What do you think?
Rate this book
The ABCs of Queer History
A Through-the-Alphabet Celebration of Queer History in the US, from the Publisher of the New York Times Bestseller The ABCs of Black History
In this book brimming with P for Pride, writer and poet Seema Yasmin celebrates all the joys and challenges of queer history in the United States through lively, rhyming verse.
This is a book of people, of ideas, of accomplishments and events. It’s a book about Allies and Ancestors, about Belonging and Being accepted, about Hope, Knowledge, and Love. About historic moments like Stonewall, and how it changed the world. And all about Trailblazers, like Audre Lorde, James Baldwin, Josephine Baker, Harvey Milk, Barbara Jordan, George Takei, Elliot Page, and Sally Ride.
And ultimately, it’s a book to help kids learn a different kind of ABCs—not just words like apple, ball or cat, but rather the essence of what it means to be diverse, to be equitable, to be inclusive. That no one counts unless we all count, and how we must open our eyes and ears, minds and hearts, to hear everyone’s story and understand and celebrate their experience.
In this book brimming with P for Pride, writer and poet Seema Yasmin celebrates all the joys and challenges of queer history in the United States through lively, rhyming verse.
This is a book of people, of ideas, of accomplishments and events. It’s a book about Allies and Ancestors, about Belonging and Being accepted, about Hope, Knowledge, and Love. About historic moments like Stonewall, and how it changed the world. And all about Trailblazers, like Audre Lorde, James Baldwin, Josephine Baker, Harvey Milk, Barbara Jordan, George Takei, Elliot Page, and Sally Ride.
And ultimately, it’s a book to help kids learn a different kind of ABCs—not just words like apple, ball or cat, but rather the essence of what it means to be diverse, to be equitable, to be inclusive. That no one counts unless we all count, and how we must open our eyes and ears, minds and hearts, to hear everyone’s story and understand and celebrate their experience.
Audible Audio
Published April 30, 2024
2 people are currently reading
97 people want to read
About the author
Seema Yasmin
15 books151 followersMuslim Women Are Everything is out as a book, ebook and an audio book now!
I'm a medical doctor, journalist and author. My first book, The Impatient Dr. Lange: One Man's Fight to end the HIV Epidemic, tells the story of my mentor who was killed when Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 was shot out of the sky. Dr. Lange dedicated his life to fighting HIV and was searching for a cure when he was killed.
My next books, Viral BS, (Johns Hopkins University Press, November 2020) is about medical myths and how health hoaxes can travel farther than accurate information.
I'm a medical doctor, journalist and author. My first book, The Impatient Dr. Lange: One Man's Fight to end the HIV Epidemic, tells the story of my mentor who was killed when Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 was shot out of the sky. Dr. Lange dedicated his life to fighting HIV and was searching for a cure when he was killed.
My next books, Viral BS, (Johns Hopkins University Press, November 2020) is about medical myths and how health hoaxes can travel farther than accurate information.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
June 24, 2025
This was great! Caveat that the structure is based on the alphabet (2 pages for each letter) so it’s not in historical order, but has several queer historical figures and/or terms related to the queer community for each letter.
The back portion of the book is longer, less flowery mini biographies on the figures in the ABC portion. I liked this decision as it would be easy for a family to read the ABCs pages together in one go, and then pick a letter or figure to read more about together.
I appreciated that it included multiple figures in history who were transgender, not just one example, a variety of racial and ethnic backgrounds, and a variety of historical roles (e.g., wasn’t checking a box to mention one musician or one Black queer individual or one transgender individual).
My couple quibbles:
•It’s focused on the USA it seems like, so pretty much all of the historical figures are from the USA.
•I wish it was titled “The ABCs of Queer History in the USA” or had more historical figures from around the world.
•While it mentions X Gender and Third Spirit identities and indicates the current culture focuses on the Gender Binary, it doesn’t make it clear that many cultures had a non-binary view of gender and that queer relationships were normal, (some until expansion and colonization by western imperialist nations, some changing unrelated to that).
•Not that it would need a ton of detail, but I wish it was just a touch clearer that a lot of places in various points of history didn’t have a binary concept of gender and/or homosexual relationships and acts weren’t illegal.
Overall I gave 4 stars and definitely recommend! I listened to the audio and then flipped through the ebook to look at the art and found both versions to be well-done.
