Biosex affirmative children's books

[NotAJellyBaby]

Not sure what else to call it - basically books which say that you can like whatever you like and still be a girl/ boy. Books for kids as young as 3 are being published at an alarming rate encoraging kids to doubt their biological sex. I want to collate a master list of books for young children with present the alternative. Sadly, they are few and far between. Here's what I've found, please add more!

Pink is for boys

www.amazon.co.uk/Pink-Boys-Eda-Kaban/dp/0762462477/ref=sr_1_1?s=gateway&crid=24193442VGJPY&keywords=pink+is+for+boys&sprefix=pink+is+f%2Caps%2C152&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&qid=1553952399&sr=8-1

(received reviews such as "I bought this book with high hopes, and while it delivers on featuring diverse characters it relies very heavily on a boy or girl frame. If you want to offer your children more than 2 gender options, this is not the book that will do it.")

Julian is a mermaid

www.amazon.co.uk/Julian-Mermaid-Jessica-Love/dp/1406386421/ref=pd_sbs_14_1/258-9722745-9587464?psc=1&pf_rd_p=18edf98b-139a-41ee-bb40-d725dd59d1d3&_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_wg=kEaW0&pf_rd_r=Y9MK4MBSTNSNBK3ZNJQ2&pd_rd_i=1406386421&pd_rd_w=M7pXR&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&refRID=Y9MK4MBSTNSNBK3ZNJQ2&pd_rd_r=75eae36a-52ef-11e9-aaac-1b9af162ec26

One review tries to call Julian "gender fluid" but the book clearly describes him as a boy who dresses up in "feminine" clothes and should be accepted just as HE is.

My princess boy

www.amazon.co.uk/My-Princess-Boy-Cheryl-Kilodavis/dp/1442429887/ref=pd_sbs_14_30?psc=1&pf_rd_p=18edf98b-139a-41ee-bb40-d725dd59d1d3&_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_wg=3ab59&pf_rd_r=K3MAC7M5X238KVJJF4WJ&pd_rd_i=1442429887&pd_rd_w=T1zwl&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&refRID=K3MAC7M5X238KVJJF4WJ&pd_rd_r=d59c916e-52ef-11e9-8669-1d4b023142e4

I hate hate hate the title, but the message seems positive, i.e "princess" boys are still boys. Has a review that I think is gender critical but honestly these issues have got everyone so bloody confused that it's hard to tell.

"Girls shouldn’t be raised like little princesses, all frilly pink dresses and dolls as this can lead to being treated in a less serious way and often having less fun than boys. However if you are born a boy and want to identify as a girl then how do you do it - it seems by dressing in frilly pink dresses and playing with dolls. How do these two types of behaviour co-exist in a sensible world?! This book is good because it introduces the idea of differing people."

The "all about Clive", "Clive's jobs", and "all about Rosa" books.

www.amazon.co.uk/Clive-Nurse-Clives-Jessica-Spanyol/dp/1846439914/ref=sr_1_1?s=gateway&crid=YBHIOKNBKUJQ&keywords=clives+jobs&sprefix=clives+%2Cstripbooks%2C154&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&qid=1553953454&sr=8-1

These books don't mention sex, gender, identity, or any other political buzz words; they don't centre around a story in which a child is initially marked as different but then we learn that that's OK; they just describe two children, clearly marked as male/ female, going about their day without conforming to sex based stereotypes.

Frida Kahlo

www.amazon.co.uk/Frida-Kahlo-Little-People-Dreams/dp/1847807704/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&crid=2OAJH1WSU0V1P&keywords=frida+kahlo&sprefix=frid%2Cstripbooks%2C156&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&qid=1553953809&sr=1-2

I know there have been attempts to "transwash" Frida out of history, but this book clearly presents her as a woman who liked to dress however she pleased. In fact, the whole "little people big dreams" series is like that as far as I know.

