Usbourne publishing calling mums transphobes

[Abite]

Go woke go broke

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.

But, sadly, don't lots of children grow up like this? Maybe some of the children would relate to it? (I say this as a child who had alcoholic parents and a father who came out as gay/was suicidal). I felt that I had to be brave and secretive and the 'parent'. I've not read the book or know nothing about it. Is it actually encouraging children to bottle things up etc or for children to support their parents, or is it acknowledging how kids might feel, however uncomfortable that might be? Just asking a genuine question before anyone piles on me.

using manipulative behaviour such as pretending to cry so that Jimmy, who was just child, would have to comfort him.

I read the first 4 chapters of this book using the Amazon preview. In the first chapter Izzy is put off going for a 3am snack as she tiptoes downstairs and hears her father crying.

That could be a totally valid point... Were it not written by a Stonewall campaigner. I get your drift, not trying to pile on.

A complex, nuanced look at this topic from the viewpoint of transwidows/children of transitioners could have the potential to be good, sure.

Perhaps one where the parents split up and the children see the progress of transition via weekend visits would create a story telling device where they could discuss it with friends/other parent/teacher/therapist during the week. This would allow for reflection and emotional growth and prevent the child from being subsumed into the transitioned parents new narrative?

Tiddles Is it actually encouraging children to bottle things up etc or for children to support their parents, or is it acknowledging how kids might feel, however uncomfortable that might be? Just asking a genuine question before anyone piles on me.

Yes, that. Describing the child as having certain feelings is a means of exploring those feelings as part of a narrative arc. Kids feel all sorts of misplaced obligation and duty towards parents of all sorts, and need opportunities to explore these feelings. The best children’s writing provides those opportunities for the many scenarios of family life children may find themselves in.

Usborne says in blurb and synopsis that the book is intended to support children in this tricky situation and encourage empathy from others towards those children.

At least read it before jumping to conclusions about it’s message and agenda.

Children of parents who transition could benefit so much from having more stories that examine that experience, and finding more people who have considered what it might be like to be the child of a trans parent and can empathise with the issues that child might be facing.

It's true that you often can not tell what the tone of a book will be from the summaries that come from the publisher. I can think of times I've had an impression that was clearly wrong when I read the book for myself, whether the book turned out to be worse or better it was not what I expected. Or other times when the publishers description was just very poor.

It's why reviews from real reviewers are useful.

I am on it, DuMondeB! I have just started reading the book and it is already pretty clear what's going on with Dad.

It's pretty painful tbh not just because of the disturbing content but also the writing is just really bad.

Emma (childrenoftransitioners.org)

The apostrophe at
Grace's already opened the wardrobe door
is painful to read

Jeez. It's bad enough as a wife finding the clothes, but a child finding them with (presumably) her friend?

And Hi Emma x @GoodbyePiccadilly

Hi TinselAngel :-)

It's a very clear agenda here in cementing the 'born in the wrong body' narrative.

I'm 'jumping to conclusions' @Retrofitted, not just based in the publisher's synopsis but from reading several reviews.

And a book written by Stonewall's head of campaigns is going to have a very clear message and agenda. Sarah is responsible for pushing a very specific narrative in her day job and it would be very odd indeed if her book presented a more nuanced perspective.

There are Usborne catalogues in my staff room. Come
Monday they'll be dumped at the bottom of my recycling bin.

Again...

Izzy’s family is under the spotlight when her dad comes out as Danielle, a trans woman. Izzy is terrified her family will be torn apart. Will she lose her dad? Will her parents break up? And what will people at school say? Izzy’s always been shy, but now all eyes are on her. Can she face her fears, find her voice and stand up for what’s right?

Retro what do you think is meant by 'stand up for what's right' in this context? Given that this was written by someone who works for Stonewall? Do you think its the job of a child to have to be 'facing her fears' in order to validate the feelings of her parent?

I am making assumptions here that Izzy does 'face her fears, find her voice and stand up for what's right' and protect her own father, and it's a warm fuzzy ending where Danielle gets to be 'her true self' with the help of her daughter, but I could of course be wrong.

Am I being terribly cynical GoodbyePiccadilly to suspect there might be heavy involvement from a male transitioner in the writing of this book? It's the "silky material" line that rings alarm bells.

In the review I read it mentioned the heartwarming scene where the children decide what they're going to call their dad instead of dad now so I'd say your assumptions are pretty well founded CallofDoodee

The Usborne 'Look Inside...' books are my default birthday present for my kids' friends. I must have bought fifty of them over the past few years. I won't be buying another one.

That first excerpt could well be paraphrased as:

“My Mum has always shown me that there’s no need to conform to gender stereotypes around clothes, but it turns out my dad wants to reinforce them.”

OldCrone that is a very distressing story . I hope this woman is in a better place today.

The apostrophe at
Grace's already opened the wardrobe door
is painful to read

Not the point but this in itself would ensure I never bought it. Does no one edit these books?

Books with an obvious agenda are rarely popular with children who are prolific readers, in my experience.

Anyone want a sweepstake?

Were I betting, I'd put money on Izzy's family not being torn apart, her parents not breaking up, and everything working out exactly as Izzy's dad's wildest dreams might have imagined.

Books with an obvious agenda are rarely popular with children who are prolific readers, in my experience.

Yes, there are a lot of terrible books of this type for both children and teens. For some reason many adults think that children's literature should be mainly about reinforcing the kinds of social norms they prefer.