Queer Heroes: Meet 53 LGBTQ Heroes from Past and Present!

by Arabelle Sicardi (Author) Sarah Tanat-Jones (Illustrator)

Reading Level: 4th − 5th Grade

This beautiful, bold book celebrates the achievements of LGBTQ+ people through history and from around the world--featuring dynamic full-color portraits of a diverse selection of 53 inspirational role models accompanied by short biographies that focus on their incredible successes.

From Freddie Mercury's contribution to music and Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa to James Baldwin's best-selling essays and more, discover tales of courage, triumph, and determination. Published to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising, this extraordinary book shows children that anything is possible.

Discover the inspiring stories of these LGBT artists, writers, innovators, athletes, and activists who have made great contributions to culture, from ancient times to present day. This is the perfect book for anyone who wants to learn more about a collection of inspiring figures in LGBTQ+ history:

Freddie Mercury, Sappho, Audre Lorde, Manvendra Singh Gohil, Frida Kahlo, Emma Gonzalez, James Baldwin, Leonardo da Vinci, Alexander Wang, Subhi Nahas, Tove Jansson, Alan Turing, Michelangelo, Martina Navratilova, Sia, Tim Cook, Pedro Almodovar, Virginia Woolf, Tchaikovsky, Vikram Seth, Yotam Ottolenghi, Johanna Sigurðardóttir, Marsha Johnson, Sylvia Rivera, David Bowie, Kasha Nabagsera, Lili Elbe, Matthew Bourne, Alvin Ailey, Harvey Milk, Willem Arondeus, Nergis Mavalvala, Rufus Wainwright, Marlene Dietrich, Larry Kramer, Didier Lestrade, Nabuko Yoshiya, Bayard Rustin, Claire Harvey, Barbara Jordan, Josephine Baker, k.d. lang, Kristen Stewart, Jazz Jennings, Elio di Rupo, Oscar Wilde, Harish Iyer, Khalid Abdel-Hadi, Lana and Lilly Wachowski, Ellen DeGeneres, and Portia de Rossi.

Select format:
Hardcover
$22.99

Publishers Weekly

Sicardi honors the legacy of 52 queer artists, activists, athletes, and other figures. Eschewing conventional chronology, Sicardi presents individuals from the distant past alongside queer heroes of today. In one spread, Queen lead singer Freddie Mercury performs onstage; on the opposite page sits the ancient Greek poet Sappho, quill in hand. The text speaks openly about its subjects' sexuality and gender identities and offers general biographical details: "Da Vinci was born in a farmhouse on the hills of Tuscany." Tanat-Jones brings a pop-art aesthetic to the portraits, with accents that express the subjects' distinctive attributes. Tennis player Martina Navratilova is pictured playing on a magenta court, while performer Sia appears in her trademark disguise, an oversize bow in her hair. Other figures include Emma Gonzalez, James Baldwin, Tove Jansson, and David Bowie. While readers won't learn a significant amount about each figure and an index would have been useful, Sicardi and Tanat-Jones deliver a striking graphic homage to a variety of queer legends and influencers. Ages 10-15. (May)

Copyright 2019 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

School Library Journal

Gr 5 Up--This beautifully illustrated collective biography is designed for casual browsing, with Freddie Mercury alongside Sappho, and teenage activist Emma González sharing a spread with James Baldwin. Unfortunately the text, although celebratory and generally engaging, is marred by frequent shifts in tone and reading complexity, as well as a few (very minor) factual errors and some clumsy wording. The selection of figures is wide ranging and international, with care taken to not misrepresent sexual or gender identities by applying ahistorical labels. However this non-chronological approach would serve readers better if more suggestions for further reading, or any sources at all, were given. The glossary and index contain some odd definitions and organizational choices. That said, most audiences may not notice or care about any of the above, since this is primarily a visual work, and it succeeds as that. Tanat-Jones's style shifts appropriately from portrait to portrait--with expressive linework; a versatile palette; and carefully chosen background iconography highlighting aspects of each subject's identity--while still remaining recognizably her own. Bolded or capitalized quotations and keywords are sprinkled throughout each short entry. Every hero is referred to by first name, furthering the casual and magazine-like feel of the book's design. Readers who usually don't engage with nonfiction may find the picture book format approachable and find themselves drawn in by the vibrant art and breezy text. VERDICT An imperfect work of LGBTQ+ history that succeeds as a gorgeous coffee table book for kids, if not as a fully credible source for deeper learning.--Miriam DesHarnais, Towson University, MD

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

"Readers who usually don't engage with nonfiction may find the picture book format approachable and find themselves drawn in by the vibrant art and breezy text." - School Library Journal
Arabelle Sicardi

Arabelle Sicardi is an American feminist fashion and beauty writer. As a teenager, they launched a blog called Fashion Pirate, becoming Tumblr's go-to 'fashion philosopher and beauty oracle'. Sicardi has also been a staff writer at Rookie, beauty editor at BuzzFeed, and a freelance writer for Refinery29, The Daily Beast, and Jezebel. Now, they write about beauty, fashion, feminism, and identity for many different places.

Sarah Tanat-Jones is an illustrator who grew up in Brighton, studied at Edinburgh College of Art, moved to Glasgow for a bit, and now lives in London. She likes to pair energy with elegance in her illustrations by using bold color and a flowing, hand-drawn line. She works across editorial, publishing, and advertising and her clients include The Washington Post, The Guardian, The Sunday Times, and Time Out.

Arabelle Sicardi is a queer Asian American writer whose work focuses on beauty, fashion, politics, and identity. They've written for teenVOGUE, them., ROOKIE, ALLURE, i-D, NYLON, and other publications. They were previously the Beauty Editor at BuzzFeed. Now they work full-time as a freelancer so they can spend time working on books, like this one.

Sarah Tanat-Jones is an illustrator who grew up in Brighton, studied at Edinburgh College of Art, moved to Glasgow for a bit, and now lives in London. She likes to pair energy with elegance in her illustrations by using bold colour and a flowing, hand-drawn line. She works across editorial, publishing and advertising and her clients include The Washington Post, The Guardian, The Sunday Times and Time Out.

Classification
Non-fiction
ISBN-13
9781786034762
Lexile Measure
-
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Wide Eyed Editions
Publication date
September 17, 2019
Series
-
BISAC categories
JNF053080 - Juvenile Nonfiction | LGBT
JNF007150 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Biography & Autobiography | LGBT
Library of Congress categories
Lesbians
Gays
Transgender people
Bisexuals
Sexual minorities

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