Who Are You? The Kid's Guide to Gender Identity by Brook Pressin-Whedbee, illustrated by Naomi Bardoff
Who Are You?
The Kid's Guide to Gender Identity
by Brook Pessin-Whedbee,
illustrated by Naomi Bardoff
Purchased from Barnes & Noble
I want to start by thanking all the activists and educators who share their knowledge and offer an apology. I was introduced to Who Are You? The Kid's Guide to Gender Identity, published in 2017, by one of the many book-education-inclusion-diversity feeds I follow, but I can't remember which one. Because of this, I have created a list of links and feeds that I follow at the end of this review. Next, I want to say that, as a cisgender woman, the language of gender and gender identity is a new one that I am working to learn. I am grateful to those who share their knowledge and expertise and especially thankful to Gender Spectrum for creating both a story time video and longer video with Brook Pessin-Whedbee where she reads her book and also helps people like me learn how to talk about gender identity with other adults and children. Because I am still learning, I want this review to be more about sharing resources as I do not feel qualified to critique this book.
Gender Spectrum Story time with Brook Pessin-Whedbee
Pessin-Whedbe is the founder of Gender Inclusive Schools Alliance in Berkeley, is also a teacher there, working as an elementary reading specialist and also as a supervisor in UC Berkeley's Developmental Teacher Education Program. She begins Who Are You? with a note for grown-ups, specifically grown-ups like me who are learning, with the wonderful suggestion to read her book to yourself first, or with other adults. She also suggests reading through the support material at the end of the book, including the page-by-page guide to key concepts and discussion points. There is also a page of information on how to use the Interactive Wheel as a tool to scaffold and show the infinite possibilities that exist in the human experience of gender. Additional resources include books and films, for children and adults supporting gender-expansive youth, as well as organizations offering additional resources.
While you can watch the video of Pessin-Whedbee reading her book and see exactly what is inside, I would like to say that I am impressed with the diversity represented in the illustrations.
Brook Pessin-Whedbee talks about her book, giving parents, caregivers and educators the tools needed to talk about gender identity.
Resources I turn to often:
