I love that there are more books by trans authors for kids with trans parents. I'm a huge proponent of own voices stories. As a child of lesbian moms, I related to how adults always make a bigger deal about something than kids do, and the message that happy parent means happy family and happy child really resonated with me.

This book is important. He's My Mom is a simple but effective introduction to gender expression for both children and adults to learn from. The artwork matches the message too, giving imagery to transgender colors and identities while not distracting the reader.

This was such a sweet book to read, it follows bambi and his mum that uses the pronouns he/him. The story talks about how bambi was told about his mum transitioning and what that meant. He saw how happy his mum was after his transition and how it doesn’t change the fact that his mum will always be his mum. It even explains that David (his mum) gets hurt when someone uses the wrong pronouns and bambi explains that to his cousin. It has beautiful drawing that went along with such a beautiful story.

As many others have said - this is an excellent, age appropriate, informative, inclusive book. I usually don't adhere too strongly to 'age groups' but in this case the plain, direct prose gives insight (with bucket loads of empathy considering the sparseness) to LGBTQIA+ families with trans parents. Speaking as a parent - we have long used they/them pronouns to talk about people who have not explicitly shared their pronouns or gender identity. That's characters in picture books, on TV, in films, the traffic light (we say Green Person and have done since I was a child myself). It's surprisingly (or not) easy for children to grasp the pronoun concept, as much as some people like to claim it isn't. But this book is about more than that. It is about a parent transitioning and their child educating others in a gentle but defensive (lovingly defensive) way. I would read this with my son in a heartbeat - it's so casual which in my opinion, all the biggest lessons should be in order for them to be normalised. We don't always need fanfare. Sometimes we need quiet, subtle acceptance. As a bookseller, I have several customers who have members of their own family transitioning and have purchased YA or adult lit reflecting that experience. I know that they would look to this book in an instant for the younger members of their families.

He's My Dad is almost more of an information book than a story. I feel like the author tried to do both but to me it came as a little boring. I also wasn't a fan of the art work, it was a little to sparse for my taste.

A sweet, simple read! This is a perfect book for a kid who might know someone who has transitioned. The language is straightforward and easy for kids to understand. I really love how the story touches on how much happier the narrator's mom is now and how accepting the family is.

Picture books can be amazing and this one is a great example for it! He's My Mom! tells such a sweet story about a boy called Bambi (isn't it cute enough to draw you in?!) living with his parent who transitioned and is now called David. Everything is explained and described by Bambi in a very sweet simple way. Which might be perfect to explain transitioning even to a very young audience because his words are so easy and there are no hard to understand terms involved. There is also a glossary at the end of the book with some further explanations.
The illustrations were another thing I really liked about this book. They are clear, nearly minimalistic, but still so colorful- they reminded me of old comic books or cartoons.
All in all He's My Mom! is great example about how easy it can be to explain important things while telling an everyday story like going on a camping trip. It's a great picture book for everyone not only for people looking for gender identity related books.

A cute way to introduce a trans parent, with an additional subplot of family time in the form of a camping trip. Hopefully it’s a good intro for kids, esp those who’s parent wants to transition

I have made a goal of trying to read a lot of picture books about diversity in the past few months. So that one day when I have a child I can pass them on and educate them.

He's my Mom! is an excellent picture book that educates the reader about transition and the use of the correct pronouns.
The message of the book is simple and clear: Bambi's mom is a man called David and he goes by the pronouns he/him. And all that David and Bambi want is love and respect even though in the beginning things might seem confusing.
The art work was also amazing on top of a beautiful story with a beautiful message.

I know that everyone is entitled to their own opinion but I believe that more and more books for children should have diversity and educate them that people come in all shapes, sizes and colors and even though we might seem different on the outside we are all the same on the inside.

P.S. the dog was adorable

I loved, loved this book! And loved the positivity in it and learning to adjust from one pronoun to another. I’m ordering this book and purchasing it for the library! ❤️

I don’t think I’ve ever reviewed a picture book but I’m going to try my best because this is a book that could potentially change so many lives. First, I want to start by saying that I received an earc copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange of an honest review and y’all know I am very honest in these reviews so when I tell you I’m so glad this book existed I truly mean it.
People like to say kids are too young to understand what being queer is and that there’s no point of teaching them because they might just get confused. I’ve heard this so many times from so many mouths but this is just not true. If a kid can understand how a prince was turned into a beast and how a kidnapped woman could end up falling in love with him in his beast form (which by the way can be a VERY dangerous message but you don’t see parents complaining about it) then they can understand how two men can fall for each other or how someone can be born in the wrong body. Just say you don’t want to explain it to them because you’re scared your kid might realize they’re queer and leave.
Now that you see the flaw in your thinking let me talk to you about this beauty. If you have no idea how to explain to kids what being transgender means check this book out. Honestly though it’s a chapter book this is a fantastic tool for kids all age. This book with its very simple explanation and language (because it really is that simple) will help you open the conversation about being trans. It covers topics like misgendering, pregnancy, and transitioning in a such a sweet and simple way that even *I* a 24 years old benefited from it. I can see myself reading this book to all of my niblings and using it as a way to open the conversation and let them know I will be their safe place if they need me.
I just know this book will change so many lives from kids having their teacher or guardian reading this and then understanding how diverse this world is to the kids who are questioning why the feel different and finding the answer they’re looking for between the pages of this book. I am so glad this book exist and can’t wait until this books stop being special and become part of the norm.
This book will be out on August 19, 2021 so go preorder a copy or ask your library to buy a copy or add it to your TBR and mention it to all your friend and family. You never know who might need it.
A BIG thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my earc of this book.

