The Penguin tales book could be used to teach kids about LGBT issues (Picture: SWNS)

Children as young as three could soon be taught about transgender issues by reading story books about penguins.

The Gender Identity and Research and Education Society has called on schools to teach their children about trans issues by using the Penguin Land stories, which feature adult penguins reassuring younger penguins about transitioning.

In one of the stories, a younger character is told: ‘We can’t always tell if you’re a boy or if you’re a girl.

‘But either way we love you just the same. So we will have a party and all your friends will come.


‘We’ll tell them you are Sally and were never really John.’



The calls came as the society gave evidence to the Common’s Women and Equalities Committee, which is the first inquiry in Britain to investigate prejudice against transsexual or transgender people.

In evidence to the committee, the society said: ‘The numbers of very young children transitioning in primary school are increasing rapidly, so information and reassurance needs to be given at the earliest stage.

‘The Penguin Land stories, for instance, will help teachers to put simple messages across to children.’

In the books, young readers are told the story of a penguin called Polly who was ‘always really Tom’ and another about a penguin named John, who is now known as Sally.

The Gender Identity Research and Education Society also accused the Department for Education of not doing enough to promote transgender issues, and claimed that the concept of gender transitioning should be ‘included at all levels of the syllabus.’