The back portion of the book is longer, less flowery mini biographies on the figures in the ABC portion. I liked this decision as it would be easy for a family to read the ABCs pages together in one go, and then pick a letter or figure to read more about together.
I appreciated that it included multiple figures in history who were transgender, not just one example, a variety of racial and ethnic backgrounds, and a variety of historical roles (e.g., wasn’t checking a box to mention one musician or one Black queer individual or one transgender individual).
My couple quibbles:
•It’s focused on the USA it seems like, so pretty much all of the historical figures are from the USA.
•I wish it was titled “The ABCs of Queer History in the USA” or had more historical figures from around the world.
•While it mentions X Gender and Third Spirit identities and indicates the current culture focuses on the Gender Binary, it doesn’t make it clear that many cultures had a non-binary view of gender and that queer relationships were normal, (some until expansion and colonization by western imperialist nations, some changing unrelated to that).
•Not that it would need a ton of detail, but I wish it was just a touch clearer that a lot of places in various points of history didn’t have a binary concept of gender and/or homosexual relationships and acts weren’t illegal.
Overall I gave 4 stars and definitely recommend! I listened to the audio and then flipped through the ebook to look at the art and found both versions to be well-done.
July 28, 2024
Disappointing. So many words, so many small pictures of people who may or may not be the people named on the pages, so many pages without names, no historical linearity... I can't imagine a child who would be interested, and I can't imagine how to share it with a child.
The subject is important. Fortunately there are other choices, including picture-book biographies of Josephine Baker, Harvey Milk, and others. Come visit the GR group 'Children's Books' for threads about our favorites.
The subject is important. Fortunately there are other choices, including picture-book biographies of Josephine Baker, Harvey Milk, and others. Come visit the GR group 'Children's Books' for threads about our favorites.
May 21, 2024
A 2.5 really, but GoodReads does not do half stars.
As part of the LGBTQIA+ community, I was excited to read this book as part of a weekly staff children's non-fiction collection pick, but honestly felt disappointed. I thought the art in this one was neat, and some parts were almost touching, but overall this book feels almost like an advertisement of the community rather than a history. It's giving corporate queer. It was so wordy on top of it, that it was not easy to follow, or very fun to read.
As part of the LGBTQIA+ community, I was excited to read this book as part of a weekly staff children's non-fiction collection pick, but honestly felt disappointed. I thought the art in this one was neat, and some parts were almost touching, but overall this book feels almost like an advertisement of the community rather than a history. It's giving corporate queer. It was so wordy on top of it, that it was not easy to follow, or very fun to read.
April 27, 2024
Despite the rise of homophobic and transphobic legislation in certain parts of the U.S., there is also more awareness, acceptance, and embrace of the diverse spectrum of gender identity, expression, and sexuality. To counter the hateful rhetoric, parents and caregivers of young children need to have an accessible tool that teaches about queer historical figures.
The ABCs of Queer History features icons and champions of LGBTQIA+ rights in the United States and around the world. From Michael Sam, the first openly gay NFL player, to political figures like Bayard Rustin and Harvey Milk, the book highlights vital contributions of people from diverse backgrounds to advance LGBTQIA+ equality in various fields. Written by Dr. Seema Yasmin and illustrated by Lucy Kirk, the book is geared toward school-age children.
Representation matters. Dr. Yasmin clearly took great care in featuring intersectional identities in the movement. The book features Black, Asian American, Latinx, and Indigenous LGBTQIA+ leaders. However, for a book that focuses on a marginalized social identity, the short bios of the author and illustrator do not clearly indicate whether they are allies or part of the LGBTQIA+ community. To help engender greater understanding and remove any inklings of appropriation, authors must locate their positionality transparently. Transparency helps to engender greater trust and understanding.
The ABCs of Queer History features icons and champions of LGBTQIA+ rights in the United States and around the world. From Michael Sam, the first openly gay NFL player, to political figures like Bayard Rustin and Harvey Milk, the book highlights vital contributions of people from diverse backgrounds to advance LGBTQIA+ equality in various fields. Written by Dr. Seema Yasmin and illustrated by Lucy Kirk, the book is geared toward school-age children.
