I love this book because it is ideal for introducing the topic of gender and transitioning in an engaging and age-appropriate way - I can already tell that they will absolutely love the rhyming scheme and joining in with "you need to chill!"

You Need to Chill was super cute! I loved the art style and the rhymes. The message was well-executed and straightforward enough for younger audiences. However, my niece struggled with some vocabulary (Barbados, hysteria). I liked how the trans sister was decentered from the story initially, which normalizes the experience at the end.

I received an electronic ARC from SOURCEBOOKS Kids through NetGalley.
Classmates ask about the main character's brother, Bill. Their thoughts on where he is become more and more outlandish. These ideas are brought to life by Hughes clever illustrations. Finally, she shares that he is now her sister, Lily.
The title repeats itself every few pages as a response to the crazy ideas on where Bill is and then on accepting that Bill is now Lily and is still who she is. As I read, my mind was also cycling through where Bill could be - hospital, prison, left home, changed to be themself - based on the subtitle. Any of those possibilities would need the same respectful response so a small part of me wondered if Dawson would leave it ambiguous. However, the actual explanation and meeting with the character works to connect with readers and reinforce the title's point.

I'm so glad I was able to read "You Need to Chill!" on the Trans Day of Visibility. In this sweet picture book, a girl teaches her classmates about her transgender sister. It's down to earth and full of love. The illustrations are adorable and bring more depth to the story.

This is cute, with great illustrations. I'm not sure if the intention is to not giveaway what this story is about since the cover and back leave it vague, which I think is a bit strange, I think it would help to know since it would be helpful for kids who have an older sibling come out as trans. I like that this book normalizes someone coming out as trans, and I think for kids it would help them to know people will ask and that it's not a big deal, now she has a sister. But that does mean that the first part of the book is centered around the before. I also kind of wish there was more examples of the main character responding to the kids in addition to just telling them to chill. But as a simple rhyme to teach the idea and reiterate that it's normal, it worked.

Thank you to the publisher and net galley for the advanced reader copy.

While we DO need more picture books for transgender kids, this was just ok. I wanted to like it more and I do like the concept of "you need to chill."

Overall a sweet book with lovely illustrations! I do wish there was a bit more content wise, but the rhymes were fun!

I got this on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

This was really good! I loved the rhymes, the pictures and the curiosity of the kids! Typical kids jump into crazy scenarios and let their imaginations run wild!

My only wish was that more of it focused on Lily instead of their past identity as Bill! Understand why it is like this tho.

A lovely, short, simple book. The art was amazing and the rhyming made it fun to read out loud. These are the kinds of books that I love to read to my kids because it perfectly illustrates transgender awareness without being so dense and informative. I want my children to just know and accept and love that trans people are a part of our world and that it is normal! 10/10 highly recommend.

Cute story of transgender sibling and how her younger sibling is explaining this to her young friends. Really liked how it resonated with my own child and started an open discussion about acceptance of others. It also was written in a tone that resonates with kids. Often when kids ask questions about something - they are genuinely curious about what is going on - even though to adults we would be embarrassed to ask those questions or feel like we need to "filter" our conversations or questions. Adults would even be more likely to whisper behind people's backs to avoid awkward conversations. This book really lays out kids innocence and shows how they may just ask any question at all and how the narrator responds is great "you need to chill." Really great story.


Recommended age group: 5-10
#NetGalley

I received a copy of this book through Netgalley. This is my honest review.

This is a rhyming book about a young girl whose older brother has become her older sister. At first the kids in her class are confused about where her brother is, and like kids do, they come up with some really interesting places that Bill might be. It takes most of the story for the girl to be able to tell them that who they knew as Bill is now her sister, Lily, and that Lily is still the same person she was, just with a new first name and a slightly different appearance.

I'm not sure how to feel about how much of the focus of the book was on where Bill might be as opposed to how little attention was paid to the fact that Lily is still the same person she always was, even when everyone knew her as Bill. A part of me feels like the latter should be a bigger focus, but maybe it's better to not treat it like a big deal, because it shouldn't be a big deal. It's not something I have personal experience with, so I don't know what the approach should be.

The illustrations were colorful and fun, really giving shape to the kids' imaginations throughout their speculation. I would definitely read this book more than once if asked to. Overall I give it 4.68 out of 5 stars.

It is a very cute book, and it provides something for kids whose siblings have transitioned vs. are in transition themselves which there isn't much for. That being said, I think it is probably a little too...provocative for my location in the rural South. Not the content itself, but the phrase, "You need to chill!" Do I think people need to chill out about things that aren't any of their business? 100%. Do I think it would be a good idea for young kids to say that at school down here at the moment...? Not really. The phrase is a bit rude at the best of times down here (I would only say that to someone I know well enough to know they wouldn't be offended), and with everyone being on a hair trigger, it just doesn't seem the hill I want to die on compared to some other books I've been adding to our collections. If that isn't a concern for you, go right ahead!

Thanks to all parties involved in providing an arc of this book on Netgalley.

Thoughtful, funny, and with lovely illustrations! This one was a hit. I loved the playful tone and imaginative scenarios the child character had to shut down, and how seamlessly the kiddo went about it, too. The text contributed to the lively and overall joyous effect. Loved the simple moments of intimacy between Lily and her family too. A breath of fresh air!

This was a sweet book. The rhythm of the story was excellent and the pictures were great. I was expecting it to be about emotional regulation based on the title so the message was unexpected but that was probably my fault for not reading the book description closely.

What a great debut book about transgender/identity for kids written by a trans author that truly understands the curiosity kids would have if they couldn’t find Bill!! What a creative way to introduce kids to identity changes of their friends or family members. It is a beautifully created picture book that teaches acceptance in a witty and fun-filled way.

Thank you to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOK Kids for allowing me to be an early reader. All opinions are my own.

Where is Bill? As children in class question Bill's sister where he's been, they imagine different scenarios for where he has gone. A light-hearted and funny children's book that could be used educationally for gender identity questions. The illustration was adorable.

You Need to Chill! By Juno Dawson is a great book that discusses children’s curiosity about the transgender community. It also discusses very briefly how to deal with a sibling that does transition. Juno does a great job of turning a controversial topic into something so adorable!

The art style on this book immediately felt nostalgic to me. It reminds me of the cartoon from my childhood named Charlie and Lola. I loved this book. I love that it is written by a trans author and the book is telling a beautiful story of a trans person and the unflinching support from their family. Absolute heartwarming book.

You Need to Chill! is a great book to teach kids that being trans isn't something to freak out about! I loved all the different illustrations of possible scenarios where the child's sibling could be. I also appreciated the calm nature and how their new sister is the same as before, just with a different name!

Thank you to NetGalley, and the publisher for the eARC! This would be a great resource for families that have a child or a family member that is going through identity changes. This story is fun with the ideas of where the brother, Bill went. The illustrations are eye appealing and the rhyming throughout the book adds to it.