Two of my favorite LGBTQ-inclusive kids’ books of recent years are Cory Silverberg and Fiona Smyth’s works on bodies, sexuality, and reproduction, What Makes a Baby?
What Makes a Baby? is aimed at children up to about age eight; Sex Is a Funny Word takes us up to about age 10. They are not merely inclusive in the sense of having a page or two dedicated to transgender identities or same-sex relationships—instead, they are inclusive throughout the books, keeping all gender and relationship possibilities in mind at all times. The books are also colorful and bold and dynamic—fun reads as well as informative ones. As they prepare their latest work, for children from about age 10 through puberty, they’re asking people, “What do you wish someone had told you about puberty?” Silverberg explains:
Fiona and I need your input for an anti-expert chapter in our next book for kids. The chapter is about puberty and the things we don’t usually talk about. We want to hear the sticky, messy, smelly, happy and painful, strategies of coping, so we can put them in comic format and share them.
If you’re reading this and thinking there’s something about your experience of puberty that would make your answers confusing or weird, we especially want to hear from you!
Contribute your experiences, stories, and advice anonymously here.
For those who aren’t yet familiar with their work, here’s my review and interview with Silverberg about What Makes a Baby? (note that the giveaway the post mentions is now over) and my review and interview with him about Sex Is a Funny Word.
I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.