I've just read the 'terrorist propaganda' "My Body is Me" and...

[IdgieThreadgoodeIsMyHeroine]

... it doesn't even mention sex or gender! Not even once! What the fuck did TRAs find to object to about it?!

If you have small children and don't have a copy, I'd strongly recommend it- it's lovely!

Claire Vuillamy. Who behaved atrociously over this.

https://loobylou.substack.com/p/wrapping-up-rachel-rooney-for-christmas

This explains it

CV is currently tweeting about the 'failure' of the Cass Review.

https://twitter.com/ClaraVulliamy/status/1786447569389781227

No, I believe the two who have been most unpleasant in their behaviour towards Rachel are Joanne Harris (chair of the Society of Authors) and Clara Vulliamy.

Oh thank you, I've never heard of her.

Thanks for this, I'll give it a read.

Daughter of Shirley Hughes and is a children's book author in her own right.

Her mother was Shirley Hughes, one of the greatest children's illustrators and authors. CV is also an illustrator and author. In my opinion, formed before the recent stramash (wonderful word), she is not in her mother's league. I understand her adult male child is a transwoman. Joanne Harris is in a similar position. This has clearly influenced their behaviour.

I've just read the link posted by @dementedpixie- what a horrendous situation. Poor Rachel.

Her poetry books are cracking too.
Hey Girl was loved by my daughter at early teen age https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hey-Girl-Poems-Rachel-Rooney/dp/1913074587/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?crid=35QOJNVCYQEFR&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.1i-8I70HlV1gC4P-zVaZHjy2y8-NIx-y1xs3EBjzc2mdGcJfaCvJg4OAAJocBXC1DLnoTnqiSV89l5-j0LB9T5xmhw5GO6CVUjm2d3H4Nwddi0lOUzYJDxGo-GFGEEGqH0Ea8O2NjtESut7JLMwbWYD9TWs-i0dqttOeye_Fs711tBvu51sLqTwtnE25wjWO66pIfXN1tXbofIUTLhwUzA.L2Lq3WYgZrUkWHHshrLhV2WDwBC1RFGsl0cEmDjKb4c&dib_tag=se&keywords=Rachel+Rooney&qid=1714846343&sprefix=rachel+rooney%2Caps%2C178&sr=8-3

My favourite page is the one which starts 'my body can act like a low flying plane' because the illustrations follow the words across the page.

I love that bit, too! It's a perfect representation of the imagination of young children.

Vuillamy and J Harris have been positively poisonous, as far as I can see. I don't give a stuff that they have trans-identified adult children, they've been vindictive and malicious to a fellow writer who has been nothing but tolerant.

It's perfectly possible to support your child and still not hound colleagues out of work.

Rooney's book are smart and funny, have engaging approaches (see the Problem with Problems and the Trouble with Troubles) and only encourage children to feel good about themselves.

Yes. Defending cognitive dissonance seems to lead people to attack viciously and without foundation.

It’s a lovely little book and was very helpful when my 6 year old was struggling with her appearance due to the side effects of treatment for a life threatening, cancer related illness.

We will treasure it as a reminder of that time and how lucky she is to be in remission and (more or less) growing as expected, except for a few dental issues (aka ‘late effects’).

I always buy new parents a Sophie Giraffe and then wing it for 1st birthday gifts.

I shall start a new tradition of giving My body is me for 1st birthday gifts.

It's a gorgeous book. My 6 year old still asks for it sometimes although it's aimed at younger. Truly inclusive in the proper meaning of the word, showing all kinds of kids and family set ups.

I'm guessing it's deemed transphobic because it shows kids be gender non conforming without declaring them the opposite sex or non binary?

I can’t help but read “Clara Vuillamy” as “Clara Villainy” due to her appalling treatment of Rachel Rooney. You can’t help but wonder if she wasn’t at least partly motivated by professional jealousy 🤨

My Body Is Me should be in every home, library, & EYFS. There is nothing harmful in there; & certainly nothing transphobic. If you object to children being happy & confident in the bodies they inhabit, you are not a person who has any business being around children; producing material for them; nor influencing policy relating to them.

If I had to put on a TRA hat and find something to object to, I suppose I'd claim it's insidiously laying the groundwork for a transphobic agenda. And something about dogwhistles, probably.

The phrase "my body is me" alone would be enough for TRAs. What, deny their special and somehow mismatched gender souls? Deny their ladybrains? Worse, deny the predators among them an endless supply of permanently undeveloped, physically and mentally, children and childlike adults? Blasphemy!

i don’t really get the aggro here, it’s a book that some people don’t like
like many other books that some people don’t like
so put them all on the shelf right? We’re not in the business of banning books?

It is indeed a lovely book. Rachel Rooney was treated horrendously when, as PPs have said, her book carries messages of body positivity and inclusion that are perfect for the age group.

i don’t really get the aggro here

Indeed.

so put them all on the shelf right? We’re not in the business of banning books?

This comment is an interesting one to drop here. There's a difference between banning books (a phrase which evokes an image of book burning etc in the Nazi era) and schools or other libraries choosing which books to stock based on which are appropriate for children. It's a curiously emotive phrase to drop in to this thread.

There have been several threads about books which are inappropriate for preschoolers, because of how they set the scene for children thinking that their bodies aren't the right ones for them. Here are some:

This thread is about Grandpa's Pride, a book which teaches the same age group about bondage gear and double mastectomies, through its illustrations.
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/4878026-parents-remove-4-year-old-after-grandads-pride-book-shown-to-pre-schoolers

This thread is about the Proud Trust resources, which include a book called Alien Nation. In this book, everyone lives on the blue or pink planet, named Planet Boy and Planet Girl respectively. It starts well, challenging the stereotypes that happen on each planet... and by the end everyone is encouraged to choose their planet themselves, when they're ready, based on which stereotypes match them best.

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/4584553-the-proud-trust?reply=118368873&utm_campaign=reply&utm_medium=share

Obviously the discussion of choosing appropriate books, and highlighting why other books aren't appropriate (not "book banning") is relevant to this thread as well. It wouldn't be "aggro" to be appalled at the large number of books which have made it on to preschool, primary and secondary school reading lists where the messages are woven in to the words and illustrations to encourage children to question whether their body is the "right body" for them.

Now that the Cass Report has been released and reasonably widely publicised, it opens up more opportunity for preschools, nurseries, schools and Local Authorities to have more open discussions about which books provide positive messages about this topic and which don't. Hopefully authors and others in publishing who speak out against it will create a Streisand Effect in the conversation.

That's lovely. I reckon that's about the highest praise an author could hear.

Glad your niece is doing well.

I knew Joanne Harris had a trans-identified adult child, but not about CV.

Explains a lot, although excuses nothing. They've both been smug, spiteful, vindictive and actively tried to destroy the careers of authors who wouldn't chant the mantras. I'm trying very hard to be the better person and not hope that one day they get a taste of their own medicine. (Particularly Harris, whose Norse books I adored and now can't enjoy any more.)

I see that Clara Vulliamy has restricted her Twitter, presumably so that she doesn't have to read factual things, which disprove her wibblings.

I may have this wrong, but I thought the reason My Body Is Me was attacked was entirely down to the fact that it was published by Transgender Trend. Many writers, publishers, agents and librarians vociferously denounced TT as a transphobic organisation and did their level best to prevent anyone associated with it, including RR, from ever getting any work in schools. That was a huge problem for Rachel as most writers make very little money from their books but some are able to top it up by doing workshops in schools, and her income from that more or less dried up.

I don't know whether RR had been unable to get the book published by anyone else or whether she thought it would be a useful source of income for TT.