Representation matters. Dr. Yasmin clearly took great care in featuring intersectional identities in the movement. The book features Black, Asian American, Latinx, and Indigenous LGBTQIA+ leaders. However, for a book that focuses on a marginalized social identity, the short bios of the author and illustrator do not clearly indicate whether they are allies or part of the LGBTQIA+ community. To help engender greater understanding and remove any inklings of appropriation, authors must locate their positionality transparently. Transparency helps to engender greater trust and understanding.
October 11, 2023
I received a free eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is excellent - much more than a simple alphabet book (which is kind of what I was expecting when I requested it). The illustrations are bright and colorful, and although on first glance it may look a little wordy, the whole thing is written in verse in a way that makes it easy to read aloud (I’m also very impressed with some of the slant rhymes!). There are introductions to all kinds of people - Barbara Jordan, Michael Sam, Harvey Milk, Bessie Smith…the list goes on.
It’s also so much about joy - celebrating being who you are. There’s great representation of all races, gender identities, body types, and abilities. Hopefully everyone finds themselves somewhere in the pages! There’s also a most excellent section at the end that breaks down all of the different terms and figures who are mentioned throughout the book. It could be great for starting conversations with children about who these people are and inspire them to learn more.
This is excellent - much more than a simple alphabet book (which is kind of what I was expecting when I requested it). The illustrations are bright and colorful, and although on first glance it may look a little wordy, the whole thing is written in verse in a way that makes it easy to read aloud (I’m also very impressed with some of the slant rhymes!). There are introductions to all kinds of people - Barbara Jordan, Michael Sam, Harvey Milk, Bessie Smith…the list goes on.
It’s also so much about joy - celebrating being who you are. There’s great representation of all races, gender identities, body types, and abilities. Hopefully everyone finds themselves somewhere in the pages! There’s also a most excellent section at the end that breaks down all of the different terms and figures who are mentioned throughout the book. It could be great for starting conversations with children about who these people are and inspire them to learn more.
June 15, 2024
This is an excellent book to teach kids about queer history. It offers quite a bit of info written in a simple, easy to understand way. It also, of course, heavily promotes the idea of acceptance while emphasizing that despite the freedoms queer people have been given over the years, the fight for equality is nowhere near over.
My only gripe with this book is that I can't quite tell what age it's intended for. I picked up an e-copy from my library expecting it to be a simple board/picture book. But it's actually quite long and surprisingly wordy, though many of the passages are written in a rhythmic, poetic way with lots of rhyming words and phrases. It's like the style has me thinking it's for younger kids but the length of the book makes me think it's for older ones. Probably at least for kids who are old enough to read on their own, 'cause it's hard to imagine this book as a read-aloud.
But again, it's a solid introductory book that I'm sure will have kids wanting to do more research on the names/topics mentioned.
My only gripe with this book is that I can't quite tell what age it's intended for. I picked up an e-copy from my library expecting it to be a simple board/picture book. But it's actually quite long and surprisingly wordy, though many of the passages are written in a rhythmic, poetic way with lots of rhyming words and phrases. It's like the style has me thinking it's for younger kids but the length of the book makes me think it's for older ones. Probably at least for kids who are old enough to read on their own, 'cause it's hard to imagine this book as a read-aloud.
But again, it's a solid introductory book that I'm sure will have kids wanting to do more research on the names/topics mentioned.
June 4, 2025
I really enjoyed this! The art is really pretty and I just love an ABC book in general and it features a lot of really interesting people throughout. It celebrates queerness and queer people, while going through the ABC’s. There is also a section of the back going into more detail on the people or terms that are mentioned which I feel is important because they don’t really get as much detail in the book, understandably.
That being said, it is a very wordy children’s book, so I feel like it would definitely be geared towards older kids or those accompanied by an adult! It definitely would not be a great pick for a read aloud, but I would love for kids to read it who can sit and digest a slightly more involved book like this.
That being said, it is a very wordy children’s book, so I feel like it would definitely be geared towards older kids or those accompanied by an adult! It definitely would not be a great pick for a read aloud, but I would love for kids to read it who can sit and digest a slightly more involved book like this.
February 6, 2024
I really liked this book and I think it would be a great one to read with a kid, use as a teaching tool, or just browse as an adult reader! While it is an "ABC" book, don't let that fool you into thinking it's simple - each letter entry is a two page spread and most letters have multiple associated words and explaining paragraphs. I love a book like this because you can simplify it as necessary for the age/ understanding level of the child you are reading with. The drawn illustrations compliment the text and are a helpful scaffold for a child learning some new vocabulary.
I just reviewed The ABCs of Queer History by Seema Yasmin. #TheABCsofQueerHistory #NetGalley
I just reviewed The ABCs of Queer History by Seema Yasmin. #TheABCsofQueerHistory #NetGalley
December 7, 2024
I wanted to love this one more then I did. This ‘ABC’s of’ children’s book was much more broad, and less specific, and I had a harder time getting attached to the book in the same way that I did with ‘the ABC’s of Black History.’ I’d be interested to see if this book could actually capture and sustain the attention of children, it’s much less visual in its writing and when it does bring in visuals (via its descriptions of different cornerstones of the LGBTQAI experience more generally) it is often unconnected to the image that we are actually seeing on the page. I wanted to love this one more then I did, especially given the subject matter.
January 31, 2025
The rhyme and rhythm is atrocious. It’s okay most of the time, and then randomly it will break and be super awkward. This is also a long and dense picture book that I find hard to imagine a lot of kids would sit through. It has good information, and I appreciate the notes at the end, but I think it’s too much trying to be packed into one picture book. Also why aren’t half the people talked about pictured in the book? I found it odd that they would be talking about specific people, and then the page is illustrated with lots of random other people but not the people being discussed. I wanted to love this book, but it didn't live up to my hopes.
February 22, 2025
First of all, this book is illustrated with diversity in mind showing people of all races, genders, mobility, and orientation in joyful celebration of who they are. The book is definitely appropriate for all ages using the poetic alphabetical prose for younger grades and the in-depth explanations of the ABC's of queer history in the appendix which wouldn't be beneficial to higher grades as well. Such a feel good book that I cannot wait to share it with my GSA. Overall, this is a book I'd be willing to fight for as it gives such positive images for inspiration, it mentions leaders to provide role models to students, and it inspires activism by giving reasons to fight for equality.
October 5, 2023
The ABCs of Queer History is an informative and creatively illustrated book that is a great introduction to the many facets of queer history.
I liked that for each letter of the alphabet, more than one word and or famous queer person was used and that the book includes many black queer people. It also does a great job of celebrating the accomplishments the queer community has gained while also making sure to say the fight is not over for queer people or anyone else.
Thank you to NetGalley for making this available in exchange for an honest review!
I liked that for each letter of the alphabet, more than one word and or famous queer person was used and that the book includes many black queer people. It also does a great job of celebrating the accomplishments the queer community has gained while also making sure to say the fight is not over for queer people or anyone else.
Thank you to NetGalley for making this available in exchange for an honest review!
October 10, 2023
A fantastic book illustrating both the history and the joy of queer culture. I can’t wait to buy a physical copy for myself and our library. Though I’m sure it will face challenges in many areas, I��m also sure that it’s important kids and families have books like this with true representation. Highly recommend.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
January 23, 2024
A cute ABC book about queer history! Each letter is accompanied with a rhyming verse that talks about an aspect of queer history. This would be fun to read together with kids (once they were old enough for this reading level) because of the rhyming nature. I also loved the illustrations here!
I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
April 29, 2024
This was a really cute history book. I usually am not a big fan of reading non-fiction but I really enjoyed this! I recognized a lot of the public figures that were mentioned in this book but there were a few people that I'd never heard about before. I also loved the art style. It was bright and colorful.
May 28, 2024
Such a lovely book! There are expanded sections for older children about each letter's history and meaning or you can just read the short rhyming sections for littler ones.
As a history teacher, I appreciate the different informational levels. It's such a lovely bright and colorful book! Sure to capture the interest and imaginations of children and adults alike.
As a history teacher, I appreciate the different informational levels. It's such a lovely bright and colorful book! Sure to capture the interest and imaginations of children and adults alike.
July 7, 2024
Fantastic and very thorough. The stories featured are varied and sometimes unexpected. The back matter is very large and goes through each letter again in more depth. The rhyming is a little forced at times with lines being written in strange ways to make them rhyme. The illustrations are fantastic.
