As it says on the tin this is a quick and easy guide. It's bright and colourful and give lots of advise and explanations in a clear concise way,some helpful sections on recognising toxic relationships , giving yourself time to learn, time to enjoy your own company and self. It was really practical and supportive. It would be Good if this book was free for everyone in schools, libraries even to help people understand and also ask questions , a great start to helping people learn empathy and practice some humanity. I am really happy this book and others like it as being released would have loved them around when I was younger

These kinds of books are great tools in helping people think through things that they might not otherwise think about. This short book is written in a clear (almost simplistic) way to get across these kinds of ideas. If you’re trying to understand other people, or even yourself, and gender identity, take a look at this.

When you’re the default, you already have an identity. You don’t need one. But what happens when you don’t identify with the default? This is why people need identities.

This is why LGBTQ people need their identities. This is why minority groups have their own names and their own groups. And sometimes their own holidays.

This is why “we can’t just all be ‘American’”. YOU are the default. YOU are American. But when someone can’t identify with “American” the same way you do, they need a different identity. You are privileged to be the default. So, you have an identity. Why do you want to keep other people from having one? And why do you think you need to force someone else to have your identity?

There’s interesting stuff in here about sex vs gender. I was wondering about this recently. “Assigned sex” is the term for what someone is assigned at birth - is this useful for medical issues?

I like my gender presentation (expression) to be masculine. I think? Is this just about the way I dress? It’s probably because my dad was homophobic. I probably think it’s the “right” way. But it’s what I like. It’s what feels comfortable to me.

So maybe, my gender expression is masculine.

Even though there are major parts of me that don’t feel so masculine…especially in The South™ where I can’t really carry on a conversation about football, guns, or hunting.

This is interesting and helpful…“Gender expression doesn’t always align with a person’s gender identity…”

Useful book!

<i>Thanks to NetGalley and Oni Press for a copy in return for an honest review.</i>

Thank you NetGalley for the e-book!

This is an incredible way to get introduced to some concepts of the queer and trans community if you feel you are not quite well-informed. In this brief comic you get to understand concepts as basic as gender and sex to more complicated stuff such as gender dysphoria or the asexual spectrum.

It's also great for kids as it is explained in a very simple and engaging way with funny drawings. You should definitely read it if you are not so sure about some LGBTQ+ terms, if a close friend or relative recently came out and you want to understand them better or just to be a nice pal or gal and respect people because we are all equally valuable and nobody deserves any type of bigoted hatred.

*I received this book as an eARC from Oni Press & Limerence Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

This is a fun, informative graphic novel about queer and trans identities. The information is distributed through a snail teaching other snails about humans. Topics cover sexuality, gender identity, gender expression, relationship basics, dysphoria, asexuality, and more. There are personal examples from a friend's life. Interspersed is an adorable story about Sproutling, a group of creatures that come in all different identities. There's also a fun activity section at the end of the graphic novel.

This is a fun, educational book. I learned a lot. The information is expansive, respectful, & inclusive. I give this graphic novel a 5/5.

This is a super cute and easily understandable book. I loved it! The only thing is that it was black and white on my Kindle (obviously), and a bit hard to read on my phone. I think getting a printed copy of it would make it much easier to read and I will certainly try to get it eventually.

I would like to thank the publishers Oni Press, Limerence Press, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC for this book.
"There's no right or wrong way to be gay, straight, male, female, or whatever you are. Don't put yourself in another box, you just came out of one!"
How ironic that I've learned so much from one of my greatest phobia--snails. Bubblegum hues and bubblegum smiles, this graphic novel really is a quick and easy guide to understanding the LGBTQ spectrum. It easily breaks down every crucial misconception we have of them.

1. What is Queer?
2. What is Gender Identity?
3. What's Gender Expression?
4. What does Dysphoria mean?
5. So, what is Asexuality?
6. Relationship Basics
7. What does it mean to 'come out'?

This is a relevant book and I think everyone needs to read what it has to say. Its light candy aesthetics will surely appeal to every reader out there and it makes it a more enjoyable read!

This book is a great introduction to queer and trans identities. It does not shy away from difficult and detailed terminology and ideas, but it breaks things down in a way that makes the subject approachable for young readers. Added bonus- it's narrated by adorable little snails.

The title is pretty reflective of the content - this book is a quick and easy guide to queer & trans identities. If the authors wanted a little more accuracy, they could have added the following subtitle: "as told by psychedelic cartoon snails and sproutlings".

