During the last couple of weeks The Iowa Standard has chronicled a number of books offered by the Iowa City Library “bookmobile” and the Ames Library “bookmobile” that would be prohibited from being offered inside elementary schools in Iowa. However, these library “bookmobiles” instead make weekly stops at elementary schools and offer the titles anyway.
We highlighted the book “Grandad’s Pride.” Read about that here.
We highlighted the book “If You’re A Drag Queen and You Know It.” Read about that here.
We highlighted the book “Hooray for she, he, ze, and they! What are your pronouns today?” Read about that here.
We highlighted the book “Pink, blue and you! Questions for Kids About Gender Stereotypes.” Read about that here.
We highlighted the book “The Rainbow Parade.” Read about that here.
We highlighted the book “Miss Rita, Mystery Reader.” Read about that here.
We highlighted the book, “You be You! A Kid’s Guide to Gender, Sexuality and Family.” Read about that here.
We highlighted the fact that the Ames “bookmobile” offers the book “Gender Queer,” which Google said contains adult sexual content. Read about that here.
We highlighted the book “Payden’s Pronoun Party.” Read about that here.
We also told you about the Bookmobile being part of a “Drag Family Story Time” event hosted by the University of Iowa at the Stanley Museum of Art in Gibson Square Park. Read about that here.
And, of course, we told you about the Ames Library preparing to host Pridefest events this weekend, including drag storytime for all ages. Read about that here.
Today we’ll tell you about an offering aimed at 3-year-olds by the Ames Library “bookmobile.” It’s a book called “Being You: A First Conversation About Gender.” It perhaps should instead be called “A Failed Conversation About Gender.” You’ll see why…
Right away 3-year-olds are told a basic truth — some bodies have a vagina, some bodies have a penis. But then it goes off the rails…
“Some babies grow into a different gender than the one that grown-ups called them. There are lots of different genders that people grow into. Some people are girls. Some people are boys. Some people are neither. Some people are both.”
Then the book tells innocent little kids the following…
“It’s okay to wonder: Am I a girl? Am I a boy? Am I both? Am I neither? Maybe you already know! There’s no right or wrong answer. And it’s okay if your answer changes.”
The 3-year-old audience the book is intended for is then told…
“Whatever your feelings are, they are real and important. You are the expert in being you.”
Various children then proclaim they’re a girl or they feel like a boy today or they’re an in-betweener or they’re trans.
From there the book pivots to another topic — pronouns. Some examples are “ze,” ella, he/him, they/them and another kid just wants people to use its name.
The book then tells 3-year-olds people have said and believed untrue things for a long time, like…
“You are either a boy or a girl.”
Naturally, the book tells 3-year-olds that people who work together to change unfair rules about gender are called “feminists.”
According to the book, it is “unfair” to label a bathroom for boys or girls.
You can listen to the book below:
Here are what some reviewers wrote:
“Grooming for latest generation… I would be horrified by a stranger asking my kid if he finds sexual things interesting (which is 100% grooming), if someone starts to suggest that something so basic as human sex differences (not including intersex because, again, 2-5) is actually fluid and 99% of the population are just indoctrinated into believing gender isn’t an innate characteristic, I WOULD 100% BE QUESTIONING THEIR MOTIVES. Not sure why there’s a BOARD BOOK with this VERY adult, very intellectual, and not to mention very politically inflammatory, material. Absolutely inappropriate.”
“Trash propaganda. You can’t change DNA. Please don’t read this to your child.”
“Found this filth in my public library’s recommended reading for 2-4 year olds. Absolutely ridiculous that this is targeted towards toddlers.”
“Your child will believe whatever you tell them from age 2 to 5 (that is the suggested age range for this book) You tell them Santa comes down the chimney to leave every kid in the world presents, they believe you. You tell them a little fairy comes in their room and takes their baby teeth from under their pillow and leaves money, they believe you. You tell them a bunny comes to your house and leaves a basket of candy, they believe you. When they hardly understand reality and the world around them, that is not the time to talk about something as complex as gender dysphoria. If your child is in middle school and questioning their gender identity, you should absolutely go into that conversation with an open heart and mind because gender dysphoria is a real thing and it is scary to feel. However, there is no reason to introduce these concepts at this age and confuse young children. It honestly makes me sick, let kids be kids.”
