I love the concept of this book. I also really enjoyed the simple and colorful illustrations. However, I think there needs to be more text and information to supplement the terms in this book. I also think it would be better if the language was more accessible for children. Some of the wording "fluctuates" and "associates" in the definitions seem at too high of a level for a child to understand. I realize that an adult would preferably reading with them but that also gives the adult even more to breakdown and explain with the child.

ABC of Gender Identity by Devika Dalal is a book aimed at children but is suitable for all ages. Gender identity, sexuality, disability, families, race, religion and illness are just some of the important topics I feel should be discussed more, both in a general sense and on a deeper level, with adults and with children. This book is the perfect starting point to learn about gender identity for yourself and with children. There are so many terms in this book that I had not heard of before reading and I would have previously said I was fairly knowledgeable on the topic. It was a great opportunity for me to learn more about gender identity. To be able to learn about these terms with children and other people provides them with an incredible opportunity to become more accepting of everyone and their identities. There are not many books like this out there in the world and there should be more.

Books like this are a clear example of how powerful literature can be and it should be appreciated and utilised greater than it currently is. This book is for everybody. It shrinks the taboo, raises awareness, improves education and is a fantastic little book. The only thing I think would be a fantastic addition to the current content of the book is some illustrations to accompany each term mentioned, so enhance the learning and understanding of each term.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book to read and give my own, honest opinion.

Introducing adults and children to gender identity is fast becoming necessary. While I am familiar with a lot of these gender identities, there were a few which I have not heard, because they are either not commonly used or haven't been popularised by the mainstream media, so I did appreciate learning of these new gender identities.
I think the use of a book to encourage discussion between parents/carers with children who may be questioning their gender identity or even those who would like to learn more, is a great idea.

So while I appreciate the overall concept of the book, I think the execution of it was a little off. To me the illustrations and style of the book appeared to be skewed to preschool age, as opposed to a 5+ year old age to which it is targeted. I think it could've done without the illustrated characters altogether. Instead, more information on each gender identity, even going as far as providing some sort of example, would have been more helpful for both parents who aren't familiar with gender identities and for children who are questioning their own gender identities.

Received a copy of ABC of Gender Identity to review from Netgalley. The book is colourful, but the illustrations resemble something from paint. Not my favourite, but for a children’s book it’s important to note. I started reading this book with my 4 year old and then had trouble explaining some of the terminology as some of it was new to myself. I’m not sure what age group it’s geared towards, but as an ABC book I figured toddlers and up. I’d recommend parents read over it once or twice before and the handy guide at the end, so that they can better prepare themselves to explain the book as Gender Identity isn’t as explained in this depth on a normal basis as much as it should be. Parents and Children will both learn a lot from this book, just wish the illustrations had a bit more texture and depth.

This picture book was short, sweet and very educational! It not only provides vital information regarding gender identity that many children (and adults, for that matter!) would greatly benefit from, but normalizes identities separate from allocishet. This book is a game-changer, and I'd absolutely love to see this in classrooms, daycares and households across the country!

Kids often ask their parents questions that they feel uncomfortable about or unprepared to answer. Children can learn about LGBT people through this book. Educational and approachable for kids, but I think there should be more. Tho it was fine for the kids, very colorful. This came with 26 gender identities listed within it. For each letter of the alphabet, a term related to gender identity is named and defined in a very brief manner. It’s both a super helpful and accessible place to start for young people who are dipping their toes into the LGBTQIA+ water. A fantastic crash course in LGBT+ terms, identities, and concepts.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC
Expected Publication: 21st June 2021

I have always loved the books similar to these such as ‘The ABC of Equality’. So when I saw this one, I thought I’d give it a go. Obviously, I’m an adult and not the target audience as such.

Some of the gender identities in this book, I’ve never heard of before and after reading them, I was left more confused. After trying to search online for more of an understanding, all that came up was a couple of tumblr blogs. I know that the book can’t go into too much detail where it’s aimed at young children, but I would have liked a bit more information, or even a ‘similar to’, so I could easier understand them. I have no idea how I would answer questions if a child asked me if I can’t find much more information elsewhere. I would have loved additional trustworthy resources listed in the back so I could research more, or even a list of books for further reading.

This would be a good introduction for a conversation into the confusing world of gender identity, and I appreciate what this book was trying to do, but it felt a little aimless. It feels like the author was just trying to find any label to fill in the specific letter in the alphabet.

I did like the guide for adults at the end of the book though and I found that the questions could be helpful. I liked what the book was trying to do, but I don’t think it did it successfully

A cute book that explains the differences in gender identities. There are a few in here I didn’t know about so is more comprehensive than a starter for ten

After reading this book I feel my brain throbbing with new knowledge even though the pictures and small size make it seem like nothing but a kid's book ; the topic of gender wasnt looked at so deeply when I was a kid so I knew I had more to learn. This book helped me get a start in a fun and less intimidating manner. While it is a great way for kids to learn about themselves and others ; it can also be used for all ages. I highly recommend this if you've grown curious due to talks of gender around you or just your own questioning of your own gender.

