my thoughts on this book and these issues have changed since I read the ARC. I no longer want my review of this book on Netgalley.

Whether or not Sylvia Rivera was actually at the Stonewall Inn that night is almost irrelevant when one thinks of how Marsha P. Johnson and her founded STAR to give a voice and a home to trans youth. Their legacy and advocacy is honored in this fantastic picture book.

I'm pretty sure that nonfiction kids books still need to be historically accurate. I would love an accurate telling of the stonewall riots but this one wasn't it. It had the potential but needed some serious fact-checking before being allowed into publication.

There are a lot of things I liked about this book, with Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera being women who should be celebrated and respected as the main reason. However.... while the author acknowledges that this story is a version of what may have happened the first night of the Stonewall uprising, this version includes some of the less accepted possibilities of events. An afterword explaining other reported versions, including Marsha's, which contradicts some of this version, would be in order. I understand downplaying the two doing sex work and using drugs, as that isn't age appropriate, but their poverty, homelessness, and struggle feels glossed over. I get that this book centers on Marsha and Sylvia's friendship and their founding of STAR, but Stormé DeLarverie should have been mentioned more than just being included in an illustration. The glossary at the back doesn't relate very much to the story, but I did find its inclusion helpful. The activities at the back are unnecessary, but the resources listed are wonderful. I feel like the author's heart is in the right place, but missed the chance to make a great book for kids about Marsha, Sylvia, and the Stonewall Uprising, and made an okay book instead.

#SylviaandMarshaStartaRevolution #NetGalley

I have mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, it tells an important story in an accessible way and has lots of discussion questions and activities that make for an enriched learning experience. On the other, I feel like it was over sweetened for kids, and I always find it a bit obnoxious to read something that's so obviously trying to teach something rather than tell a story. I also feel like it lacked some of the professional finish I would expect from a JKP title. Overall, I feel this is more a good resource to be used in a queer history lesson than a cherished storybook a child would fall in love with.

Wow! I am moved to tears that this book exists. What an amazing story to share with all kids. For those who are transgender--or, really, any part of the LGBTQIAP+ spectrum--this is a celebratory view of community and found family as well as history. For children and adults who are not transgender or not part of the LGBTQIAP+ community, this is a beautiful, thoughtful way to connect with what it means to be transgender. We need this understanding starting at young ages because trans people are living in so much danger today, simply for being who they are.

I will be using this book to educate my own nieces and nephews as well as sharing with it my students and their parents. This one I'll share with my high school students, too, as we often look to picture books in my creative writing classes for writing prompts and/or to examine craft elements, such as plot and character development, at a micro level.

This should be required reading for everyone and the back matter is magnificent.

I loved this! Such a fun little introduction for little ones about the Stonewall Protests. It was nice to have an introduction to them in a way that spoke to how important they were but didn't include all the violence. It's so important to introduce little ones to the important bits from the past. Especially since so much of it is skipped in history books.

This is a fun, colourful, and important book to help introduce kids to the Stonewall Riots in an age appropriate way and to the great people of Sylvia and Marsha.

The text of this book is simple and while some of the harshness of the real Stonewall Riots is glossed over since the book is a picture book that isn't a bad thing. The most important parts are there.

I think this book really shines in the additional information at the back where there is more information on the Stonewall Riots, how LGBTQ+ rights have changed and grown because of Sylvia and Marsha, as well as discussion questions, activities, and more.

This is a very good children's nonfiction picture book about Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson. It would be a good basic introduction for younger children.

Sylvia and Marsha Start a Revolution! is a children’s book which tells the story of transgender icons Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson. With stunning illustrations from Teshika Silver, the storybook educates young readers about the lives of two of history’s key figures, fighting for LGBTQIA+ rights; from their work feeding and housing the poor, founding STAR, their parts in the Stonewall Revolutions and of course, their campaigning for trans rights.

What’s more, alongside the story itself, the book offers more information and activities in the back of the book. The information section covers a brief biography of Marsha and Sylvia and also touches on other key figures in the Stonewall Revolution including; Stormé DeLaverie and Miss Major-Griffin. It also covers facts about what LGBTQIA+ rights were during Sylvia and Marsha’s life and how Trans people were targeted in a way that children can understand. There is also information of different gender identities including; trans women, trans men, intersex, non-binary, gender-fluid and Agender.

In the activities section of the book, there are suggestions of fun things to do such as making protest signs. Plus, there is a great list of questions which parents, caregivers and teachers can use to discuss some of the topics raised in the book and talk about the child’s own identity, empowering them to understand that they can be whatever they want to be.

Sylvia and Marsha Start a Revolution! by Joy Michael Ellison & Teshika Silver is a brilliant children’s book for teaching the newest generation about kindness, gender identities, LGBTQIA+ rights and the power of being yourself.

This was cute and such a fast read. It's also educational. My main problem with it was how everything was over simplified. I understand that this is for kids but still, it felt over the top. Especially since the actual drawn story is so short and then there are pages and pages of text explaining it. I feel like everything could have been more in depth in the actual drawn story and more accurate too.
Anyway, still a good introduction to explain gender identities and Stonewall.

You know a book is fantastic when the minute you have read it, you go straight on over to waterstones and preorder yourself a copy.

This is the book that should be on the school curriculum. It manages to talk about transgender issues (I as a 30 year old woman learnt a lot of things I didn't know!) It has discussion points, and after the story and graphics it has a lot more information about the historical events.

I think everyone should read this as a base knowledge of the transgender revoluion, and then expand on knowledge!

Sylvia and Marsha Start a Revolution! is a watered down introduction to the Stonewall Rebellion within the LGBTQI+ community. It contains a quick picture book followed by talking point resources at the back. It would make a good starting point in learning about this important time in US history, but a proper discussion would need much more of a resource.

I am rating this a 2.5 because I feel like the book could have been so much MORE. It felt like fluff to me glossing over so many issues and prejudices that Sylvia and Marsha (and the LGBTQI+ community had to endure / still are fighting against). Don't underestimate the ability for children to understand and empathize. They may not have the maturity to understand the more complex concepts, but can identify and understand perspectives. I think students would get more out of the back resources of the book, rather than the picture book.

This book is the story of Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P Johnson, the trans women of colour who were an integral part of the Stonewall Uprising and the ensuing fight for LGBTQ+ rights. This book has beautiful, vibrant artwork and is written in simple and engaging language. It is perfect for young readers.

The book covers the facts in a way that is suitable for young children. It shows two strong trans women standing up against transphobia, which is empowering for young trans kids to see, especially young trans girls of colour. It's also important for every child to see trans people, especially trans women of colour, in a positive light. After the story, the book includes some facts about Marsha and Sylvia, some discussion questions that parents can use with their children, and some activities for children to do to get started as activists. There is also an explanation about what it means to be trans, with some simple, accurate definitions. I was pleased to see that the book is inclusive of nonbinary people.

This book encourages kids to stand up for social justice. It sends the message that it is good to be yourself, and that it is important to stand up for marginalised people. It also includes the message that found family is important, which will be comforting for young trans people to see, as they are often at high risk of being rejected by their biological families.

This is a really positive, inclusive book that will help kids to understand trans people and learn about trans women of colour who are central to the LGBTQ+ community but often ignored.

Beautiful illustrations and visual representations of Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson. I wish that there were books like this when I was a child, but I am so grateful that books like these exist for the current children of the world and also forevermore for future generations to come.

Sylvia and Marsha start a revolution is children's book about the trans women of color that made history at the Stonewall Riots.

Like other reviewers notes, this book greatly simplifies these 2 historic figures, but hey, it's a children's book! Here are a list of things I likes.

1) The simple language is good for early readers, I can see a parent reading this with their child and sounding out words together
2) The representation of LGBTQ women of color. Sylvia and Marsha paved the way for gay rights and acceptance, but since they are POC, their stories are often left out of the narrative, and they are still excluded. We need more books about these heroes for greater acceptance for the trans community, and the black/ brown communities.
3)The illustrations radiate joy
4) The glossary of terms in the back. I'm a fan of LGBTQ lit, and I learned something new! I feel like often people are scared of what they don't know, and try to ignore it, but this is brought seamlessly in. One example of a term is "transgender girl- A person who the doctor thought was a boy, but who is really a girl". Simple, to the point, and easy for kids to understand
5)The discussion questions at the end to help parents and educators navigate the questions that may arise from this book.

Overall, I would highly recommend adding this book to your personal or classroom library!

This is a sweet, short children's book that gives us a small glimpse into the lives of Silvia Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson. These trans women were integral in the 1960s and 1970s LGBTQ+ revolution in the United States, and are now posthumously famous for the Stonewall riots in particular.

Something that bothers me about the predominant narrative surrounding these women, is it reduces them solely to Stonewall when their lives were so much more than that one (albeit important) moment in history. However, this book does not solely focus on the Stonewall riots which I deeply appreciate. It also commemorates Silvia and Marsha's life's work and the importance of providing a home and support for other transgender women and girls. It does still feel like it flattens the complex history and lives of these two in some ways, but as it's a short children's book I see why it can't delve into everything in detail. I just wish it had been a bit longer.

The illustrations in this book are adorable, and I love how it used the phrase "here comes Alice in the blue dress" and explained what this means to kids. This book is so necessary: we need to teach our children about the LGBTQ+ community and history, and I am so overjoyed to see that there are books like this being published.

Marsha and Silvia's lives were, and are, so important. They were queer, trans, sex workers, activists, community workers, and revolutionaries. It really is special how they can now be honoured not only by LGBTQ historians and LGBTQ adults, but also children. Thinking about them, and so many of our LGBTQ+ predecessors, makes me feel bittersweet. I wish they could see how much progress has been made and where we are now, but we also have so much work to do and in some ways I feel as if we're failing them. Our community owes them so much. We all owe them so much. And books like these are a crucial start.

CW: police, police brutality, transphobia

Great short read for kids, amazing story and start of a revolution,
kids would enjoy reading it so much (adults as well ^^)

4* Good, child-friendly telling of the Stonewall uprising and these ladies' parts in it, as well as in the gay rights movement.

As the title says, this is a child-friendly telling of the Stonewall uprising and two people who stood up for gay rights. It's innocent in many ways, but it does convey the gist of what it means to be trans and to be gay and why it was important for them to take a stand and why change was needed, and where the world is today, in part because of these ladies.

There are words and pictures and I think kids over 5 would be able to easily understand this.

ARC courtesy of Jessica Kingsley Publishers and NetGalley.

I got an ARC of this book.

I am not a fan of the art. It just didn’t click with me for some reason. I don’t know why. So that really made it hard to enjoy a picture book.

The story itself was really simplistic, which was both good and bad. The story was watered down for kids, but not sure the whole sex workers being assaulted by police would have been appropriate for a four year old. The issue is it took a lot of the power from the story. It made it make no sense why the police, who are supposed to be the good guy and are the good guy in kids media, would suddenly be arresting women. It took so much of the context away.

I was really happy that Sylvia Rivera and Marsha Johnson were the stars of the picture book though! It is wonderful to see they are being honored and that more people will know their names and their bravery. So I am really torn on this book. I wanted it to exist, but it is just so hard to get it just right. It is really hard to talk about police brutality and other more intense subjects in a picture book.

I did like that there were reading guides and an activity guide for parents in the back. It opened up for more education. It allowed the true story to be a true story. It gave more context that was lacking in the text itself.