup, imagination, and, of course, your best friends! 
 
Featuring bright illustrations and upbeat, accessible poems, The GayBCs is perfect for fans of A Is for Activist and Feminist Baby—showing kids and adults alike that every identity is worthy of being celebrated.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781683691624
Publisher:	Quirk Publishing
Publication date:	10/08/2019
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	192,235
Product dimensions:	8.10(w) x 8.20(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	620L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

M. L. Webb is an author, illustrator, and graphic designer who spends his free time getting lost in Central Park. He was born and raised in McMinnville, Tennessee, and now lives in New York City.

Read an Excerpt

A is for ARO and ACE
Words we use to say that love and attraction may be felt in many ways.

B is for BI.
You can shout it out loud:
"I like more than one gender and that makes me proud!"

C is for COMING OUT.
You're ready to share what you feel deep inside;
it's okay to be scared.

Editorial Reviews

09/16/2019

“A is for ally,” begins this abecedarian introduction to LGBTQ terms. With each letter, rhyming lines define various words, some more specific to the topic than others: “F is for FAMILY./ Related or found,/ they’ll stick by your side through your ups and your downs”; “Q is for QUEER./ An inclusive term./ It’s used to show pride,/ unite and affirm!” As large letters loom in the background, four children, two white and two darker-skinned, play and carry on various everyday activities in friendly vignettes that are sometimes disconnected from the terms they illustrate. Some definitions are less succesful than others—“intersex” (“Some are born with the parts/ of both a boy and girl”), for example—limiting the usability of this board book. Ages 4–8. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

2019-06-23
Twenty-six gay and gay-adjacent topics arranged alphabetically.

In sometimes-rhyming stanzas, Webb introduces a variety of LGBTQ terminology for young people. Some are only theoretically queer, such as "M is for MOUNTAIN / The peaks that you'll move / with courage and strength / found deep inside you." Others are more specific: "L is for LESBIAN / It's love and affection / between two special girls / who share a connection." It's immediately clear that scansion and rhythm are not particularly important to the author of this text. Accuracy also takes a hit in some cases, especially with "I is for INTERSEX / Some are born with the parts / of both a boy and a girl; / bodies are works of art!" The simplistic, narrow focus on "girl and boy parts" both misleads readers about intersex conditions and fails to honor trans identities. Other complex ideas with lengthy histories in particularly racialized or gendered LGBTQ communities, such as "kiki" and "vogue," are similarly flattened. The juvenile, artless illustrations show four unidentified children, two with darker skin and two with lighter skin, playing, dancing, cooking, and brushing their teeth. Letters of the alphabet are boldly featured in the background illustrations.

With LGBTQ topics becoming more common in books for the youngest audiences, this attempt can be safely passed over. (glossary) (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews

An April-June 2021 Moms Demand Action Book Club Pick
A Red Tricycle Best Kids Book of 2019

“For many kids, this will encourage important conversations about identity and sexuality, as well as offer those who might be questioning their own identities the space to see themselves.”—Booklist

“The perfect way to teach your kiddos LGBTQ+ vocab while celebrating the beauty of embracing yourself and others.”—KIWI Magazine

“For the child with two Mommies or two Daddies, and for the kids in that child's preschool session...or it might make a great gift for the adult who still possesses the wonder of a child. Or for an adult, just because.”—Terri Schlichenmeyer, The Bookworm Sez

“An invaluable resource for demystifying LGBTQ+ vocab for kids..packed with the type of positive messages I love sharing with my kids and I want all kids to hear: "Brave, creative, and strong. You are special and loved, and you'll always belong.”—Dad Suggests

“A great way to introduce 26 words to kids while teaching them to read.”—GeekDad

“[The GayBCs] works well as a read-aloud 'discussion starter' for parents to share with their children.”—Midwest Book Review

“The GayBCs should be required reading for all children.”—But Why Tho?

From the Publisher