The GayBCs

July 15, 2019
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)

COPYRIGHT(2019) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

September 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.

September 1, 2019
Preschool-G Through clever phrases and eye-catching illustrations, Webb's debut picture book lays out a series of definitions that will be educational for kids, as well as some adults. Featuring definitions of words like ally, intersex, lesbian, trans, and so much more, Webb's book creates a space for kids to voice their questions about the LGBTQ+ community and the many labels that lie within it, in a way that promotes curiosity. Webb's warmly colored illustrations, featuring four kids (two light skinned and two darker skinned) playing and goofing around, nicely underscores the idea that learning about sexuality and gender identity is as innocent as any other subject. The language is pitched to a young enough audience that some nuance around a lot of these terms can be lost, but 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. Young kids are likely to come away from this book with a new perspective, if not a new favorite word!(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)