Usbourne publishing calling mums transphobes

Why do you keep asking that @Retrofitted? Are you saying that the synopses and reviews online (which are many) are failing to describe the book accurately?

So Lang, have you read the book? Has anyone on this thread?

If a children's publisher is not up-to-date with basic safeguarding and issues of grooming, it is not fit for purpose. End of.

One of the main reasons I got into this debate was the wholesale disregard of basic child safeguarding protocols by genderist materials (especially when the children put most at risk by this are the very children who are questioning gender).

No group gets to undermine child safeguarding. I don't care which group it is. Every scandal regarding children has occurred because safeguarding has been subverted - be that Catholic priests, grooming gangs, children's TV entertainers.

I don't give two shits that it's genderists this time. It could be any group.

Books that promote children as responsible for their parents wellbeing are books that promote grooming. Stop looking at this from a genderist prism. It's not about genderism. Look at it from a safeguarding perspective. Because that's what it's about.

If anyone from Usborne comes to this thread (Hi Usborne!), how about publishing a positive book about gender non-conformity like "My Body Is Me"? One that is actually supportive and accepting of our wonderfully diverse children just the way they are. Mums like that sort of thing. And we are the ones who buy the books for our much loved non-conforming children.

This book isn't being marketed to and for the children of trans families. It's not about them.

There are plenty of trans groups and organisations that will step in to 'support' children and families in this situation.

The book is about getting everyone else to be nice, to go along with this for the sake of the poor children if nothing else. It's gaslighting, pure and simple.

Sorry, this bit of my previous post:

• Introverted Izzy has just started Year 8 and is wildly excited when her favourite teacher announces auditions for a Christmas production of Guys and Dolls. Though shy, she’s come to love acting because on stage she “could be whoever I wanted.” And Izzy’s not the only member of her family who wants - and needs - to be who they really are, as she discovers when her dad tells the family he’s transgender and is about to begin transitioning. Though he gently explains, “It’s nothing to be ashamed of, it’s nothing dirty, I’m not ill”, Izzy’s older sister reacts angrily, her little brother accepts it in the same way he understands Spider Man and Peter Parker’s different identities, while Izzy feels quiet worry about how their lives will change. The family’s journey is honestly and sensitively portrayed as they endure hurtful prejudice alongside many heart-melting moments, such as the gorgeous scene in which the three siblings think-up their new name for Dad. This is at once an important support tool for children in similar situations, and a barrier-breaking, empathy-inducing story for all.*

Is a synopsis of the book.

Behaviour is on a spectrum. Behaviours that are not intended to be abusive can be perilously close to abusive.
Safeguarding means we avoid those behaviours, whatever our intentions.

Oh crap. I spend about £200+ a year on Usborne books for my daughter, family, colleagues and friends. I don't have a view on this particular book as I've not read it but if Usborne is publically calling gender non-conformists transphobic they won't be getting any more money or praise from me. I am raising my daughter to reject gender stereotypes and won't support any business that is openly rude about this belief.

It’s not about which parent's "transitioning". Nor is it about "transitioning". The objection is that the book valorises children taking on the responsibility for parents. That's anti-safeguarding and perilously close to grooming.

Lang, and others criticising the book’s content: Have you read the book? Like, all the way through?

If not, it seems really unreasonable to make such definite statements about what the books message is, and go so far as to call it grooming!

I've always been a bit dubious about Usborne since a friend got sucked into selling them, years ago.

She ran herself ragged, thoroughly pissed off her entire friendship group because of her constant nagging us to buy the bloody books, & ended up making about 26p by the time she called it quits.

I mean, I've never been bothered enough by it to boycott, I just warned off anyone I knew who was tempted to start selling them.

This would definitely have me actively avoiding them, though.

Aaand that's the last usborne book I'll be buying.

• I apologise for implying the book was shitty, I don't mean that it is. I haven't read it. I just meant that it seemed a bit OTT to call it wildly important, but that is what marketeers do, I suppose.

It's a shame because I have bought a few Usborne non fiction books previously which have been great but I won't be supporting them any further.

I believe in publishing freedom and don’t have any issue with the book being published.

I do have an issue with their comment about “transphobic trolls” and wont buy their books again. My toddler loves the “that’s not my...” series and I’m always buying them for children’s birthdays. What a shame.

'Wildly important', says Usborne on that tweet. Wildly? Does that not sound just a teeny bit desperate?

Are they manufacturing outrage to try and shift a shitty book?

I like Usborne books, good quality bindings, nice illustrations. (I buy a LOT of books.) The premise of this one sounds quite worrying, though. And I wasn't aware of the MLM aspect, at all! Hm.

I could be wrong, but I think they are MLM led because they expect Mums to sell them to other Mums.

Another avid book purchaser turned off here.

@CallofDoodee yeah, absolutely agree. I commented again when I saw that point made. Again, not read the book, so don't know and can't comment, but my view is: if this is a book for a child to support them in managing a complex family situation, and the social implications for them, then that's excellent. If it's a book training a child to cater to a parent's own needs, that's straightforwardly emotionally abusive.

Pity. I enjoy their Look inside books.
Also the "what's happening to me?" books about puberty. I'll have to find DS1's copy and see if there's reference to transgender in it.

OldCrone that story is shocking. Absolutely shocking.

but I don't see an issue with supporting people to live their best lives, either.

Children should not be supporting adults to 'live their best lives'. That is not the responsibility of a child.

I'm as GC as the next person, but I don't think there's anything wrong with a book supporting children with a trans parent.

From the blurb though, this sounds more like its about a child supporting their trans parent. She's a 'shy' child but has to 'find her voice' and 'face her fears' not to benefit herself but in order to protect and validate the feelings her father? Just... No.

A female child having to put in lots of work in order to protect the feelings of her male parent is really quite misogynistic and sends the message that the feelings of adult males take priority over the feelings of children. Which can actually be a very dangerous message and is a message used by groomers and abusers all the time.

I admit I haven't read the book so I don't know how the story goes, but that synopsis does not fill me with hope

Well usborne can fuck off, can't they? Another example of a business alienating their core buyers in pursuit of woke points.

Idiots.