What do you think?
Rate this book
Bye Bye, Binary
Fans of Feminist Baby by Loryn Brantz will love this board book about gender expression and being true to oneself.
Is it a boy? Or a girl?
"WHAT'S IT TO YA?!"
Our little bundle of joy has arrived--to dismantle gender norms!
A joyful baby refuses to conform to the gender binary and instead chooses toys, colors, and clothes that make them happy. This tongue-in-cheek board book is a perfect tool to encourage children to love what they love and is also a great baby shower gift for all soon-to-be-parents.
Is it a boy? Or a girl?
"WHAT'S IT TO YA?!"
Our little bundle of joy has arrived--to dismantle gender norms!
A joyful baby refuses to conform to the gender binary and instead chooses toys, colors, and clothes that make them happy. This tongue-in-cheek board book is a perfect tool to encourage children to love what they love and is also a great baby shower gift for all soon-to-be-parents.
24 pages, Board Book
First published May 24, 2022
1 person is currently reading
158 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
June 23, 2022
What a hideous book. Boys WANT to grow up to be strong men. That's how they are happiest and compete best. Throwing a grenade into the gender binary actually subjects our future sons to misery and depression and weakness. The author should be ashamed of himself for writing this garbage and nobody should tolerate this garbage near their own children whether at school or otherwise.
Read
June 14, 2022New favorite baby gift for like-minded friends! Why does it matter if Baby is a he or a she? Why can't they play with dinosaurs AND dolls, wear bows AND bow ties? Baby's parents are going to let them figure out who they are on their own in this progressive board book. Huzzah!
September 8, 2022
There are no content warnings I find necessary for this book.
This is clearly done more as a think piece rather than a children's book- and that's why I just don't care for it. In a world where there's a massive lack of inclusive, accessible, and thorough trans education and stories for kids, stuff like this just comes off like a mockery. A board book (0-3 years is the audience for these books) with terms like "gender norms" and "social constructs", especially without any elaboration, it really does nothing to quell this feeling of being satirized. In a library, children who could read this would not find it as they wouldn't be in the board books section, and parents looking in the board book section will note their 0-3 year old can't read this. I'll try to look at these possibilities and walk you through how they will play out:
Child who can read it and find it against the odds: This should have been a picture book then, and actually taken the time to define these terms and be a bit more engaging than a nameless nonbinary baby rejecting gender norms. They could instead read about other nonbinary characters in picture books they can find like Timid (review), Peanut Goes for the Gold (review), From the Stars in the Sky to the Fish in the Sea (review), My Own Way: Celebrating Gender Freedom for Kids (review), or What Are Your Words?: A Book About Pronouns (review). These are all engaging and show fun nonbinary characters who use they/them pronouns in picture book format, the latter three especially strong with exploring gender roles and pronouns.
Parents use this as a resource since a 0-3 year old can't process this book: This book, being a board book, doesn't even bother with a resources section, which is a common practice for picture books. If you find this book, I'm glad you're looking for diverse literature for your kids, but keep looking, especially at my recommendations above.
Summary:
Readability: ★☆☆☆☆, Board book audience cannot read this. Need an age accessible board book on trans topics? Try The Pronoun Book (review) or Neither (review).
Entertainment: ★★☆☆☆, I love helping others understand that gender stereotypes are restrictive and discriminatory. The idea is good, the execution just feels like it came from BuzzFeed, and no, that's not a compliment. Two stars for the idea alone, just the carefree to the point of not explaining or defining anything attitude doesn't work.
Audience: Clearly not 0-3 year olds. Check out my recommendations instead.
This is clearly done more as a think piece rather than a children's book- and that's why I just don't care for it. In a world where there's a massive lack of inclusive, accessible, and thorough trans education and stories for kids, stuff like this just comes off like a mockery. A board book (0-3 years is the audience for these books) with terms like "gender norms" and "social constructs", especially without any elaboration, it really does nothing to quell this feeling of being satirized. In a library, children who could read this would not find it as they wouldn't be in the board books section, and parents looking in the board book section will note their 0-3 year old can't read this. I'll try to look at these possibilities and walk you through how they will play out:
Child who can read it and find it against the odds: This should have been a picture book then, and actually taken the time to define these terms and be a bit more engaging than a nameless nonbinary baby rejecting gender norms. They could instead read about other nonbinary characters in picture books they can find like Timid (review), Peanut Goes for the Gold (review), From the Stars in the Sky to the Fish in the Sea (review), My Own Way: Celebrating Gender Freedom for Kids (review), or What Are Your Words?: A Book About Pronouns (review). These are all engaging and show fun nonbinary characters who use they/them pronouns in picture book format, the latter three especially strong with exploring gender roles and pronouns.
