A Quick & Easy Guide to Queer & Trans Identities

Starred review from March 18, 2019
This nonfiction graphic novel by #OwnVoices collaborators Mady G. and Zuckerberg packs a lot of useful information into a slim volume. Iggy, a snail, imparts terminology, concepts, and advice to other snails observing a campfire gathering of queer humans. Iggy begins by helpfully answering “What is queer?” and then considers topics such as gender identity and expression, dysphoria, and asexuality. The authors, through Iggy, make clear that gender identity and sexual preference can have vastly differing meanings and expressions. Two final chapters—on relationship basics and coming out—offer useful, reassuring guidelines centered on what individuals find comfortable and safe. The cartoony snails and humans are depicted in pastel pinks and purples, while brief interstitials follow cool-colored “sproutlings,” friendly plant/animal beings whose forms and identities vary widely. An introduction notes that “these identities and labels are meant to serve the individual rather than purely classify them”; with this compact volume, the creators serve readers well, including those exploring gender identity and those who love them. Ages 13–up.