The GayBCs

by M. L. Webb

Overview

A joyful celebration of LGBTQ+ vocabulary for kids of all ages!

A playdate extravaganza transforms into a celebration of friendship, love, and identity as four friends sashay out of all the closets, dress up in a wardrobe fit for kings and queens, and discover the wonder of imagination. From A is for Ally to F is for Family to Q is for Queer, debut author/illustrator M. L. Webb’s bright illustrations and lively, inclusive poems delight in the beauty of embracing one’s truest self. A glossary in the back offers opportunity for further discussion of terms and identities. 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:	376,130
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 ALLY.
A friend who is there to stand up for you with strength, love, and care.

B is for BI.
You can shout it out loud:
"I like boys and girls, 
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

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

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

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