What are your favorite LGBTQ-affirming children’s books?
Welcome to the second of three posts about children and LGBTQ folks:
Children’s picture books about LGBTQ identities (this post)
Download the full PDF of all three posts here (6 pages), or watch for third post, coming in the next several weeks.
Same-sex attraction occurs in 2-10% of all humans across culture and time (see Chapter 3 of GayLDSCrossroads). In a ward of 200 adults, that’s about 4-20 people, and in a Primary of 50, that’s 1-5 children. LGBTQ folks are part of God’s creation and part of His plan. Same-sex attraction is not a choice but is inborn (agreed by science & The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints – also Chapter 3).
We’re collecting resources for parents who want to raise LGBTQ-affirming children. What picture books have you enjoyed? What about books for older children? Comment below! Here’s some of our favorite picture books so far:
o A Fire Engine for Ruthie, by Leslea Newman. From the book jacket: “Ruthie loves to visit Nana. But Ruthie and Nana don’t always like to play with the same things. Nana’s neighbor, Brian, gets to play with fire engines and motorcycles. So why doesn’t Ruthie? Two people can love different things and still love each other.”
o and Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell. A true story about a penguin family in Central Park Zoo made up of two male chinstrap penguins who hatched and raised a baby penguin.
o A Tale of Two Daddies by Vanita Oelschlager. From the Amazon listing: “A playground conversation between two children, true to a child's curiosity: "Which dad helps when your team needs a coach? / Which dad cooks you eggs and toast?" To which she answers: "Daddy is my soccer coach. / Poppa cooks me eggs and toast."
o Donovan's Big Day by Leslea Newman. From the Amazon listing: “Donovan's two moms are getting married, and he can't wait for the celebration to begin. After all, as ringbearer, he has a very important job to do. Any boy or girl with same-sex parents—or who knows a same-sex couple—will appreciate this picture book about love, family, and marriage. The story captures the joy and excitement of a wedding day while the illustrations show the happy occasion from a child's point of view.”
o Heather Has Two Mommies by Leslea Newman, originally published 1989. From the Amazon listing: “When Heather goes to school for the first time, someone asks her about her daddy, but Heather doesn’t have a daddy. When Heather and her classmates all draw pictures of their families, not one drawing is the same.”
o My Family: My Two Dads by Claudia Harrington. From the book jacket: Learn about diversity in a gentle manner through the eyes of second grader Lenny. Join him as he shadows his classmates for a special report on the Students of the Week. Through innocent, simple questions, Lenny discovers his new friends’ families aren’t all that different from his own.
o My Two Dads (This is My Family), by Julie Murray. From the Amazon listing: “Families come in all shapes and sizes. Readers will learn all about families with two dads through everyday and relatable situations.”
o Sparkle Boy by Leslea Newman. From the book jacket: “Casey loves to play with his blocks, puzzles, and dump truck, and he also loves things that shimmer, glitter, and sparkle. Casey’s older sister, Jessie, thinks this is weird. Shimmery, glittery, sparkly things are only for girls. Right? When Casey and Jessie head to the library for story time, Casey proudly wears his shimmery skirt and sparkly bracelet. Jessie insists that Casey looks silly. It’s one thing to dress like this around the house, but going outside as a ‘sparkle boy’ is another thing entirely. What will happen when the other kids see him? This story speaks to us all about acceptance, respect, and the simple freedom to be yourself.”
o When Aidan Became a Brother by Kyle Lukoff. From the book jacket: “When Aidan was born, everyone thought he was a girl. But once he came out as a trans boy, Aidan and his parents fixed the parts of his life that didn’t fit anymore, and he settled happily into being himself. Then Mom and Dad announce that they’re having another baby, and Aidan wants to get everything right for his new sibling. But what does it mean to ‘get everything right’? And what happens if he messes up? With a little help, Aidan discovers that he already knows the most important thing about being a brother: how to love with his whole heart.”
What other children’s books have you enjoyed, either picture books or books for older children? Comment below!
-Marci
This is the second of three posts. Download the full PDF of all three posts here (6 pages), or watch for third post, coming in the next several weeks.