This book was perfect for the target audience. This book tells a wonderful story about a child and their parent's journey with transitioning and what that means. At the end of the book, there is an excellent glossary provided that encompasses all of the meanings of the terminology used.

This is a cute book, I do like that it broadened the world/story past just discussing Mom's transition. I wish there was at least an acknowledgement that many trans people may want their children and other loved ones to change the gendered words used to refer to them, including the word, "mom." I am not a parent, so I do understand it may be different, but I know that not every trans person would want their children to keep using terms that don't align with their gender. I do know that some do, and for them this book is great!

Thank you to NetGalley and Jessica Kingsley Publishers for the arc of He's My Mom by Sarah Savage.

This book is very sweet. I absolutely love the way that Savage has explained transitioning in language that is appropriate for young children. Not only is there understanding coming from this book but it also teachers children that misgendering those who are transgender is hurtful. When Benjamin's uncle misgenders his dad Benjamin explains why it is hurtful for his dad to be misgendered. I also think it's so important that the book tells the reader that Benjamin's dad is happier now that he has transitioned and that while it wasn't easy for Benjamin at first he is now proud to say, "he's my mom."

This type of representation in children's books is so important to have for everyone to see. Without these books children can be left not being able to see themselves or their families in stories and that is so important for everyone. I appreciate the kind and simple way that this story has been explained and how impactful the pictures are as well. The inclusion of a glossary and reading guide at the back can help those who are not comfortable with the subject support children in understanding what is happening in the story.

Perfect for young readers, especially those who know someone who is trans such as a parent, friend or relative. The language is straightforward and direct but also very insightful.

I appreciated the importance of using the correct pronouns, as well as the child observing how happy his mom is after transitioning.

The biggest takeaway is that no matter how much the outer appearance of his parent has changed, his mom is still the same person inside and his love for his child has not changed.

Thank you to the Jessica Kingsley publishers and NetGalley for the digital ARC.

This is a sweet book that would be useful for explaining transition to a younger child. I do wish there was more of a storyline instead of just the explainers throughout the book for things like "transition" and "pronouns." Focusing on character feelings around it being Mom's first time at the men's camping trip could have the same effect, however I think that is a result of the age focus. One thing I didn't love is the phrase "he used to be a she." Transgender people didn't "use" to be anything other than who they are. They may have used different pronouns or were trying to fit into gender expectations/norms but they didn't "use" to be a woman/man and are "now" a man/woman because of transition. This is something that could be addressed with a simple restructuring of the phrase.

I really enjoyed this cute picture book! He's My Mom is about a boy named Benjamin and his mom, David, who has transitioned to being a man. It explores Benjamin's feelings about it and what his mom's journey was like, touching on ideas such as transition, gender-affirming surgery, and misgendering (which was handled gracefully!). As a trans reader, I really appreciated this, and I loved how accepting David's family was of him. This is great for any child with a trans relative or parent.

Every once in a while I‘ll be blown away by a picture book deftly and simply explaining a topic that some adults are flustered by. This book (and its companion She‘s My Dad) show what it is like for a child to have a transgender parent. My favorite thing about both of these books is how they explain pronouns and the consequences of misgendering someone.

I was granted eARC access to He's My Mom! via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely love how simple the narration is. It sticks to all the basic terms you need to know as child, which makes it way easier for them to comprehend. I'm slowly trying to accumulate LGBTQ+ themed books for children, because I really want to use them for teaching courses in the future, and this makes a great addition to that collection!

I love how the book mentions that David has become way happier after transitioning. It was such a small thing to mention, however it was so darn meaningful. Bambi is such a lovely kid who just wants the best for his mom, and I love how it showcased all the new memories they were able to have together after the transition.

Very cute but also very insightful.

I was really pleased to find this book and thought it was a great way to introduce young children to trans people. I liked how this book didn't focus on how the character's mom is trans but was more focused on them just doing everyday things and going on trips. I thought that the images were also great and added to the story to show the journey that the mom went on as a transgender man. I really liked how this book celebrates being transgender and the different things that come along with it.