I love the illustrations in this book! It's such an important topic right now, and this book - with the right context and conversation - could be a really great resource for kids. Children are so open minded, and we need to use education to teach them about topics like this. Gender should not be taboo. This is a perfectly age-appropriate book for kids. I think it will really get conversations going with families. Especially if kids have a trans or non-binary family member.

I liked this one a lot! I already knew about some of the people mentioned, but others I did not. I think it was educational, but more context was needed.

'My History, My Gender, Me' is an informative, non-fiction picture book aimed at primary-aged children that looks at various figures throughout history that have identified themselves outside of the gender binary.

I love the diversity of race, gender and sexuality among the people the author chose to write about. While I'd known about a few of these already, like Marsha P. Johnson and Chevalièr d'Éon, I found most of the people showcased in this book were new to me, and it's definitely left me wanting to learn more.

Each person's description is kept fairly brief here, and accompanied by some wonderful artwork. As such, it's a great starting point for doing a deeper dive into researching the individuals presented. There's also a helpful glossary of terms in the back for younger readers, along with some suggested activities and further discussion points.

I read this with my 11 year old, whom I home educate, and we'll be picking out a couple of the people in the book and doing further research, as part of our Pride month studies 🩵

My only complaint with the book would be the choice of language when it came to talking about the enslavement of Black people in the US. The term "slaves" was used a handful of times in regards to this, when "enslaved people" would have been preferable.

Otherwise, this is a wonderful resource for talking to young children about the gender spectrum, and about important figures throughout history that have stood in their truth when it comes to who they are, even when it was unsafe to do so. It's arguably more important now than ever to make books like this available 🩷

Thank you to Jessica Kingsley Publishers and Netgalley for sending me an eARC.

these illustrations are wonderful, love the topic and the wide variety of cultures and time periods. this will be a great library read.

Thank you to Jessica Kingsley Publishers, the author and NetGalley for a DRC in return for an honest review.

This is the first book, aimed at children, regarding gender that I have read. I didn't particularly care for the illustrations personally but they are bright and colourful and will probably appeal to the intended audience. The information was presented well and provided some fascinating stories. I can see children wanting to learn more about the people mentioned in the book. My only worry is that further information might not be so readily available. With that in mind I would have appreciated a list of some suggested further reading. The discussion questions, suggested activities and glossary of terms were nice touches.

#MyHistoryMyGenderMe #NetGalley

A really wonderful primer on transgender history, kids and adults of all ages have something to learn from this book and will either see themselves in its pages or appreciate the vast history of trans people.

This is genuinely one of the best children's books I've read about transgender and nonbinary people. There's beautiful illustrations throughout, and the words describe the many incredible historical figures in our rich history. The language is careful and ensures to leave room for nuance, smartly noting that modern interpretations of social constructs like gender and sexuality might not have been the same for these individuals - and the book does this in a way that's really easy for children to understand. This was a powerful read, and each of the 38 pages made me want to learn more about the people mentioned.

This copy was provided to me by NetGalley.

My History, My Gender, Me is a powerful and eye-opening read that brings long-overdue attention to historical figures who didn’t fit into traditional ideas about gender—people who lived boldly and authentically long before our modern conversations even began. The author does a wonderful job of lifting up voices that’ve often been erased or ignored, reminding us that gender fluidity and independence aren’t new—they’ve always been part of the human story. In addition to great stories here, the illustrations in this book are beautiful.

A heartfelt thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this advance copy!

Offensive, outdated language.
First things first, it’s not appropriate in a published book to say trans people are born as men or born as women. No human being is born as a man or a woman. Gender identity develops around age 3 and babies aren’t men or women.
Next, saying identify as to describe trans people others than and paints the picture that their gender is less authentic than cis people’s genders. You do not say cis people “identify as women” you say they’re just women. The same should apply to trans people.

I like the art and the fact you acknowledged that a lot of truth and history was lost or misrepresented due to colonization

I firmly believe in LGBTQ+ books being accessible and written for children. This book attempted that, but fell short. There are phrases in this book I think would require too much explaining to a child whom a picture book would be written for (for example, "identifies as" is used, where child-friendly would be "is" or "is actually"). Furthermore, there is problematic language in this book that the trans community has firmly spoken out on. I will not include quotes due to NetGalley policy, but I do hope that this gets fixed prior to publication.