Parents use this as a resource since a 0-3 year old can't process this book: This book, being a board book, doesn't even bother with a resources section, which is a common practice for picture books. If you find this book, I'm glad you're looking for diverse literature for your kids, but keep looking, especially at my recommendations above.
Summary:
Readability: ★☆☆☆☆, Board book audience cannot read this. Need an age accessible board book on trans topics? Try The Pronoun Book (review) or Neither (review).
Entertainment: ★★☆☆☆, I love helping others understand that gender stereotypes are restrictive and discriminatory. The idea is good, the execution just feels like it came from BuzzFeed, and no, that's not a compliment. Two stars for the idea alone, just the carefree to the point of not explaining or defining anything attitude doesn't work.
Audience: Clearly not 0-3 year olds. Check out my recommendations instead.
June 28, 2023
This book feels like it’s written for adults who want to feel self-righteous.
Boys can like pink and blue and still be boys. Girls can like cars and dolls and still be girls. You can break gender norms while still acknowledging biological sex. This book presents a weak argument.
Boys can like pink and blue and still be boys. Girls can like cars and dolls and still be girls. You can break gender norms while still acknowledging biological sex. This book presents a weak argument.
July 25, 2022
this book is absolutely stupid. look down and you can figure out your gender.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 23, 2022
This book is adorable! There's no need to smother one gender in pink and another in blue. Why can't kids like both? Bye Bye, Binary is an adorable book that lets the reader see the joy in allowing people to love what they love, regardless of expectations.
September 8, 2022
I squealed with excitement the whole time I was reading it. Heeeeeells yeah!
August 25, 2025
Is this book truly for babies and toddlers, or is it for parents who want a decorative piece that expresses their own social politics? Either way, Eric Geron's Bye Bye, Binary has some intriguing ideas.
What if you are having a baby and don't wish to announce its gender? You dream of a confident child growing up to eschew binary gender choices such as pink or blue, bows or bow ties, dolls or dinosaurs, girly or boyish blankets for bedtime. Will your child be a dainty princess or handsome stud? However their personality turns out, their deepest need is the unconditional love of their parents.
There's plenty to like about Bye Bye, Binary beyond the amusing reference on the cover to Dirty Dancing. I appreciate its point that being pressured to only wear certain colors or play with particular types of toy can prevent a kid from developing the textured personality that makes them interesting to others. I can't rate this book above one and a half stars, though, because of its unnecessarily aggressive tone. The "What's it to ya?!" rhetoric from baby and parents feels abrasive for no reason. Had it taken a gentler approach, Bye Bye, Binary might be a good, thoughtful book, but I can't say I enjoyed it.
What if you are having a baby and don't wish to announce its gender? You dream of a confident child growing up to eschew binary gender choices such as pink or blue, bows or bow ties, dolls or dinosaurs, girly or boyish blankets for bedtime. Will your child be a dainty princess or handsome stud? However their personality turns out, their deepest need is the unconditional love of their parents.
There's plenty to like about Bye Bye, Binary beyond the amusing reference on the cover to Dirty Dancing. I appreciate its point that being pressured to only wear certain colors or play with particular types of toy can prevent a kid from developing the textured personality that makes them interesting to others. I can't rate this book above one and a half stars, though, because of its unnecessarily aggressive tone. The "What's it to ya?!" rhetoric from baby and parents feels abrasive for no reason. Had it taken a gentler approach, Bye Bye, Binary might be a good, thoughtful book, but I can't say I enjoyed it.
May 7, 2022
This book is an adorable funny take on the opposite of the gender reveal parties. Who cares if it is a boy or girl, as long as it is healthy! A girl can play with a truck, a boy can play with a doll, it doesn’t really matter in our world as long as your parent loves you and you are cherished!
Beautiful artwork, I liked how all races and abilities were included!
My new favorite shower gift for the parents to be!!!
Beautiful artwork, I liked how all races and abilities were included!
My new favorite shower gift for the parents to be!!!
June 22, 2022
Dropping "social constructs" and "gender norms" in a childrens book is a lot - i like the idea but this doesnt seem super accessible to children! Ive seen other ways this has been done a lot better, like my shadow is purple.
January 19, 2023
W T F is this?? Why do you need to teach children this garbage?? Absolutely ridiculous. Made me feel sick to my stomach seeing this book at the store. Author should be ashamed of yourself!! THESE ARE CHILDREN AND BABIES YOU ARE TEACHING THIS TO!! YOU ARE EXACTLY WHAT IS WRONG WITH SOCIETY!!
September 14, 2022
Growing up in the 90s, I hated how everything was aggressively gendered and color-coded: toys, clothes, your entire existence. You couldn't just be a child, you had to be a GIRL (pink, princesses, dresses, ballerinas, etc) or a BOY (blue, sports, trucks, dinosaurs, etc) long before you even have the ability to express who you are or what you like. What if I hate pink? Prefer animals and bugs to princesses or sports? Don't like dresses, bows, or anything frilly? What does that make me? Am I weird or uncool because I don't fit this rigid binary? I was definitely made to feel this way. Anyway, this book is refreshing and it's about time we stop forcing ridiculous, outdated stereotypes on babies who can't tell us any different yet.
June 8, 2022
I love this book and all the illustrations! This has a great message for young children, telling them that they can be whatever they want, especially for children born outside of the binary. Raising kids with the assurance that they’re allowed to be whatever they want to be keeps them from enduring years of repressed depression, heartbreak and in some cases, trauma.
Take it from an adult who grew up within the confines of the binary only to reject them later in life: knowing the existence of gender non confirming identities would have saved so much time and probably would have kept me from doing harmful things to myself in my developing years.
A Great book. Happy pride to all my fellow queers out there and happy pride to those who don’t know if you’re queer yet.❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🖤🤎 We see you, we love you
Take it from an adult who grew up within the confines of the binary only to reject them later in life: knowing the existence of gender non confirming identities would have saved so much time and probably would have kept me from doing harmful things to myself in my developing years.
A Great book. Happy pride to all my fellow queers out there and happy pride to those who don’t know if you’re queer yet.❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🖤🤎 We see you, we love you
January 13, 2023
Here I was excited to see this book, especially as the parent of a non-binary child. I was sadly disappointed by this though.
Someone else reviewing this book made the point of saying this reads as a mockery of the topic. I couldn't agree more. I wasn't sure if the author was making fun of being non-binary or was trying to be supportive. If they're being supportive they're taking a snarky and sarcastic tone which does absolutely nothing at all to educate or inform. If anything, this book is going to turn off people who are honestly looking to understand.
Also, this book which looks like it's meant for children but it really isn't. The language is definitely too confusing for a small child to understand. It reads more as if it's meant for adults. As a gag gift perhaps? I'm starting to wonder. Just what is the intent here?
I don't like books which are so muddy and hard to figure out. A child's board book should be a fairly simple thing to understand and define. There are better books out there about explaining gender for children. This...is not something I would recommend for anyone.
Someone else reviewing this book made the point of saying this reads as a mockery of the topic. I couldn't agree more. I wasn't sure if the author was making fun of being non-binary or was trying to be supportive. If they're being supportive they're taking a snarky and sarcastic tone which does absolutely nothing at all to educate or inform. If anything, this book is going to turn off people who are honestly looking to understand.
Also, this book which looks like it's meant for children but it really isn't. The language is definitely too confusing for a small child to understand. It reads more as if it's meant for adults. As a gag gift perhaps? I'm starting to wonder. Just what is the intent here?
I don't like books which are so muddy and hard to figure out. A child's board book should be a fairly simple thing to understand and define. There are better books out there about explaining gender for children. This...is not something I would recommend for anyone.
June 8, 2025
This short board book insists that the baby shouldn't have to choose between pink or blue, dolls or dinosaurs, bow ties or bows. Instead, the baby should be loved no matter what they like or which gender they are.
I'm very much in favor of smashing gender norms that insist only girls can like unicorns and only boys can like trucks. Our definitions of feminine and masculine are often too restrictive, especially for kids who just want to be comfy and entertained and loved.
However, defying gender norms doesn't specifically equate to assigning the baby's gender as "nonbinary." My own experience with nonbinary is that it's not a convenient in-between gender: it's a completely different gender, and by picking it, the parents are still assigning the child a gender at birth. I support the individual's right to choose their gender expression, and while this book is generally doing a good job of that, I'm still hesitating on whether insisting the baby is "they" actually smashes gender norms or if it's just another way of assigning gender before the baby can speak for themself.
