This is a wonderful, beautiful book and a great resource for helping children and adults alike understand gender dysphoria. There are simple explanations and the little girl in the book is never deadnamed which is a very good thing! Gorgeous illustrations. I wish every kid had access to this book and other books that teach about the wide variety of human experiences. The diversity of creation, including humans, is beautiful!

Okay I’m going to cry. This was beautiful and so important and so well done! This is absolutely perfect and the ‘adults guide’ at the back was a fab touch. Really loved this and no doubt this will be hugely important for many. My queer heart is so full.

This book is great! The illustrations alone are beautiful, they remind me a little bit of Steven Universe. The language is simple and there is a clear connection with the images. Children should be able to very easily understand the story and the monster is similar to other children's books about anxiety, so there is already a precedent for it. The main character is a person of color and so are several side characters that we can see, which is lovely representation. This is a good book not just for trans children but also for children with trans friends. It is also an excellent book for parents and other adults. There is an extensive glossary of trans-related terms in the back of the book to help adult readers understand transness for themselves. This is helpful because a lot of people are still unaware of what certain terms mean and the reality of the trans experience. 
I also like that the book places the power in the protagonist's hands rather than those around her. She gets to make the choice to come out to family and friends and begin living authentically which helps reduce the size of her monster. While prejudice and bigotry are obviously not controllable by the afflicted, the way the story is written is empowering for children rather than telling them that their worth hinges on other's perceptions.I think this is a beautiful, easy to understand book with valuable resources and amazing illustrations. I recommend this for every household and every library.

THIS IS THE BEST BOOK.

I love it. The art is really gorgeous and really helps tell the story. This is a story about Nish, who has a dysphoria monster. I love that the book doesn't deadname Nish from the beginning, and instead gently weaves a story about how the monster grows and grows when the wrong pronouns are used or when Nish is told to use the boy's restroom. The art shows how the monster, portrayed as a black/blue swirling ambiguous fog, becomes so big that it stops Nish from doing what she loves (ex: going to the beach and playing with her friends). How Nish tries to yell back at the monster, but the monster doesn't listen to Nish, but only listens to all these outside events.

How Nish's dad introduce her to Jack, who also used to have a dysphoria monster. Jack explains beautifully how some people have this monster, and how to tame it into a small, gentle creature. I appreciate how Jack portrays the monster not in an evil scary light, but as a guiding voice of what's wrong and that it can't be ignored. As someone who doesn't have gender dysphoria, I can't speak to whether this portrayal is accurate or right, but I liked it.

It's wonderful how Jack gives steps to tame the monster, and how hopeful Nish is at the end of the visit. The art once again shines beautifully, as Nish takes steps to affirm her gender and how her giant monster is tamed into a quiet little friend. The confidence and overwhelming glee that Nish feels just pops out of the book and as the book ends, you're just filled with happiness!! Like, this is a book that I want to buy and give to people!

It's a really cute book with a charming story and lovely art, and affirms all those with gender dysphoria. While Nish and Jack are trans, I think the story is still useful to all with gender dysphoria, as Jack does mention how the gender binary doesn't fit some people at all. At the end of the book is a glossary for adults, to help explain some common terms such as gender vs. sex, social transitioning vs medical transition, and even answer common questions like how to support a child who shares that they might be trans.

Essentially, the BEST BOOK. I would highly recommend for any library or parent or anybody! Gender is confusing, and this is the perfect little book to help support those who are questioning or know someone who is. I love it.

This is a very important childrens book to educate kids and adults alike. The world always needs more representation and it's good to see resources for broaching these concepts to kids.
And to think, the book also comes with a helpful section to further educate adults on the matters talked about in the book and otherwise!

I received this book as an ARC from Net Galley in exchange for my honest review.

Cover and illustrations: both are absolutely stunning! This is definitely the kind of book that my child would be attracted to on the shelf. The photos are bright and do a great job of helping to show the dysphoria in the form of a monster getting larger and larger. It’s a great visual aid to explain what Nisha’s feeling on the inside.

The story: I think for the most part this book does an excellent job of helping to tackle a topic that isn’t talked about enough with kids. It would be great for kids with gender dysphoria to have a book help them explain what they’re feeling and is also great for cis kids to empathize with others.

I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading it with my child. The only part I wish was a little shorter or more spread out is the part with Jack. It was just a lot of text on those pages and didn’t flow quite like the other parts. But I’d say that’s a minor thing. Overall, I’d give it a 4.5!

This is such a valuable book for children struggling with identity. Or for children who aren't to learn what it can be like!

The illustrations are absolutely gorgeous! I love all the bright colors and shapes that make up the pages. The illustrations of Nisha really capture the struggles Nisha is feeling with her monster.

Seeing Nisha deal with her monster is touching. I can't imagine feeling the things she does at such a young age. It is sad how it started getting in the way of things she enjoys doing.

I love the diversity of this book. Although the characters are in the background, you can tell they from all nationalities and races.

I also love how the book uses Jack as a way to tell children what to do if they feel the same way as Nisha. That way they don't need to continue feeling so negatively.

This book was so beautiful, it almost made me cry. I definitely recommend this to any parent/teacher/therapist who has a child struggling with gender dysphoria.

It's amazing how the author included a guide in the back of the book as these topics can be really difficult to discuss.

This was such a sweet, positive book. I absolutely adored it. The illustrations were beautiful as well. I really appreciated the information in the back for parents/guardians. The story itself had a moment or two where I was slightly confused, relying more on subtext and guesses than story and images, but at most that would make it a 4.5/5 for me. Overall a really great book.