David Bowie

www.amazon.co.uk/David-Bowie-Little-People-DREAMS/dp/178603803X/ref=sr_1_fkmrnull_1?s=books&crid=7NGSU3QMFFZ5&keywords=david+bowie+little+people+big+dreams&sprefix=david+bowie+lit%2Cstripbooks%2C148&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&qid=1553954024&sr=1-1-fkmrnull

As above.

Amazing you: Getting smart about your private parts

www.amazon.co.uk/Amazing-You-Getting-Smart-Private/dp/0142410586/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&crid=2IOBONKGOBYIO&keywords=amazing+you+getting+smart+about+your+private+parts&sprefix=amazing+you%2Cstripbooks%2C150&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&qid=1553954114&sr=1-1

From the description: "Here is a picture book designed especially for young children who are becoming aware of their bodies, but aren't ready to learn about sexual intercourse. Amazing You! presents clear and age-appropriate information about reproduction, birth, and the difference between girls and boys bodies."

In this book, girls do not have dicks.

I imagine that most "facts of life" books will be based on sex as an immutable binary, but this one seems really nice for young children.

Anyway, that's all I've got for now. Please add your own (maybe we should even think about trying to write our own!)

Another vote for ‘Clive’ here. Also the ‘Sophie’ books by Dick King-Smith.

@neurotrashwarrior

Alfie Birthday surprise has Maureen mentioning her woodwork class and making stuff

Evening at Alfie has her being a plumber and learning where the stopcock is

Shirley Hughes is wonderful for diversity in general, and for a lack of gender stereotyping. I wish Helpers was still in print- about George the (teenage?) babysitter with long hair! It is probably just a bit too dated for today's children though. So many bell bottoms!

And some of the older Shirley Hughes from the 70s are a bit hilarious- very "learning at home with mother"- gently anachronistic I would say. The books from the 80s on are still very relevant though!

We need more GC authors writing books for all ages. Teen novels down to picture books. Come on you writers! There is a market for your stories.

I'm a published author. I can safely say that almost all adult novels being published today are happily non-woke -- ie female characters don't have penises, and men don't have periods!And there is absolutely no demand by editors and publishers for translanguage: cis-woman, menstruators and the like.
I do know a couple of American writers who are loudly pro-trans and probably write such books, but it is very definitely a tiny niche genre. I don't think the general reading public is ready for that nonsense. I honestly can't imagine that this will change soon. The adult publishing trade is driven by reader demand and it is all still very un-woke. Thank goodness.

It's different with children's books. Perhaps in a few years I'll start writing books for my grandchildren and they will certainly not be conforming to any trans-shite out there.

There is an interview with the author of Julian is a Mermaid in Pink Newswhere she makes reference to writing the book with Gender Queer kids in mind and kids questioning their Gender identity. She talks about a Trans friend who provided inspiration and about the relevance of Mermaids to the story and there is mention of the charity Mermaids. I don’t think this book is as innocent and lovely as it’s being described here. I can’t link but have a look and see what you think

Blockedbywho the hippo book is ‘happy I’m a hippo’ by Richard Edwards , my DD loves it

For the wider question of finding books promoting "girls can do anything!", there's a recent series called The Wollstonecraft Detective Agency, featuring Mary Shelley and Ada Lovelace in a steampunk early Victorian London. The author, Jordan Stratford, says:
This raises all kinds of fun stuff like the role of intuition in science, about different kinds of intelligence, and altogether presents two very real historical pro-math, pro-literature role models for girls, like my own daughter and her friends. The young Charles Dickens makes an appearance too, as a bookish gentle boy.
www.thechildrensbookreview.com/weblog/2015/01/wollstonecraft-the-case-of-the-kickstarter-project.html

Here's a strong female lead for preschoolers - Maisy mouse books by Lucy Cousins. Brilliant books, my kids love them. (Although my daughter thinks that gender non-conforming Maisy is a boy )

www.hive.co.uk/Search/Search?Series=Maisy

If you do a master list, OP, how about using non Amazon links? I reckon we could send our money somewhere slightly more deserving.