*I received this book as an eARC from Jessica Kingsley Publishers via NetGalley. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | GoodreadsTitle: Sylvia and Marsha Start a Revolution!: The Story of the Trans Women of Color Who Made LGBTQ+ History
Author: Joy Ellison
Illustrator: Tesh Silver
Upcoming Release Date: November 19, 2020
Synopsis: "Someday girls like us will be able to wear whatever we want. People will call us by the names we choose. They'll respect that we are women. The cops will leave us alone and no one will go hungry."
Review: This picture book showcases two amazing trans women of color! It's the Stonewall Riots in children's book format. Plus a glimpse into these two women's lives. This book addresses homelessness. Police are seen as the antagonist, but in a way that is children appropriate.
Upcoming Release Date: November 19, 2020
Synopsis: "Someday girls like us will be able to wear whatever we want. People will call us by the names we choose. They'll respect that we are women. The cops will leave us alone and no one will go hungry."
Sylvia and Marsha are closer than sisters. They are kind and brave and not afraid to speak their truth, even when it makes other people angry.
This illustrated book introduces children to the story of Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson, the two transgender women of colour who helped kickstart the Stonewall Riots and dedicated their lives to fighting for LGBTQ+ equality. It introduces children to issues surrounding gender identity and diversity, accompanied by a reading guide and teaching materials to further the conversation.
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Review: This picture book showcases two amazing trans women of color! It's the Stonewall Riots in children's book format. Plus a glimpse into these two women's lives. This book addresses homelessness. Police are seen as the antagonist, but in a way that is children appropriate.
After the story, there's plenty of additional resources. There are details and information so that adults can give some context to children who have additional questions. And so the adults have that information for themselves as well. There are even external resources. And some activities.
The events shown in this book are made appropriate for children so not all the details are there.
I give this book a 5/5. I love seeing books like this for children. Especially showcasing trans women of color from history.
--PAUL
--PAUL
Did you do any fact-checking, at all? Or is it presented as fictional?
ReplyDeleteDeeply shocked about this attempt to teach children false, "transified" LGB-history.
ReplyDeleteSHAME !
This book is pushing an historical inaccuracy of our LGB Civil Rights history, Marsha/Malcolm self described himself in a video mere days before his death as a gay man, and simply a crossdresser. He said that he crossdressed because he could earn more money as a drag queen and as a sex worker, this video is on YouTube. He would also get very upset being misgendered when not in character.
ReplyDeleteHe was not the catalyst for the Stonewall riots, that was a butch black lesbian called Stormé DeLarverie. Marsha/Malcolm himself in an interview that is available online stated that he got to the bar late and that it was already on fire by that time and that Silvia, a very troubled individual, was in park taking “cocktails” (slang at the time for a combination of drugs) with his punters.
This book is offensive to LGB people and their civil rights history, this drive by trans activists to insert themselves into our civil rights struggle to claim the credit for the rights WE won by OURSELVES is seriously unacceptable and disrespectful.
We owe the right we won to ourselves and I strongly object to this book being used to transwash our civil rights history.
I think it's problematic how the words of a dead black man are ignored and him being called a woman because he failed to live up to white expectations of black masculinity. He was also seriously unwell believing that his father was Neptune to the point where he would routinely throw his clothes into the river in tribute to his 'father'.
If the writer of the review had any integrity they would revisit this review and be clear in it about these inaccuracies and adjust the scoring.
This needs to stop.
This is so well said, Judy. Thank you a lot.
Delete