You Be You!: The Kid's Guide to Gender, Sexuality, and Family

by Jonathan Branfman, Julie Benbassat (Illustrator)

Overview

Moonbeam Children's Book Awards Gold Medal Winner

This is an illustrated children's book for ages 7-11 that makes gender identity, sexual orientation and family diversity easy to explain to children.

Throughout the book kids learn that there are many kinds of people in the world and that diversity is something to be celebrated. It covers gender, romantic orientation, discrimination, intersectionality, privilege, and how to stand up for what's right. With charming illustrations, clear explanations, and short sections that can be dipped in and out of, this book helps children think about how to create a kinder, more tolerant world.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781787750104
Publisher:	Jessica Kingsley Publishers
Publication date:	07/18/2019
Edition description:	Illustrate
Pages:	80
Sales rank:	565,630
Product dimensions:	5.51(w) x 8.74(h) x 0.47(d)
Age Range:	7 - 11 Years

About the Author

Jonathan Branfman is a PhD candidate in Women's, Gender & Sexuality Studies at the Ohio State University, Ohio. He has experience of teaching in schools and has been a camp counsellor.


Julie Benbassat is a student at the Rhode Island School of Design.

Editorial Reviews

04/01/2019

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. (July)

Publishers Weekly

You Be You! is a much needed honest, inclusive and respectful guide that should be read by all kids and adults alike! The author's comprehensive approach including discussions about discrimination, intersectionality and privilege make this book an exceptional and timely resource.

Kimberly Zieselman

A great book of real power, this will be useful in schools, at home, and just about anywhere.

We learn the meaning of words like: gender and gender identity, intersex, cisgender, asexual, gay and lesbian, straight (hetrosexual), bisexual (pansexual), orientations (sexual or romantic), discrimination, sexism, transgender and transphobia, and homophobia. All these are described in simple but truthful terms with easily understood and enjoyable vignette picture to go with them. I must say, I learned a lot!

healthyBooks - Jonathan and Benbassat Branfman

★ 07/01/2019

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

School Library Journal