I'm very much in favor of smashing gender norms that insist only girls can like unicorns and only boys can like trucks. Our definitions of feminine and masculine are often too restrictive, especially for kids who just want to be comfy and entertained and loved.
However, defying gender norms doesn't specifically equate to assigning the baby's gender as "nonbinary." My own experience with nonbinary is that it's not a convenient in-between gender: it's a completely different gender, and by picking it, the parents are still assigning the child a gender at birth. I support the individual's right to choose their gender expression, and while this book is generally doing a good job of that, I'm still hesitating on whether insisting the baby is "they" actually smashes gender norms or if it's just another way of assigning gender before the baby can speak for themself.
October 16, 2024
While I agree with the messaging of this board book and the illustrations are nice, I'm not sure who it's for. It fundamentally does not work for the age range it's marketed towards. The titular baby is having a conversation with older people, and that's who this conversation would be effective with. Infants and toddlers aren't going to understand any of what's happening and by the time they've reached an age where they could start understanding it, they could move onto other books that are better book that engage with these topics more interestingly and engagingly. I'm sorry to say that this just doesn't make sense.
July 30, 2022
I picked this up on a whim. It's a very cute little board book about not forcing gender norms on children. Which I am all for. Kids will like what they like - dolls or trucks, sports or fashion - regardless of their genitalia. Thing is, it's a tough thing to start with babies, as the vast majority of names are inherently gendered. So while I would encourage parents to not shove their kids into pink or blue boxes, I also don't want to limit their naming options to Adrian or Morgan or Riley. In short: very cute book, very good ideas, and maybe I'm overthinking it.
May 12, 2023
Lol so cute and funny!
This book is a great and simple way to teach kids about gender norms in the easiest way possible, and everyone expresses themselves in different ways and all of them are unique and OK. I am seeing alot of hate comments on this book saying "boys want to grow up to be big strong men, why are we just confusing kids with this nonsense?" This is true in some cases but all kids are different, and all of them deserve to see themselves represented in their favorite books. The illustrations are also so chibi and adorable, I loved it!
This book is a great and simple way to teach kids about gender norms in the easiest way possible, and everyone expresses themselves in different ways and all of them are unique and OK. I am seeing alot of hate comments on this book saying "boys want to grow up to be big strong men, why are we just confusing kids with this nonsense?" This is true in some cases but all kids are different, and all of them deserve to see themselves represented in their favorite books. The illustrations are also so chibi and adorable, I loved it!
December 1, 2023
More 2.5 stars. I like the message of letting kids be kids and not pushing interests, toys, or colors. I think, especially at the age this book is geared towards, sexuality or gender shouldn’t be pushed at all. If someone asks boy or girl, ‘what’s it to ya’, probably won’t win anyone over. Hostility breeds hostility so I can certainly understand why, in adult circles, there is ongoing anger and distrust. I hate to see it on either side. Ultimately we are all human, we all have feelings, and kids don’t need that on them. The world will give them problems soon enough.
October 12, 2023
I just don't think this is a good children's book? Not because of the subject matter, but because of the way it is written. The use of very "big", not easy to understand words as well as the phrasing makes it read more like a pun-filled gift for new parents rather than a book for very young children. I just think that many other children's books dealing with nonbinary identities did a much better job...
January 29, 2023
Funny and adorable! I only deducted one star because it's one of those board books that's more for parents than for babies. However, I could see actually reading this book to a baby way sooner than some of the themed board books out there like "Astrophysics for Babies."
June 9, 2022
this book is so cute! a good friend of mine is having his first baby and i thought it was perfect! i love that there are queer books for every age now!
Read
June 18, 2022I'm on "queer parents reading children's books about transness out loud" tiktok and i don't want it to stop
July 28, 2022
Cute and simple first intro to binary/nonbinary gender constructs and not confirming to them.
August 7, 2022
A sweet introduction to going beyond the gender binary!
August 23, 2022
"What's it to ya?" is such a good answer to this question.
December 31, 2022
Boy or girl? Whats it to ya?
April 14, 2023
A board book celebrating gender expression and not falling into the traps set by society.
May 28, 2023
Honestly would be a great way to introduce elementary-aged students to critically thinking about questions like, “Wait, what makes pink a ‘girl color’??”
June 7, 2023
The writing felt overtly political and not written for children at the opening and closing pages. The middle section was actually really lovely. Challenged book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews