ABC-Deconstructing Gender

Molesso and Needham, the creators behind stationery company Ash + Chess, employ bold colors and psychedelic patterns for an abecedarian that describes a cast portrayed with varying abilities and skin tones. Each page associates a letter of the Latin alphabet with a descriptor, and many establish the characters’ pronouns. Q, for example, represents “queen”: “Ari likes to dress up like a queen with his sibling.” A page later, R stands for “roughly”: “Yuriko doesn’t mind playing roughly with her dog.” While some pages represent activities and reactions that stretch across traditional gender roles, others (“energetic” and “focused,” for example) feel solidly neutral, exemplifying how binary gender roles are stuck in the past. Good-vibes graphics that incorporate the colors of the Pride and trans flags show affectionate figures interacting, emphasizing the empowering message of the book’s dedication: “To everyone out there who has found the courage to be themselves and to those who have yet to.” Ages 4–8. (May)