Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

Great book about being who you are meant to be. This is a great book about gender identity. Parents, teachers, and counselors can utilize this book with children struggling with identity. This is a great resource book for parents to use as well in helping themselves and their child understand their identity.

I LOVED this book and am so happy I found it. It is such a well-thought out guide to help children understand very complex topics. I love that it not only handled the topics of gender, sex, and orientation, but also intersectionality, privilege, being an ally, and discrimination. In fact, each of the latter have a chapter dedicated to them, just as the obvious topics did before them.

I really loved the illustrations, which are more or less anatomically correct. I also loved the fact that in addition to the gender, sex, and orientation diversity, there was a slew of ethnic and racial diversity too. So much about this book truly was perfect, that I will definitely be reading it to Eleanor in the future either from the library or our own copy. We have had conversations in the past, starting around age four or so, about how a person can love whoever they want - this came from a time when she saw two young men holding hands. Without overloading her brain at the time, I explained that boys can marry boys, or girls; girls can marry girls, or boys. As she gets older I will start addressing the gender spectrum and will definitely use this book to do so. The explanations and examples are so clear, it will do a much better job than I alone could.

NetGalley and Goodreads indicate the book is geared toward the 5-10 range and I would agree with that to an extent, but it runs about 80 pages. There's not a ton of text on each page, sometimes a paragraph or two, and illustrations abound, but it might still be hard for a five year old to listen for that long if you plan to read straight-through. I agree a lot with the blurb, stating it can be a book you 'dip in and out of', and maybe you read a chapter at a time. That is likely what I would do with Eleanor, because these definitely are complicated issues and I also want her to ask questions and not be overwhelmed with information and her own questions at the same time. And honestly, there are plenty of adults who stand to benefit from the overall message even if the content makes them uncomfortable:

You be you! And help others be themselves.

It is literally the last line of the book, and one of the best. if we are trying to raise up the next generation to be kinder and gentler, I can't think of a better message. You are you, how you feel is okay, how you see yourself is okay, and no one has the right to make you feel ashamed or scared. If we want to truly support and understand one another, we have to be willing to open our minds and hearts and accept that the world is a big, diverse place, and that diversity in ALL its forms is a good thing. Regardless of any of the things that make us different, respect and kindness are key.

Highly recommend

This book is a good addition to any children's library. The book is an easy to read, colorful starter book on Gender/Sexuality. The language is at a reading level that children can understand but still accurate. The content is well researched.

I will 100% read this with my kids. I think it does a great job of relating these concepts in a simple way that cuts to the heart of the issues. The art is fantastic and I love that there are so many illustrations.

I received an ebook of this title from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Overall, I think this is a great book. There are a few things I’d tweak, but this is a great book to help children and families understand things like gender, sexuality, intersectionality, discrimination, and privilege.

This book is bold. I do wish it addressed a couple of things more than in passing, but I do appreciate all that it did address.

The description of privilege is actually pretty great.

This is a huge YES for me: “Second, listen to what other people say about their own life experiences, and believe them.” 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley!

Man, this was a fabulous book. I feel like this should be read in every school!

This is a wonderful little book about gender expectations and reality. I would recommend this to anyone who has a child asking questions who does not know how to respond. Children are far more open to differences than adults sometimes are and some adults don't feel comfortable or confident in what to say to a child when they wonder about them. It is written very simple and straight forward and could be a place to start.

This was an educational book and the illustrations were amazing.

My thanks to Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

This was an informative, well researched book introducing a number of LGBTQIA+ terms to younger readers, It focussed on the message that whoever you are it’s good to be you and it’s ok to be whoever you want to be. It also encouraged readers to be supportive of those who identified differently to themselves.

I’m not sure I would use this book with children as young as 5, There was a lot of information in there that many would not be able to comprehend and while some of the illustrations were informative, I wouldn’t feel comfortable sharing them with such a young class. However the information about stereotypes and discrimination and being kind was relevant for any age. I would feel more comfortable sharing it with a KS2 class as this would be more inline with their curriculum. However, should there ever be a child in our class/school who identified as part of one of these groups, I would consider sharing the relevant parts.

I received a free advanced copy of this book from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I love this book, I liked that it is a unique in the way that it is a lighter book that talks about how to handle sexuality. I fully believe that your sexuality is not a choice, your brain is wired a certain way and your heart is a certain way. I know it isn't always a popular opinion, especially in the backwoods I tend to call home, but I liked how easy and helpful this book was for the younger generation. I definitely would recommend this to someone younger struggling with the topic, as it has such a great message and helpful tips.

Way too advanced for the age group stated. Far too detailed for a beginning lesson. A very good idea, but because of the first two items, I'm not sure it will marketable.

You Be You by Jonathan Branfman is a very comprehensive, non-fiction book. Great illustrations, that looks good and easy to understand. This would be a book more suited to kids in the age range of 8-10 though, probably a little to comprehensive for younger kids. That´s why I rate it a little low on the scale.

