GayBCs,The

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This book makes it fun to learn and understand. It's very sweet but I can see some people not enjoying it (but those people aren't made for this book anyways). A is for ally, as the book says. I think some of the terminology might go over kids heads, but this book is just an introduction so it won't make much of a difference. I have seen comments from other reviewers that some letters had multiple options, but we need to remember this was only going over the alphabet once. There was always a chance that some terms were going to be left out. Hence, they can learn their alphabet letters and also be discussing their sexual attraction through various terms and jingles: Must Read Alaska is news of people, politics, policy, culture, and happenings in Alaska. It is edited by Suzanne Downing, who first landed in Alaska in 1969, and has called it home ever since. A playdate extravaganza transforms into a celebration of friendship, love, and identity as four friends sashay out of all the closets, dress up in a wardrobe fit for kings and queens, and discover the wonder of imagination. It’s the kind of book that I wish I had as a child,” he said. “When I was 5 years old, I knew that I felt differently than the people around me, but I didn’t have the words.

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This book came in the mail yesterday (Oct. 7th, 2019) and my daughter and I enjoyed it together. We especially loved "V is for VOGUE" and "S is for Sashay". We loved the colorful illustrations and the smiling, happy children depicted in the pictures. Author and illustrator, M. L. Webb assumes hope, The GayBCs] works well as a read-aloud 'discussion starter' for parents to share with their children."-- Midwest Book Review The introductory "annotation" says, "Just like the original words, these new ones should be part of our basic vocabulary so they can be properly understood and embraced." But J turns Juice into "Judgment-free" (by writing "Good Apple" on the juice box), with definition "No time for negative! Live and let live!" Huh? I thought, ‘Oh, no. … I came from a small, conservative town in Tennessee. What if he grows up here (in Tennessee), and what if he’s gay? What if he’s bi? What if he identifies as LGBTQ? What will happen to him?’” Webb said. “I thought about that, and I wished there was some way I could teach the people around him … something that my nephew could grow up reading and learning. I mulled it over and thought, ‘I’m going to create a book.'”The explanations of each term vary in quality. Some feel on target, like “L is for lesbian. It’s love and affection/between two special girls who share a connection.” But an “Ally” isn’t just “A friend who is there/to stand up for you with strength, love, and care,” but rather (in this context), someone who is not LGBTQ supporting an LGBTQ person. I’d therefore suggest, “A friend who is there/Though they’re different from you, they still show they care” as closer. (One other reviewer has also noted that “Asexual” or “Ace” might have been a better choice for “A,” given the range of other LGBTQ+ identities named in the book.)

The GayBCs by M.L. Webb | Goodreads The GayBCs by M.L. Webb | Goodreads

You think about school and how you’re taught the same lessons year after year, and you think it really doesn’t matter, but at the same time, it’s reinforcing. The book is normalizing how people identify and normalizing how allies see themselves and their friends.” For the child with two Mommies or two Daddies, and for the kids in that child's preschool session...or it might make a great gift for the adult who still possesses the wonder of a child. Or for an adult, just because."--Terri Schlichenmeyer, The Bookworm Sez

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The GayBCs is a heartwarming and accessible gift to show kids and adults alike that every person is worthy of being celebrated. A bonus glossary offers opportunities for further discussion of complete terms, communities, and inclusive identities.

The Gay BCs of LGBT+: An Accompaniment to the ABCs of L…

A bright new book for kids takes them on an alphabetical exploration of LGBTQ terms and ideas—but it’s a little uneven as well as problematic in some areas. Overall, I think this is a great tool and is very fun. It's full of colours and fun pictures as well!For many kids, this will encourage important conversations about identity and sexuality, as well as offer those who might be questioning their own identities the space to see themselves."-- Booklist This is lovely! It’s not like a literal dictionary — you’ll def need an adult to spell out what exactly many of these things mean (for example “A is for Aro and Ace. Words we use to say that love and attraction may be felt in many ways” is great, but, depending on the kid, may result in some follow up questions about exactly what that means). There is a glossary at the end, which helps somewhat, but it doesn't define 100% of the terms, and some of them are just repeated from earlier in the book. But the illustrations are really cute, it covers a lot of ground, and has a great vibe. I would say it’s more focused on gay male/drag cultural touchstones (with words included for Kiki, vogue, sashay, etc.), but I do think it covers a good range of LGBTQIA+ related terms. The topic of the discussion with the young children was “same sex marriage” and explaining why some kids nowadays have two moms instead of a mom and a dad.

gay BC book by Allen Dennis | Open Library The gay BC book by Allen Dennis | Open Library

I just thought of other little 5-year-olds who are just kind of starting to notice things and thought what would be the best thing for them that would be something that is inviting, but also something that they could use their own words to communicate. The illustrations are bright and cheery, if unexceptional, featuring a group of four friends with various skin tones and hair color playing together. Many of the pictures do little to elucidate or even relate to the definitions they are paired with, however. Additionally, all of the terms that relate to LGBTQ culture—“Drag,”“Kiki,”“Sashay,” and “Vogue”—relate only to one subculture of the LGBTQ community. I would have at the least swapped out the last three terms for more widely relatable ones. “Kindness,”“Visibility,” and “Support,” might have worked, with the last used to incorporate the idea of an ally, so that “A” could then be used for “Asexual.” (See note above.) We have two ideas that pop into our heads when forming an opinion, the first idea is what we are conditioned to think, the second idea is what determines who we are as people.”

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A playdate extravaganza transforms into a joyful celebration of friendship, love, and identity as four young friends sashay out of all the closets, dress up in a wardrobe fit for kings and queens, and discover the wonders of their imagination. In The GayBCs, M. L. Webb's playful illustrations and lively poems delight in the beauty of embracing one's truest self--from A is for Aro and Ace to F is for Family to T is for Trans. I know it is called an adult picture book but this is a book that you can read with a young child right up to a teenager. The terms and explanation are easy to understand and the illustrations are perfect and quite cleverly done (I loved how they used the original illustration and altered it for the new term - my favourite were the ladybugs). The perfect way to teach your kiddos LGBTQ+ vocab while celebrating the beauty of embracing yourself and others."-- KIWI Magazine I do appreciate that it introduces readers to the terms "Mx" (a non-binary honorific) and "ze" (a non-binary pronoun). And while A is for Ally isn't my favorite, I appreciate that the Apple is holding a sign saying "Trans Rights are Human Rights" -- that we come out strong, centering trans issues, rather than some sort of "Love is Love" platitudes.