Gr 3-6 This self-proclaimed "rainbow of biographies" is just what young readers need. Whether children are looking for mirrors or windows, they are sure to be empowered by reading Clemesha's volume. Featuring 25 biographies with photographs, the text spotlights familiar and lesser-known Americans who are members of the LGBTQ community. Each person included in the collection provides a fascinating, unique journey. Readers learn about artists, musicians, scientists, and activists that overcame tremendous adversity as they identified and came out as LGBTQ. Celebrities like talk show host Ellen DeGeneres and comedian Wanda Sykes appear alongside social justice advocates such as Bayard Rustin, who was kept out of the public eye during the civil rights movement because he was gay. Stories like his will spark curiosity and meaningful conversation. The design uses bright colors, standard and colorful typeface, and vibrant borders to keep readers engaged. Readers will be inspired and find their passions validated and renewed after picking up this title. VERDICT Every library needs this book, which can bring in a variety of readers who may or may not be on their own journey of self-discovery. Kelly Finan Richards, Baltimore Cty. Public Sch.

This collective biography includes brief profiles of influential LBGTQ figures from the arts (e.g., Andy Warhol), entertainment (George Takei), science (Neena Schwartz), politics (Sharice Davids), activism (Bayard Rustin), sports (Billie Jean King), and business (Tim Cook). Each two-page entry comprises a paragraph or two sketching out highlights of an individual's life, accomplishments, and legacy on the verso and a photograph on the recto. Clemesha shares his personal story in an introductory note. An annotated list of fourteen additional LGBTQ notables, timeline, glossary, source notes, and related websites are appended.

This amuse-bouche introduction to LGBTQ+ individuals will tantalize readers.Some 25 racially diverse Americans' lives are documented in biographical morsels, arranged apparently arbitrarily and with text that's not substantial enough to do more than tease. Figures profiled include White humanitarian Jane Addams, African American civil rights activist Bayard Rustin, Puerto Rican performer Ricky Martin, and White filmmakers Lana and Lilly Wachowski. Each entry provides the subject's year of birth (and of death, when applicable), a photo (in a digitally rendered frame reminiscent of 1990s clip art), and a few scant facts about each subject. George Takei, the Japanese American actor and activist, and Dr. Sara Josephine Baker, a White public health innovator, are lucky enough to merit two whole paragraphs; everyone else receives only one. Absent from all profiles are many common facts typically found in traditional biographies: Exact date of birth, place of birth, date of death, place of death, cause of death, etc., are all missing. Also peculiar is the absence from several profiles of the specific aspect of LGBTQ+ identity that warrants their inclusion. The backmatter includes a listing of 14 additional figures, summarized in two to three sentences each; such audience-relevant figures as African American author Jacqueline Woodson and Black/biracial actor Amandla Stenberg are relegated to this roundup. There are also a timeline that stops at 2015 (well before Trump administration politics started cutting into trans rights), a glossary, source notes, and three URLs for support networks.Well meaning but insubstantial. (Collective biography. 8-12)