You Be You! was written to introduce children to the concepts of sex, gender, sexual orientation, discrimination, and privilege. I have seen many books with a similar aim, but rarely find one I would read to my own kids – not because of the content, but because I don’t think it was done well enough. As someone with an advanced degree in Women Gender and Sexuality Studies, I get a little picky. You Be You! however is one that I could see reading to my kids in a few years (it’s targeted to kids 5-10 years old – I think it’s just too long for my 4 year old to sit through at this point).

The book is divided into chapters including “The Sexes,” “Gender,” “Gender Identity,” “Love and Attraction,” and more. Each chapter starts by referencing the social myth – that there are only two genders, for example, or that everyone born with certain genitalia grow up to identify as a certain gender and fall in love with a different one – and then gently breaks down the myth by explaining other ways these things can happen. Even if a baby with a vagina does grow up to identify as a woman, she might not fall in love with a man, or fall in love at all! After exploring some of the various ways people experience gender, sex, or attraction, each chapter ends with a version of “Whichever way you feel, that’s ok!”

While there are several chapters, each one is just a few pages with accessible language and colorful illustrations. What impressed me most about this book was how it took some difficult ideas like privilege and intersectionality and made them seem accessible to a young readership. Certainly most kids would need to follow it up with a conversation to really break down the ideas, but as the author notes, many people aren’t exposed to these ideas until college, or later. That’s not soon enough! So if an 8 year old reads this book, on their own or with a parent, even if they don’t understand it all at least a seed has been planted.

While I don’t think there is a perfect book for introducing these topics to young kids, this is the closest I’ve found yet. Definitely worth checking out if you have young people in your life! Heck, I know adults who could probably benefit from this book too!

I really liked this book to use as an introduction to the discussion of diversity, gender identity & sexual orientation.

I liked how it explained the terminology & what it means & giving real life examples.

I think it’s a great starting point.

I would say that due to the biological diagrams of the reproductive organs, I would recommend this book for age 8+

I would say that this book is geared towards upper elementary students or a very simple explanation for teens and adults. It has some nudity in some of the earlier drawings in the book to make a point about sex and gender.

There are lots of colorful pictures throughout to add to the sense of it being a picture book while it defines some LGBTQIA+ terminology.

It uses a lot of exclamation points and basically says that everything you are is okay which is a message we need more of in this world.

This is a great introduction to the complex subjects of gender, sexuality, and relationships. I think this book would be an invaluable tool for teachers and parents alike.

Branfman explores not only the various genders and sexualities, but also looks at stereotypes and discrimination, along with privilege and being an ally. These are all important topics, however the child identifies.

The only thing I would disagree with is the intended audience. It is stated that the book is aimed at children aged 5-10 years, however I believe that some of the concepts and terminology are slightly too advanced for the younger ages. I would place this book in the range of children aged 8-12 years. Nevertheless, I think this book is still a great read for teens and adults as well, as the language is simplified rather than "babied", and includes some complex topics.

Personally, as a midwife, one of my roles is to inform kids, teens and adults about their sex / gender and sexuallity rights. This book could serve as a great resource for gender diversity, sexuality issues, as well as various other topics that concern the LGTBQI community. Actually I think that the book is suitable for kids at the age of 8+ years, because although it accurately describes practical issues of sexual education, from one point onwards it ends up tiring as it uses many terms and definitions and even more technical vocabulary. The chapter that attracted my attention is the intersectionality one. Also, the "Ally" section offers practical advice. Last but not least, the repetitive way that body positivity is enhanced throughout the whole book is my favorite element about this book.

As an educator I am always looking for books that are educationally tailored to children and young adults. This is a book that explains and describes the differences between gender, orientation, family types and discrimination. I am trying to expand my knowledge on different genders and orientations and I learned a lot from this book. It is explained clearly and in a way I think even young children would be able to understand. The pictures on each page matched with the words, so even children that are not at this reading level would be understand. I loved the message throughout the book that no matter how you identify or if you feel different or alone, it is okay and there are always people to talk to and encourages the uniqueness of all individuals.
As explained in the dear parents, guardians, and educators note at the beginning of the book, I agree that this book is appropriate for ages 5 and up. I also really liked that the book was sectioned and can be taught throughout the year to go along with different lessons. The sections were structured in a way that made it easy to follow. This book also repeated ideas or phrases to help the reader reinforce different ideas and phrases.
This would be a book that I think everyone should read because it gave a description of many types of gender identities and love and discrimination. It also included a section on being ally, and I think everyone can learn more about how they can help others; you can help people in many ways!

First off, I love the concept of this book. It's all about inclusiveness and body positivity. I chose this book because it listed young children as its audience. While I think this book would be fantastic for late elementary school children, it's a bit too advanced for my 5-year-old. Hats off to the author and illustrator for positively framing what can be difficult questions and discussions!