That being said, I think the goal of this book is admirable. I appreciate the author proving trans people have always existed, and trying to tell children they are allowed to be who they are.

I'd recommend this book to a parent willing to do a little extra explaining for their child. I personally plan on looking for this book again when published to see if the problematic aspect has been fixed.

My History, My Gender, Me is a must-read children’s book, sharing stories of the revolutionary people who defied gendered expectations throughout history. This book is inclusive of transgender, non-binary, and intersex folks who are often overlooked in our history books. A book like this is important to let the future generations know that not only are they not alone, but that history was made by people just like them, from all over the world. The illustrations are beautiful, and the storytelling is rich. This book is a great way to teach love, acceptance, and hope for a better future.

This book succinctly introduces the reader to historical figures who in various ways lived their lives outside of the gender-binary. The historical figures are of different time periods, cultures and skin colour, as well as expressing their gender in different ways, which makes the book show very clearly how variable gender can be. There are also discussion questions as well as a glossary at the end of the book.

I think that this book is a really good way to introduce children to transness as a concept, as well as helping children understand that labels are not set in stone, but can vary between cultures. It manages to say a lot in a limited amount of words, and the illustrations do a lot to humanise each person discussed while still celebrating them for who they were. The discussion questions at the end were very useful and felt well thought through, and I think would further help children understand and emphasize with trans people.

I received a free digital copy of this book for reviewing from Jessica Kingsley Publishers via Netgalley, which I am very thankful for. However, my review is based on my honest opinions.

This was a very informative and nicely illustrated read. It gives clear examples of people throughout history who identified as trans or without a gender at all. The book uses clear and simple language to educate children about the real history of people of the lgbt community who did not identify themselves in line with their original sex.

I loved it. I enjoyed the questions and activities and I thought that it is a great tool to inspire compassion and give children a historical context to understand people who may be different from they are.

This is actually pretty cool. I always think I know more than I think I do and then a book comes out and shows me otherwise 😂. Over a 1,000 years that non-binary, intersex, and transgender people have been respected, honored, and praised. I’m blown away by the different voices Cassandra Jules Corrigan puts on the page. We are everywhere and always have been.

The drawings are cartoonish. I’m actually not a big fan of the art so I don’t know how it will appeal to children’s eye.

I will say the history is impressive. I’m actually going to shoot a vid just about Saint Marinos because at this time in the U.S….it’s just crazy where we are. I have to say my favorite one is the first one, Suontaka Person, because “Hello! Buried with a sword!” There are so many to be admired and applauded in My History, My Gender, Me and I am so glad I schooled today.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
“This is only a tiny portion of how diverse and vast our experiences can be.
But the best thing about history is that it never stops.”

A cute educational read of non-binary, transgender, and intersex people from the past. While I wish there was more information on each person, it is a great beginning read for kids. Knowledge is power and this book reminds us just how long non-binary, transgender, and intersex people have been part of our society!

I expected to like this book, but I did not expect for it to become one of my all-time favorite children’s books. I do not have enough words to express how amazing this book is.
This book introduces people from history that covers all time ranges and multiple religions. The illustrations are phenomenal and help the words jump off the page. Full of wonderful facts and amazing individuals across a wide spectrum of identities. Showcases many esteemed religious figures (including christian); giving great examples and proof of how gender identity hasn’t always, and doesn’t need to be, at odds with religion, or Christianity specifically.
The vocabulary is slightly more advanced, so this book will either need discussions of definitions to make sure children understand, or aim for a more 5-6 year age range. There is a wonderful glossary at the end of the book that can help with this.

Thoughts:
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. This is a great book, I had no idea just how far back and how famous (or infamous) some transgender people went. I knew about Marsha but the rest were new to me and it’s great learning more. The illustrations were awesome and complimented the book well. Hopefully books like as this help to further educate people and reduce the ridiculous amount of hate transgender people receive.

Favourite Quote:
“This is only a tiny portion of how diverse and vast our experiences can be.
But the best thing about history is that it never stops.”

A wonderful children's book about the history of different gender identities. These mini histories are accompanied by vibrant illustrations.

An interesting book that the children enjoyed reading and discussing. They appreciated the illustrations accompanying the life stories but were not as keen on the cover picture.

I received this book for free for an honest review from netgalley. I wish I had known about this book even sooner it was a great eye opener and I can't wait to get it in print.