True You is a beautiful tribute to the wonder and diversity of kids, AND the importance of letting kids explore and have agency for themselves. A book like this would likely have drastically improved my life if I’d had it as a kid. A necessary addition to every school library! — Schuyler Bailar, Author of Obie Is Man Enough and creator of the LaneChanger.com Gender Literacy Learning Series
Every page warms my heart. I love the beautiful photos and I appreciate the diversity represented. I hope this book finds its way to kids everywhere. True You is a great learning tool to help make the world a kinder place. — Kai Shappley, trans activist, actress, and author of the forthcoming middle grade novel, Joy, to the World
A beautiful book of beautiful children! A wonderful way for kids to see themselves. — Grace Lin, Newbery, Geisel, and Caldecott honoree author
Look at all these beautiful faces! These children are positively glowing and I firmly believe that’s because each one of them feels free to be their unique and authentic selves. What a wonderful, joyous, affirming, celebratory book—I absolutely love it! — Lesléa Newman, author of Heather Has Two Mommies and Sparkle Boy
True You is a must-read celebration of gender. This picture book spotlights a joyful spectrum of identities through the smiles and no-nonsense words of actual children. It also provides extensive resources to affirm and support transgender, nonbinary, cisgender, and questioning youth. This is the book you’re searching for to help older Americans transition from an inflexible sex-based misunderstanding of gender to a future filled with identity freedom for all. — Cory McCarthy, author of Ace Takes Flight
True You: A Gender Journey cheerfully and concisely makes accessible the complexities of gender identity and expression to a younger audience. It provides the absolutely needed service of allowing young people to recognize gender diversity both in themselves and in their peers, presenting many possibilities of both exploration tactics and ways of being. I truly believe this book will allow gender diverse youth to recognize themselves and know that they are not alone, and allow cisgender youth to approach gender diversity from a lens of kindness and potential rather than unfamiliarity and ostracization. — Alexander Petrovnia, founder of the Trans Formations Project
True You: A Gender Journey joyfully celebrates children and the freedom to be yourself. Told through the voices and experiences of real people, this book offers a lively introduction to gender diversity from credible experts on the topic. — Donalyn Miller, Teacher and Author, The Book Whisperer
“The informative book, which fills a definite need as gender has become increasingly controversial, contains a generous collection of informative back matter, it includes a glossary, letters from a family and a trans woman, sources and resources, and more. If the book has a message, it’s articulated by a young boy who says, “Everyone should feel safe to be who they are.” — Michael Cart — Booklist (starred review)
“Agna and Rotner’s text, presented against brightly colored backgrounds, encourages—“People might think your body is a clue to who you are. It is what you think that matters!”—while Rotner’s photographs capture exuberant self-expression, creating a crucial window and mirror for gender-expansive kids and their loved ones.” — Publishers Weekly
2022-08-17
Photographs and text describe gender identity.
Full-color images show a wide array of children—diverse in age, race, gender, and ability—grinning for the camera, playing, and posing. In a series of upbeat affirmations, the kids collectively explain that they are “courageous, / curious, creative, and proud,” with background colors subtly evoking a rainbow. The cheery narration tries to be as broadly applicable as possible but unfortunately lapses into vague tautologies such as “There’s a whole wide world of kids and different ways to be who you are—your true you.” This explanatory text transitions into speech bubbles paired with images of trans, cis, and gender-expansive youth (“When I was born, people said I was a girl. They were right!” “Nonbinary kids, like my sibling, should be treated the same way that other friends who are cisgender boys and girls are treated”). These appear to be quotations from real kids but might be manufactured dialogue. The book ends with collective narration, repeating the same message of acceptance. Extensive backmatter explores concepts and terms not touched on in the book itself. While this title tries for sweet and open-ended, it instead comes off as cloying, confusing, and directionless. Though it may be helpful for some, a more focused nonfiction text or skillfully done work of fiction could contain the same messages without being overwhelming. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A heartfelt but skippable contribution. (authors’ note, note from an educator, letters from “a grown-up trans girl” and a family, glossary, terminology, information on therapeutic support, resources and sources) (Picture book. 4-8)