Kind. Inventive. Determined. Inclusive. Creative. These are just some of the adjectives used in Kind Like Marsha: Learning From LGBTQ+ Leaders written by Sarah Prager and illustrated by Cheryl “Ras” Thuesday. This brand-new picture book leads the reader on a journey exploring fourteen diverse, global, queer leaders throughout history.
Prager has chosen one affirmative adjective to represent each of the fourteen; along with a micro-biography and a quote from that person. The reader is urged that they, too, can be like this person:
- Kind like Marsha P. Johnson
- Inclusive like Harvey Milk
- Creative like Leonardo Da Vinci
- Smart like Lynn Conway
Each queer leader is accompanied by one of Thuesday’s Caribbean/Asian influenced illustrations. Their vibrancy captures the reader’s imagination and echoes Prager’s text descriptions, including visual hints to each person’s lifework.
“Avoiding any discussion of violence against LGBTQ+ communities and the resulting trauma, this collective biography is a helpful starting point for children who would benefit from a gentler entry point into sensitive histories. Older readers may find this survey too simple to be engaging, but caregivers, educators, and librarians can use it to prime younger children for eventual deeper dives into the lives and struggles of LGBTQ+ icons.” (Kirkus reviews)
Kind Like Marsha is a beautiful addition to our ever-expanding treasury of queer picture books. A must-have for all families, queer and otherwise.
Marti Johns 