This is a great introduction for those questioning their gender and/or sexual identity and for cisgender people who are looking to learn more. I like the affirmations and advice given throughout the book. The Sproutlings and the world of the Sproutlings did not add anything to the book and seemed childish for a teen book. The Sproutling content could have been exchanged for more information or real-life examples. Not a perfect book but a good start in a format that is more accessible for people who don't want to read long texts.

This book lives up to its name. As a cis gendered, hetreosexual it is often difficult for me to understand what the LGBTQ community experiences, and this book does a great job of describing individual identity exploration but also acknowledges the challenges society and relationships present. I am not sure what the best age is, but the non-human characters make it seem appealing to a very young audience which is a bonus.

Thank you Netgally for sending this Arc my way in an exchange for an honest review.
The title summarised the book so well. A quick and easy guide! Brilliantly illustrated and the writing was just spot on. For people of all ages, but mostly younger kids that find a little confusing or hard talking about gender.
Would definitely recommend the book to everybody.

*Thank you to NetGalley, Limerence Press, Mary G., and J.R. Zuckerberg for this eARC. My review is solely my own.*

Thank you for putting forth the tale of the Sproutlings in such a vibrant, easy-to-read manner for all ages, though mostly directed at youth, to help understand and grasp the concepts of being queer and transgender in our world. And what being a part of the LGBTQA+ community is all about.

As someone from the community itself; born female but being Genderfluid, and Demi/Pansexual, it wasn’t always easy for me to accept many pieces of myself until I was in my 30s. What did it mean if I didn’t feel female all the time? How are bisexuality and pansexuality different? Why can’t people just be accepting? It took a lot of hard work, and I love that this tale of the Sproutlings, encompasses understanding, compassion, acceptance and inclusivity. The most important being self-acceptance and self-love.

I truly recommend this book to ALL people who are struggling with their own identities, if they have children exploring their identities, or anyone who just wants a basic understanding of what it all means. This is the book for you.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This little graphic novel is what the title says it is: 'A Quick & Easy Guide to Queer & Trans Identities'. It's a short, but very informative read and will probably appeal to readers of all ages. It's very easy to follow and the information is not too overwhelming.

We live in a fast-changing world and sometimes it's hard to keep up with things, especially the variety of queer and gender identities that are out there, but these identities are important, especially to those identify themselves by them. As Many G writes in the intro, 'These labels are not for outsiders, they are for the humans themselves to describe their own lives and experiences and to connect with others who share similar experiences.'

The guide is narrated by a snail, with little vignettes in between the main sections featuring diverse creatures called Sproutlings. For such a short book, it covers a considerable amount of topics. It could be a good conversation starter in any amount of situations.

I'd recommend this book for anyone who is exploring who they are or for some who are curious about the various identities that are out there. It's due to be released in April 2019 and if you're curious enough, pick it up. You won't be disappointed.

This is a really cute and very informative graphic novel. If you've ever had questions about an identity within the LGBTQIA+ community, then this is a great place to start. The graphics are colorful and the storyline is so sweet but most importantly this story is very accessible - it breaks things down in to easy-to-understand terms and gives you a really great beginning foundation. I highly recommend this one.

A really great educational comic about queer and trans identities, and issues relating to them. I loved the way this comic was constructed, with its light hearted approach to some very complex subjects, presented by adorable snails and Sproutlings too!

I felt that it was an approachable introduction to this subject which was lighthearted, cute and funny but still concise. An excellent little book for all ages!

This is an easy to read educational comic about the various sexual and gender identities. The language is simple enough for most, but younger readers might need help with some of the terminologies. The art is colourful and the lettering easy on the eyes, making it a very relaxing read.

I love that the information is provided and mainly narrated by non-human creatures. This topic can hold a lot of baggage for some readers and it might help them disconnect in order to see things from a fresh perspective. That said, I like that there were some anecdotes acted out by humans every now and then to add in a sense of realism.

I consider myself reasonably well informed in such matters, but this helped as a nice refresher and some of the terms for the less frequently used identities were new to me. This is a very important and crucial read in today's age. I sincerely hope this book reaches as many people as possible.

This is a good book for down to basics queer and trans terminology. It is cute and sweet and I definitely feel that it would be good for someone new to this area or exploring their identity. The book also discusses bodily autonomy and consent as well as what to watch out for in toxic relationships which I think is definitely not something frequently discussed that is one of the more important tenants of both our platonic and romantic relationships with others. The tone of the book definitely seems to be geared towards those unfamiliar with these subjects as it did feel a little childish and could be misconstrued as condescending. I did really love the little extras at the end, especially the blank pages for writing your own thoughts, ideas for making yourself into a sproutling and how to create a little zine!

Things I did not care for were few but did have a fairly large impact. The illustrations were cute but the colors made the text and drawing difficult to read. For anyone who is colorblind this book is a struggle (I did let a colorblind friend take a look and they struggled). The contrast on everything is very low so it's hard to define shapes which are already unfamiliar such as the fantasy creatures in the foliage. The second thing I took slight issue with was the use of the snails - I felt that I would have been more interested in the humans or the sproutlings telling the story, not the snails. Trans and queer people already fight for our stories to be told and while I didn't 100% hate it, I definitely had a little bit of that.... feeling. However, for those just beginning to explore this subject I doubt it would register as an issue.

Overall I did enjoy this book and am glad I had the opportunity to read it!

I certainly learned a lot from this book! The cute and charming art style helps in discussing such an intimidating topic.

The book embraces the fluidity of gender and queerness as a concept and defines how self-identification is still the basis of any classification. Labels are fine as long as they are self labels and helps the individual be more comfortable and self confident in his/her own skin.

It successfully differentiates sexuality vs gender and introduces the concept of an infinite number of types of people. Reading this really helped me a lot to understand the colorful spectrum of the Queer community. Now I can be more of an informed ally, and a better parent to my son who I plan to raise without gender role expectations.

I did find some of the relationship lessons dragging, but perhaps I’m just a bit too old for it. I’m sure it will be really helpful to a lot of people.

In the end, the most important thing is to respect others, and to always be kind.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for an E-Advanced Reader copy of this comic. I was given this in exchange for a fair review.

A Quick and Easy Guide to Queer and Trans Identities written by J.R. Zuckerberg, illustrated by Mady G, is exactly what it advertises. It is indeed an easy guide to Queer and Trans Identities. Mady’s illustrations add cuteness and spunk to an otherwise hard topics. Zuckerberg’s writing complements the illustrations wonderfully. The writing makes you feel more like you’re sitting with a group of people listening to someone talk about a topic and answering questions that the group has.

I loved that the author made the decision to use snails to have a conversation instead of people, lightened it up and made it educational without it being like a textbook. The vibrancy of the colors also add to this, using bright pinks, purples, yellow and a variety of blues and greens. As such I would not recommend getting the kindle version of this if you are reading on a device that is only black and white. The light colors make it almost impossible to read in black and white. The usage of a comic format for this was a genius idea. Not only does it make for an easy, comprehensible read, it brings creativity to a topic that is usually spoken about in a more clinical, an apathetic way when it comes to educational material. Again this makes it feel like a casual conversation while still being able to teach the reader.

There was something that confused me, however. There’s a chapter on relationship basics that seems a little strange to be in comic that advertises that it is about Queer and Trans identities. While what it talked about in the chapter is important to be addressed it doesn’t fit into the category of identity. The only way that I can think of this to address this is to change the title from using identities to topics, but, again it is only this chapter that I didn’t find to fit the overall theme.

I'm glad that this book took some time to explain the reclamation of the word Queer. Back in my day(Ha! I’m only 25.) it was not a positive thing to called Queer. It is hard for me to see this this term used in books as a positive descriptor because of this. Maybe someday I will be able to use it in a nonacademic way but for now it is ingrained in my brain that is derogatory and should not be used. However, it does clear up that the usage of it in the comic is positive because the community has reclaimed the word to make it a positive one again.

A Quick and Easy Guide to Queer and Trans Identities is a thoroughly enjoyable comic, that is informative and creative. It is a great start for anyone who is curious about identification in the LGBTQ+ community. Even those who are currently questioning their identity and sexuality will benefit due to the in depth conversations about the different types of people in the broad spectrum of sexuality and identification. This is also a good start for someone who has just come out and has people in their family or social circles that are having a hard time understanding their ‘new’ identity. It is a short and easy read, but stockpiled with information for helping these groups. I highly recommend that anyone picks up this comic.

I can't wait to get this on the shelves at my library to see what our teens think about it. I enjoyed that the book was narrated by snails, but at the same time completely understand other reviewers' complaints that trans and other queer identities are already so under-presented in fiction and nonfiction that it feels like a slight to not have them tell their own stories.