A brave book for children that shows that it’s okay to feel a certain way and how to express yourself to your family to make the changes in your life to feel more confident with who you are. It also is a great example that being trans isn’t something weird or to be ashamed of. It puts words to a feeling that some kids can’t express otherwise.

Advanced Copy of the book!

What an important picture book! I enjoyed the illustrations and the hopeful ending. I think the colors and the illustrations did a good job of changing as the story progressed and they were in line with the mood of the story. I also liked that Misha had an example of an adult who went through something similar so that she can see that as she grows, that Dysphoria Monster can get smaller. I also liked that Jack said he spoke to "adults" and did not specify parents, because I think it is important for kids to know that even if they might not feel safe expressing this so their parents (maybe in the moment), there will be (other) adults on their side.

I also really appreciated the Adult Guide at the end.

I think there is a missing text bubble on page 15?

I am so happy this book exists! The story is wonderfully told and beautifully illustrated. I love how informative it is for such a short book. The guide in the back is a great and necessary edition. I can’t wait to purchase this for my kids when it comes out! I will also be purchasing copies for their classrooms and school library. I encourage others to do the same.

Thank you to Jessica Kingsley Publishers and NetGalley for the ARC!

ABSO-FREAKING-LUTELY-AMAZE-BEANS!
10000000/10*- HIGHLY RECOMMEND for anyone, really!
Literally probably the most informative book I've read recently. THIS IS TOTALLY sooo good for adults too, with new terms coming out all the time I definitely will admit that I am not always up on what everything means. The glossary in the back WAS purrrrrrrrfect!
Illustrations were exceptionally beautiful and the story was charming and emotional. I cannot relate to our MC, but I felt her pain that was shown through this monster that follows her around everywhere she goes. I can't imagine how distraught and lonely one would feel if they constantly had to fight this demon every day with even the most basic daily functions or activities.

This is such an important book for everyone to read, honestly. If you're an adult and don't understand - this book is for you. If you have or know a child/teen who is struggling with identity- this is for them. PARENTS, PLEASE READ THIS! I want to say even if you are unsure if it's applicable to you and your family, it is still SO SO important to be able to get at least an understanding of what your child could go through and the ways to help.

Me and My Dysphoria Monster covers a topic that desperately needs to be widely discussed and accessible to children, and it does so in a sensitive and uplifting way. This wonderful book is sure to be a fantastic educational resource for children and adults alike.

Me and My Dysphoria Monster is a much-needed, insightful, adorable depiction of dysphoria and how caregivers can help children alleviate their pain. The book follows Nisha as she gets the help she needs to be her most authentic self. The illustrations are gorgeous and really help the reader understand the emotions of the character. I hope all trans kids as well as cisgender kids get to read a book like this!

I love this book for being a developmentally appropriate, plain language way to talk to children about gender identity. This book isn't just useful for children who may be experiencing gender dysphoria, but also for the children around them to understand how it feels to be deadnamed, to use the wrong pronouns, and what it does to their friend or classmate. I actually think many adults could use reading this book and the reminder of the hurt that grows and grows. The illustrations match the simplicity of the text, with a palette that really contrasts Nisha's experience of herself as her true self and the dark, stormy nature of her monster. I highly recommend.

Thank you to Jessica Kingsley Publishers and NetGalley for the digital ARC of this book.

Words can not express how much I love this book! I want to buy a copy and give it to every single person I see. This was so good. Not only did it perfectly explain gender dysphoria on a level that kids can understand and relate to, but it was also a good story. Choosing to frame dysphoria as a monster rather than a feeling gives it more physicality and shows kids that it can be fought. You can do things to make the monster smaller, quieter, and less noticeable. I absolutely loved this story, and I definitely will be buying it. Also, the illustrations were GORGEOUS. Even the end pages (what I presume to be the end pages, as this was a digital ARC) were so beautiful. Such zany, whimsical, colorful illustrations are sure to captivate and engage any child, and even the adults too! I could not recommend this more.

What an adorable and important book for children to learn about something that they, or others they know may face (or even currently be facing)! I especially thought that the portion in the back offered a good tool for adults to help answer questions that the children in their lives might have. I'd love to have this book on my shelf!

This book moved me to tears. I am so happy it exists. Not only will this story be important to children experiencing gender dysphoria— I can also see it becoming a great tool for guardians, educators, relatives of trans folks, and anyone else who is seeking simple and direct resources on gender identity. The illustrations are beautiful and I love the inclusion of terminology and common questions at the end. Thank you so much to NetGalley for the ARC of this picture book!

This story was such a great take on how to explain gender dysphoria to a child but also parents thru the lens of a child. This is not a simple topic for all and this approach of the dysphoria monster starting just small and grows by others feeding it with misgendering/dismissal was a super clever way to educate others. Once the child in the book learned about this monster, she was able to identify how to combat it.

This book was a great interesting read and was engaging thru ought. My only criticism is that when Jack explains his dysphoria monster these sections are lengthy and don't follow the same flow as the rest of the book. It might be helpful to break this up across another page, The illustrations were very bright, with lots of detail. I loved the style for how the characters were depicted. My favorite part of this book as a parents was the guide for parents on terminology and explanations. I'd recommend this book to any parent. 4.5 stars.

I love this book! This was a powerful way to describe gender dysphoria to young children. It framed it in a wonderfully age appropriate way, providing context and a metaphor that can help children develop the language to express when they are struggling and what they need.