This book gives the reader a look at myths from multiple cultures that involved what could be interpreted as queer mythological figures. From the drag performing Ghede Nibo to the relationship between Philoctetes and Hercules, this book looks at myths through a queer lens to give the reader a different take on these stories that are typically only interpreted through a heterosexual lens. The illustrations also help with giving the stories a more mythological feel.

This was a really interesting book of mythology with lots of folk tales and legends that I had never heard before. I really enjoyed the take on Athena and Apollo provided in this collection and I am definitely going to dig deeper into some of the lore.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review.

This is a great concept and I'm all for LGBTQIAP+ representation--but not just any representation; it needs to be quality. I do think my students who are very deep into mythology will be interested in Guido A. Sanchez's Queer Mythology, especially because it's well researched. However, the writing is dry and seems a little lost in who its intended audience is (or is not).

While this is a wonderful book overall, I don't think that it has much kid appeal: there is a lot of description, a lot of recounting of events and experiences, without dialogue. This might read as dry to a young audience. Additionally, the word "queer" being used in retold myths may take the reader out of a story that otherwise feels that it belongs to a certain time and place; a story that, while applicable across time and place, nevertheless feels coerced into contemporary language.

4 stars

Having taught Great Myths and Legends at the college level for two decades, I am ALWAYS thrilled to access any new collection of myths, especially when there is an updated cultural and/or identity-based element included. This collection of queer myths is one I'll definitely be sharing with students.

Strong highlights of this collection include the array of cultures represented, the stunning illustrations, and - of course - the profusion of queerness. Each of these elements is well executed and really reflects a modern sensibility in conjunction with these classic tales.

I can see why some readers may struggle with the fact that this is published by a company with "Kids" in the title and features the kinds of vibrant illustrations one might expect to find in a children's or even picture book. Like most myths, these are targeted toward a broader audience, reflecting a more traditional conception of how storytelling (and, for that matter, childhood) should work. There are fewer restrictions and more inclusions in this format, and we're simply set in a culture that loves (especially right now) to focus on what certain people should and should not have access to, even in their chosen art forms. If prospective readers can jump into this with a more expansive audience in mind - and perhaps an incoming (even basic) appreciation for and understanding of the storytelling elements prevalent in different kinds of myths and tales - they may find even more to like here. I know I did.

Queer identities are part of so many classic myths, and they are featured much more prominently in modern tales and retellings. This collection is a great example of modern influence on tried-and-true tradition. I'm excited to be able to add this collection to my syllabus and list of recs for students.

Colorful illustrations bring these tales to life. The stories are engagingly written and encompass a wide variety of global cultures and gender identities.

this is such a great, important premise, however it did not know how to be executed. I couldn't tell who the intended audience is since parts of it felt very overexplained as if meant for children but the vocabulary would be more geared towards teens and the explanations of the myths prior to the retelling felt intended for adults. Also, I'm not sure if these were meant to be summaries of the myths or actual retellings since some felt very straight to the point and others felt more like a story with still a lot of telling and not showing due to page restraints. I do appreciate the diversity in cultural and queer representation throughout though

I found that this book seemed sluggish and disconnected at times. I like the concept of it, but felt it needed some more editing before being sent out as an ARC.

I loved reading this book. I learned about so many myth's I had never heard of before. I was a classics major in college but the "Athena Gained Wisdom" section was completely new information to me. The myths are well researched and the LGBTQIA+ community is well represented. It is great that these stories are being collected and brought to the attention of a wider audience as it show that we are here and have always been. This is not a "fad" or some new 20th century thing we have always been a part of human history (even before that has LGBT relationship exist in animals as well). That being said, and this is more of a nitpick on my part, I would have liked a little bit more variety in where the myths come from. This book is largely dominated by Greek/Roman myths being 6 of the 18 entries. It would have been nice to see more myths for some of the places represented in to the book like Africa and Romanian. I would also have liked to see stories from places not in the book at all like Japan.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me review this book. I enjoy reading about the various myths in each culture. I’ve heard several but there were many I had not heard of. The illustrations were great as well.

Very cool! Lots of stories featuring queer characters from various mythologies. I liked the illustrations, to0.

I love a lot of things about Queer Mythology - unfortunately, very little of them are relevant to the experience of reading the book itself. First and foremost, I think a book like this is a great idea: queerness exists in so many forms and in so many mythologies throughout history and across the world, and a compilation of them just proves Sanchez's point that queerness has always existed, and will always continue to exist. My absolute favourite part about this book was the prologue, because Guido's writing was absolutely beautiful: it talks about the historical and cultural significance of queerness, the importance of telling and retelling queer stories, and has some really lovely prose that was a joy to read.

Unfortunately, that was more or less where my enjoyment of Queer Mythology ended. I think this book's one major issue is that it has no idea what audience it's geared towards - it's a picture book labelled as 'kids' in some places and 'young adult' in others, and you would think that reading Queer Mythology from start to finish would give you some idea of the age level this book is meant for, but it doesn't. The prologue reads as a young adult to adult reading level, while the actual stories themselves are told in a way that must be for young children, while including some vocabulary that is at more of a midgrade or teenage reading level. I have absolutely no idea who this book was for, and if it had been more consistent in its tone, Queer Mythology would've been a much better read.

I don't actually think Sanchez successfully wrote a children's book of queer mythology. These stories all sound the exact same despite being different mythologies from different time periods and different parts of the world - they have the same boring, bland rhythm, and all end incredibly suddenly. Every time I turned the page, I expected the story I was currently reading to continue, because the final sentence didn't read with any actual finality. The pacing wasn't good for most of these stories, and so much of the actual content of them is painfully the same as whatever story came before it.

Now, if Sanchez wrote Queer Mythology the way he'd written the prologue - a.k.a. with a teenage or higher audience in mind - I think this book could've truly been spectacular. Instead, it just felt like a big Wikipedia copy-and-paste with some poorly-paced storytelling that didn't exactly spark the imagination. Still, I think Queer Mythology is an immensely important book, and I can't wait to see it in kids' hands come October 2024. I just hope thatQueer Mythology is the jumping off point for other authors to write more in-depth, interesting, and expansive retellings of these queer myths, whether for children, young adults, or adult readers.

This book gives depth and understanding to myths while also holding true to the LGBTQIA+ community. It is well written and will delight readers who take delight in learning more about such things. I hate that it will face challenges in the age of book bans simply because of the title.

Mythology is an extremely popular subject with our middle grade patrons, but the books on that shelf tend to repeat a fairly uniform set of stories. I am thrilled to add a collection like Queer Mythology to the shelf so that more young readers can see themselves reflected in the magic of myth!

The stories come from a wide variety of cultures, times, and traditions and the protagonists build their communities and their connections in similarly diverse ways. The detailed, jewel toned, illustrations are the perfect accompaniment as they center different bodies and ways of being as beautiful and worthy of artistic adoration. As with many myths, the stories rarely end with uncomplicated happiness, but the tone remains positive and encouraging, reassuring young readers that they too can overcome challenges and grow into their own adventures. Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to explore this fantastic arc.

A beautifully illustrated collection of stories on queer legends that reveals how deeply rooted nonbinary identities are across human cultures and experiences.

Thank you to Running Press and NetGalley for the eGalley to review!

This anthology of queer myths was a treat to read. The myths cover all sorts of queer identities and come from all sorts of countries and religion: ancient Greece and Rome, China, Hawai'i, Chile, the African diaspora, India, Romania, the Philippines, Norway, Mexico, Christianity/Judaism/Islam, and the Inuit peoples. Some are newer myths and some date back thousands of years. All of them prove that we have ALWAYS been here and our love and identities were worth appreciating and elevating--even in places and religions that nowadays tell us otherwise.

While I knew of a few of the stories as a mythology fan, I didn't know the innate queerness of some of the ones I knew, and many of the others were completely new to me. It's amazing how similar we are as people even in completely different cultures and regions on the same planet. It put many things into a new perspective and made me appreciate ancient storytelling even more.

To top it off, the book is beautifully illustrated and each page has art on it in some form. It's an aesthetically pleasing book to look at, making it fit right in with illustrated collections of mythology, folklore, and fairy tales. I know it's earned a spot on my personal shelf, that's for sure.

The artwork and colour scheme are lovely.
I loved the collection of so many different sources of mythology. There were some that were new to me and got me eager to find more about them.
I found the stories concentrating on the queerness only, making the whole plot of them a bit vague and I felt as I was rushing through them. Would have loved a bit more information on resources as well.
It is a good collection of queer representation and inspiration.

Beautiful art and such an important little book for young people to learn about queer mythology, or young queer people to see themselves across history/mythology

"Queer Mythology" by Guido A Sanchez is a gorgeous collection of mythology from around the world, centering on how these cultures have always celebrated Queerness, even though many of these stories have fallen by the wayside in favor of others that are deemed more mainstream. The artwork is stunning and the stories are diverse - it's not just Greek mythology. They're both easy enough for a middle-grade classroom and complex enough to hold an adult's attention. Representation matters, and this book honors that for the LGBTQ community. Thank you for letting me read this and give an honest review!

This book was one of my favorite that I've had the pleasure of receiving as an advanced copy. I teach gifted students, and my kiddos very much enjoy topics such as mythology. They will read anything they can get their hands on when it comes to a topic they are heavily interested in, and I just know that a few would LOVE the perspective of these myths.

Although I will not be developing a lesson specifically centered around this topic, I will definitely be purchasing this book when it is published, as I know that my students would use it as a resource in their mini research projects. From an educator perspective, it is so important to have representation and diversity included in our classroom, and I love that this does that, while also providing a topic of interest to my GT students.

I am very thankful to have had the chance to read this advanced copy. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with this copy. A wonderful collection of stories!!