July 19, 2024
I listened to this rather than reading it, so I missed out on the visuals, but I did enjoy the audio. music and different voices were used to make the experience lovely. the glossary at the end was also clear and enjoyable. only rated down a star since there are not dates and timelines with the letters to help place the different events in history
August 26, 2024
Good info but odd alphabetical choices. Why is Harvey Milk on the H page, but Audre Lorde is on the F page -- "Sometimes our FRIENDS offer strength and support, like FANTASTIC poets Pat Parker and Audre Lorde." Wouldn't this be better on the P page, at least? Back matter includes additional info.
February 17, 2024
Sadly, too many words for storytime use. For family reading together, the words that start with each section’s letter are in bold to help them stand out for young readers.
May 4, 2024
Love that this book managers a rhyme but does not just stay with a single featured person or word for each letter. Great back matter goes into more detail on everything.
December 6, 2024
Not a quick read for a picture book! This is jam packed full of information.
December 24, 2024
Love this book in all its forms- paper, digital and audio
May 6, 2024
A great companion to The ABCs of Black History, this is a perfect addition to any inclusive library. Includes extensive backmatter that goes a bit deeper with people and topics discussed in the main text.
January 3, 2024
I got this on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!
I think books like these are so important and always manage to break down important history and ideas into bite-sized pieces for younger humans (below age 13, depending on how you use it). Definitely a good one to have as a resource in the classroom as a support to many different topics! I also really liked how specific activists, authors and figures etc are mentioned explicitly and also shown in the illustrations!
Also: LOVED the illustrations!!!
What could be better about this one is that it could be more consistent about the amount of text on each page. Some have like 3 sentences that are simple and rhyme perfectly, while others have two whole pages where it kind of seems like the author struggled to get their point across while also rhyming (some parts dropped the rhyme at times, and others have sentences that disrupted the flow of the rhymes). Rhymes and manageable sentences/text size are really important if one wishes a younger audience to engage more independently, or if being used in an English as a foreign language classroom.
Overall pretty good one and a good resource to have!
I think books like these are so important and always manage to break down important history and ideas into bite-sized pieces for younger humans (below age 13, depending on how you use it). Definitely a good one to have as a resource in the classroom as a support to many different topics! I also really liked how specific activists, authors and figures etc are mentioned explicitly and also shown in the illustrations!
Also: LOVED the illustrations!!!
What could be better about this one is that it could be more consistent about the amount of text on each page. Some have like 3 sentences that are simple and rhyme perfectly, while others have two whole pages where it kind of seems like the author struggled to get their point across while also rhyming (some parts dropped the rhyme at times, and others have sentences that disrupted the flow of the rhymes). Rhymes and manageable sentences/text size are really important if one wishes a younger audience to engage more independently, or if being used in an English as a foreign language classroom.
Overall pretty good one and a good resource to have!
June 27, 2025
I borrowed this book from my local public library and I enjoyed it a lot. This might be a book for children but it definitely showed me that our history is so vast. I can't wait to share some of the information I learned from this book for my upcoming bookish Pride Month events.
May 26, 2024
Going into this book I wasn't sure how the format or styling would work, but I am very glad to say that it all works.
In our current library climate I know that some librarians have to be cautious what they endorse and put on the shelf. Even in my community we are not immune from questions regarding our collection. I suspect fewer and fewer places in the country are. BUT this book is necessary.
As a librarian, I am always glad when I find a title that I can strongly support as being informative, inspirational, and needed. I would argue that this book does what is needed on library shelves right now by providing a simple resource, that is inspiring, and a great starting point for families that are needing exposure to LGBTQIA+ information for their younger kids. Exposure to queer history, queer icons, and queer terminology wrapped up in a message of unity and equity make this one title a very strong addition to a library or home collection.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
In our current library climate I know that some librarians have to be cautious what they endorse and put on the shelf. Even in my community we are not immune from questions regarding our collection. I suspect fewer and fewer places in the country are. BUT this book is necessary.
As a librarian, I am always glad when I find a title that I can strongly support as being informative, inspirational, and needed. I would argue that this book does what is needed on library shelves right now by providing a simple resource, that is inspiring, and a great starting point for families that are needing exposure to LGBTQIA+ information for their younger kids. Exposure to queer history, queer icons, and queer terminology wrapped up in a message of unity and equity make this one title a very strong addition to a library or home collection.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews