Book Review
A short overview of this book
Being You: A first conversation about gender by Megan Madison is a board book that is written to help parents to start conversations that they often deem as being too tough.
This book provides them with a useful tool for starting important conversations from a young age about body parts, gender assignment, gender binary, gender stereotypes, gender pronouns, gender expression & play, feminism, patriarchy and empowerment & activism. The authors simplify these topics into concepts that even the youngest of children can easily understand. You can find the rest of the books from this author here.
Parents will find it a useful tool for starting conversations that will pave their child’s future into being an inclusive adult that doesn’t discriminate when people (or things) are different from what they know.
You can learn more on this page, about how to talk to kids about sex education.
Ideal Age
Ideal for children aged 2 to 8 years.
Buy this book
✅ Buy a copy of Being You: A first conversation about gender by Megan Madison from Amazon.
Video Transcription
A transcription in case you are more of a reader than a listener
Hey there! I’m Cath Hakanson, and welcome to Sex Ed Rescue. I’m all about helping parents find better ways to approach sex education. Today, I want to talk about a super cool board book on gender that I came across.
Finding board books on different topics can be tough, but this one called Being You: A First Conversation About Gender by Megan Madison, Jessica Riley, and Anne Andy Pashere caught my attention. Now, I have to admit, the content might be a bit advanced for two or three-year-olds, but it’s perfect for four to five-year-olds. It’s a great book to start a conversation with your little ones.
This book is part of a series called First Conversations that covers various topics. It’s awesome to see that it’s culturally diverse, with bodies of different shapes, colors, sizes, and abilities. It emphasizes that everyone has a body, and while some parts are similar, others are different. It mentions that some bodies have a penis and some have a vagina, but I wish they had included intersex bodies too. Also, personally, I prefer using the term vulva instead of vagina, but that’s just me being picky as a midwife.
Moving on, the book talks about gender and how sometimes parents might think their child is a boy, but that can change, and that’s totally okay. It explains that some kids know they’re a boy, some know they’re a girl, some think they’re both, and some think they’re neither. It’s okay to wonder and not have all the answers.
While there might be better books out there for explaining gender and how children choose their gender, they aren’t board books. This one focuses on the importance of acknowledging who you are and talks about pronouns and how we express our gender through clothes, hair, and toys.
The book also touches on gender stereotypes and how they can make us feel. It acknowledges that there are unfair rules and beliefs about boys being stronger and smarter, but it also highlights the voices of those who stand up for equality. It encourages kids to speak up and make a difference when they see unfairness.
What I really love about this book is that it empowers kids to make the world a better place. It’s definitely not for toddlers, but it’s perfect for slightly older children. Plus, there’s extra information at the back on body parts, gender, stereotypes, pronouns, expression, feminism, and activism.
So, all in all, this book is a great addition to the resources available on gender. It’s the only board book I know of on this topic, which makes it a bit more durable. I hope you found this review helpful!
Take care and cheers!
