I find this a hard book to comment on. I come from an older generation who, just like children of trans parents I find it hard to adjust. I want to get it right because loving parents are lovely people. However, surely when you change gender you have made that difficult decision to do so completely so I struggle with how ‘He’ can be a ‘Mum’. If Clare becomes Colin and a child/person excepts that name change then, excepting a Mum becomes Dad is the same. That is just a name change. Otherwise you are saying that only ‘Mums’ can do motherly things and not ‘Dads’. a distinction, as a feminist, I’ve fought against all my life.
Thank you Sarah for writing this book It has made me think quite deeply. I will continue to seek out and read such books in my effort to understand and change the way I think about gender. As an old time feminist it’s not easy.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Jessica Kingsley Publishers for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own. Please note that I am not an own voices reviewer and it is important to listen to members of the transgender community first and foremost *

This picture-story book aims to open up conversation and aid in teaching children about what it means to have a transgender parent or relative.

A young child tells the story about their mom and how he transitioned recently. The child tells the reader why it's important to use the correct pronouns and explains how they feel in some circumstances, like when the wrong pronouns are used or when their mom was in the hospital for transition surgery.

I really loved the simple illustrations to support the important message behind the text itself. There are also useful discussion questions and a glossary of terms included at the back of the book to aid in meaningful and respectful conversations.

The whole topic is encapsulated in a wider story about the child and their mom going to a social event together, which provides context and more importantly does not make a big deal out of this identify, but rather positions some people being Transgender as an everday, normal reality - which it is!

From a teaching perspective, this book would be particularly useful if there is a child in your lower primary class who has a transgender parent or relative, though I would definitely check with the parent first to ensure that the representation suits their circumstances and they would like this discussion to go ahead in the classroom or one-on-one with the child. Obvisouly comes down to individual circumstances and preferences. ​

I would recommend this text to ages 5 to 7

Simply excellent!

This sweet story starts off with everyday events: Bambi adopting a new puppy, looking forward to a family camping trip, it's time to wind down so "come inside now".

The next step is completely natural: "my mom transitioned". Bambi talks about how mom explained it all to him, mom will always love him, and will always be Bambi's mom.

When a cousin forgets to use the correct pronouns, Bambi discusses how hurtful that can be. It's a really lovely scene to see Bambi as an advocate for his mom, and to see how proud he is of his mom!

Beautiful block style illustrations, with vibrant and attractive colors, it's very appealing.

A nice touch at the end are the questions for discussion, as well as the helpful glossary.

I am not sure if I have ever read a children's book about a transgender parent. This book explains transitioning in a simple and easy-to-understand way. I will buy this for my library. I hear more and more kids using words like gender, transitioning, and is she a boy? I think this is a great addition to any library, public, school, or home.

Over the first couple of pages, I groaned and thought, please don't tell me a story about a dog that is calling its owner mum, but rather quickly we got to the crux of the real plot.

I admire what Savage has done with this book. She has taken a 'taboo/ grown-up' topic and tapered down the language with the exception of the correct terms we should be using to describe the process of transitioning and how to address certain members of the LGBTQIA+ community.

For someone who has witnessed the transitioning of a close family member, whether they are 3 or 13, it really touches on some of the frequently asked questions/ slurs made.

It approached the subject with grace and highlighted the ignorance that even the people closest to members of the community get it wrong and need educating.

5/5 stars and major applause for the handling of this subject matter. I look forward to seeing further works in the future.

Super cute, and a great look at the way gender transitions can be both confusing and completely simple for kids!

He's My Mom does an excellent job of explaining a transgender transition in a loving and child-friendly way. I especially liked how the protagonist showed awareness of his mistakes and helped others to grow through their own mistakes. I would recommend this book to any of my students going through this process with a loved one or even friends of those same students!

I'm always on the look out for new and exciting books for young people about LGBTQ+ themes, so was thrilled to be sent an early copy of this book to review (thanks Netgalley!)
When this book started with the new dog I was slightly bemused as I thought maybe I had misread the description and maybe it was about being a dog mum instead of the idea of a transgender parent. Despite this initial thought, it soon moved into the idea of mum becoming dad and the theme of trans. It just all felt very random. Why the dog?!
Why not just focus on mum/dad?! Didn't really understand this choice with the plot.
I thought the illustrations were cute, and I liked the representation of the illustrations too - I was just slightly confused about the random dog which I thought took away from the whole point of the book!

4.83 stars

He’s My Mom! Is a child’s book that introduces trans identities, transitioning, pronouns and misgendering concepts in an age-appropriate way.

I felt that Sarah Savage did a wonderful job creating a book about trans identities in a way that was age appropriate, respectful and concise. Joules Garcia illustrations were clean, inclusive and complemented the book perfectly. I feel that both story and illustration were representative, diverse and inclusive. He’s My Mom! Will definitely find its spot in my bookshelves.

I remember when my child was in first grade, a classmate of his changed their name to represent the gender they identified with. The school tried to be inclusive, and the adults did a very good job embracing and respecting this change, but they did fail in making children understand the change.
I loved the language in the book, it’s simple, accurate and child friendly. As an educator, I really appreciated the reading guide at the end. It has great conversation starters to further discuss the topics with children. My favourite part was the way it was mentioned that people can make gendering mistakes, but it’s important to learn to pay attention because being misgendered is hurtful.

I am looking forward to other books in the series (I hope they exist) especially about a child who identifies with a different gender than the one they were born as. If anything, I wish this book featured a couple. I do not feel that there’s anything wrong with being a single parent, but I will make sure children don’t think Bambi’s mom is single because he transitioned.

Disclaimer: I first read it as an ARC. In exchange for an honest review, I am thankful to Jessica Kingsley Publishers, NetGalley and Sarah Savage for providing me with a copy of He’s My Mom!
#SarahSavage #JessicaKingsleyPublishers #He’sMyMom #NetGalley

I think this book would be perfect not only for kids that have a transgender parent or relative, but for every kid, whether they know someone who is transgender or will later on in life. The earlier you learn about gender identity the better, especially as kids usually have less boundaries in asking questions and as a result understand and accept things that they might have not known before. I particularly liked the inclusion of the "Reading guide" at the end, with questions the children can answer, which I think could be useful to start a conversation. And I also really liked the inclusion of a Glossary at the end, I think that could be really helpful for parents and teachers, in offering children-friendly definitions of gender identity, pronouns, trans and transition.

Handy little picture book that explains transitioning and the importance of using the correct pronouns when speaking about or to others. The story and language are simple and clear and roots the need to respect others pronouns accurately in the idea that failing to do so causes emotional harm. The idea that learning new pronouns for a loved one may include early mistakes is also covered. There is a companion book entitled <i>She's My Dad</i> as well.

Representation is important, and finding a book that tells, if not your story, close to your story is very important. In this well thought out easy to read picture book, the main character explains that his mom used to be female, but transitioned and is now presenting as a man.

Bambi still calls him his mom, Mom, but has to sometimes explain that his pronouns are He and Him.

One thing that was sweet in this story is that since the transition, his Mom is so much happier, which is a good thing to point out. That finally getting the gender that they feel, and can now present to the outside world is so much better.

Good book to have on hand, for those children whose parents have transitioned.

<em> Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review. </em>

This book isn’t coming out until Aug 19, 2021, but I can assure you that I will be buying a copy as soon as I possibly can.

Reading this book, even as a 28 year old, brought happy tears to my eyes.

It’s a story about Benjamin and his Mom, David.
David is a transgender man.

This story is quick and easy to read, and perfectly explains transgender and how to correct pronouns. It shows just how easy it is for kids to understand and accept things.

I absolutely adore this book and can’t wait to add it to my personal collection of trans stories!

It's a tough topic, I get that, but there's some gendering that felt a little unneeded, but maybe that's a bias I have. None of the trans parents I know kept their previous parental title. It feels a little too close to misgendering for me

This is a book that some kids might be able to relate to. It also brings understanding to a topic that might touch families. I especially liked how gentle and respectful it was in explaining the transition,