As a parent who is passionate about equality and the need for inclusivity, this book really appealed to me. Since it’s aimed at children aged 5+, I didn’t think it would be suitable for reading with my 3 year old. However, he LOVED it! It’s colourful and cheerful. The big bold letters are quickly followed by a term that relates to gender identity which is then explained in easy to understand terminology. I think it was really well done and I can’t wait to purchase a copy to use both for leisure and for home-schooling purposes in the future.

The following is my Goodreads review, so it is more geared towards a potential reader than the publisher:
"Who is this book for? The idea is cute, but I don't feel like the execution is good. Also a lot of the letters feel forced, and I cannot understand how any child at the age when they are reading ABC books would get this. This reminds me for those "[STEM Topic] for Babies" books, that seem more geared towards the parent than the kid. I realize a lot of "reading" when a child is young is more about the interaction between parent and child, but I feel like this could have been done so much better if it actually helped explain gender identities rather than reading like a glossary on an LGBT forum. Also the art is... not great. Art is subjective, so never let an artistic opinion stop you from reading a book, but the art was weridly uniform in a way that didn't feel right."

I have to first say that this took me under five minutes to read because obviously, a. I'm an adult and b. I'm not trying to explain the genders to a little one.

This book, as someone who is nonbinary (they/them), is a fantastic way of introducing the concept of gender to a child - or even an adult who either is struggling with their own gender identity or perhaps explaining what their gender is to someone else. 𝐴𝐵𝐶 𝑜𝑓 𝐺𝑒𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝐼𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑡𝑦 is a bright picture book that highlights twenty six of the different genders that exist - of course, there are many others out there but I liked how Devika Dalal has created something that is the first step in helping with understanding this often complex and sadly conflict ridden topic.

There were a few genders in the book that I myself was unaware of - and it was great to add these to the many I have learned about through my personal journey of self awareness.

𝐴𝐵𝐶 𝑜𝑓 𝐺𝑒𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝐼𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑡𝑦 should find a home in every primary school in a bid to make gender identity and the concept behind it a norm. I would suggest this to any family were gender identity is something that needs to ge explored as it will help pave the way for more indepth conversation and possible acceptance of 'this is me'.

Thank you to Jessica Kingsley Publishing for once again filling a gap in the market - I'm sure this will be welcomed by many who need it.

arc provided by netgalley for an honest review

I think this book is a good simple book that could help children understand different genders at a basic level but it would be nice to see something more detailed.

I was really hoping for a bit more with ABC of Gender Identity. The ABC format was almost more confusing to young readers. I, myself, had a really hard time identifying each letter and keeping the different gender identities separate. I see this as being more overwhelming and confusing for kids. I believe gender identity books are absolutely needed. I think it's the format of this book that is the problem.

The heart of this text centers on identifying the concept of gender from varying perspectives. There are 26 terms offered within the text for one to become acquainted with and develop an understanding of or refine a list for further research.

As a 33 year old woman, a lot of these terms are new to me. What a beautiful book. Simply set out and eye catching. My 9 year old has also read it and we will be researching in more depth.

A great introduction for kids and adults into different gender identities. The most helpful portion of this was the guide for adults at the end. It would have been more useful if there was more information about each of the identities throughout the book, but given that this is for children, the descriptions given were a good start to invite more conversations.

I realize this probably makes me sound like a jerk, but I hated this book.

I am a well educated, very socially liberal thirty something. I gave many friends in the LGBT community and a dear friend who is Trans. I think it’s very important to be raised to be accepting of all people, no matter their gender or sexual identity. That being said, I would never read this book to my son. Some of it was outrageously reaching; for example “O is for Offgender: Someone whose gender feels very similar to another gender”. What does that even mean?! Additionally “K is for Kynigender, one who can’t pinpoint their gender due to the stress of the questioning process”. Get out of here.

3* Well-intentioned book that misses a trick because it's too... not aimed at kids.

This intends to educate but what it does is overload the brain with terms that are hard to understand, and that don't differ that much from one another. It'd have been better to focus on simpler, more everyday terms that the majority of kids/adults will encounter.

Perhaps a few images might have helped make this book easier to understand for the target audience.

ARC courtesy of Jessica Kingsley Publishers and NetGalley for my reading pleasure.

I received an advance copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book has an important purpose, introducing diverse gender identities to children, as a springboard to discussion with parents or carers. I think that this is a great idea, but that the book needed a little refining. Some of the terms given could do with more explanation and seem picked to complete the alphabet, rather than because of their relevance.

I also feel that a section at the start of the book explaining the basics of gender (presentation, pronouns etc) would make the book as a whole more useful.