June is Pride Month – a time when LGBTQIA communities all over the world celebrate love, identity and solidarity!
A good time to put together this list of multicultural children’s books featuring LGBTQIA characters (although these gorgeous and inclusive books are of course relevant all year round)!
18 Multicultural Children’s Books featuring LGBTQIA Characters
Babies & Toddlers
Baby’s First Words
by Stella Blackstone
This cute little board book features a city baby whose parents happen to be two dads. With tabs and brief text, Baby’s First Words follows the baby’s daily activities of a city baby while featuring terms for objects, actions, and sounds. ~ Diverse -Babies & Toddlers
The Family Book
by Todd Parr
The Family Book is an inclusive children’s book that celebrates families in all the different varieties they come in. With Todd Parr’s signature quirky style, it assures little readers that every family is special and unique, whether you have two moms or two dads (a reference that this amazing book was actually banned for!), a big family or a small family, a clean family or a messy one. ~ Diverse -Babies & Toddlers
More challenged or banned books: 15 Must-Read Banned/Challenged Multicultural Children’s Books
Preschool
Rainbow: A First Book of Pride
by Michael Genhart
Rainbow: A First Book of Pride is a sweet ode to rainbow families, and an affirming display of a parent’s love for their child and a child’s love for their parents. With bright colors and joyful families, this book celebrates LGBTQ+ pride and reveals the colorful meaning behind each rainbow stripe. ~ Diverse – Preschool
Two Dads: A book about adoption
by Carolyn Roberston
“I have something that can’t be bad/… I don’t have one…, I have two dads!” With lively text and colourful illustrations, Two Dads is an affirming story told from the perspective of the adopted child of two fathers, one white and the other black (or mixed race). ~ African – Preschool
More books about adoption: 28 Multicultural Children’s Books about Adoption
Two Dads Are Better Than One
by K.C. Eckels
With rhyming text and child-like drawings, Two Dads Are Better Than One tells the story of little Suzie who lives with her same-sex parents. Suzie describes all the fun she has with her dads and how they support and love her, and also mentions the hurt when other children say mean things: “When people are mean, / That makes me sad, / They don’t understand, / The Family I have!” ~ Diverse – Preschool
This Day in June
by Gayle E. Pitman
This whimsical and exuberant book invites little readers to experience a pride celebration in the LGBT community. It also includes a reading guide full of facts about LGBT history and culture as well as advice on how to talk to children about sexual orientation and gender identity. Award-winning This Day In June is a fantastic tool for teaching respect, acceptance, and understanding of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. ~ Diverse – Preschool
It Takes Love (and some other stuff) to Make a Baby
by LL Bird
“Mommy, how are babies made?” It Takes Love (and some other stuff) To Make A Baby is a picture book for little kids in lesbian families born via donor insemination. With simple language and bright illustrations, it introduces the basics of reproduction and the concept of the donor. ~ Diverse – Preschool
A Church for All
by Gayle E. Pitman
“Sunday waking / Day is breaking / Let’s go to our church for all!” In simple lyrical words and with colourful illustrations, A Church For All celebrates diversity with a Sunday morning at an inclusive church that embraces all people regardless of age, class, race, gender identity, and sexual orientation. All are welcome at the church for all! ~ Diverse – Preschool
Two Mommies
by Tierra Williams
Follow a little boy and his two moms as they go about their day, from having fun at the beach to saying grace before dinner. With colourful illustrations and rhyming text, My Two Mommies is a warm and delightful book about family, love and inclusion. ~ Diverse – Preschool
Two Moms and a Menagerie
by Carolyn Robertson
Two Moms and a Menagerie is a delightful story about two moms (one Black, one White), their two adopted sons and their ever-expanding animal family. With lively text and dynamic illustrations, this picture books is a fun read that will appeal to little readers. ~ Diverse – Preschool
Keesha & Her Two Moms Go Swimming
by Bey-Clarke
Keesha and her two moms head out for a fun day at the pool where they meet up with Trevor and his two dads. While the illustrations and text of are not of the greatest quality, Keesha & Her Two Moms Go Swimming is still an affirming story that normalizes LBGT families and promotes tolerance. ~ Diverse – Preschool
Keesha’s South African Adventure
by Bey-Clarke
After learning about South Africa in school, Keesha dreams of travelling there one day. She gets the surprise of a lifetime when her two moms decide to take her there for her birthday. Keesha’s South African Adventure follows the family as they experience the diverse landscapes, cultures and people of South Africa. ~ Diverse – Preschool
More books about South Africa: 23 Children’s Books set in South Africa
Love Is Love
by Michael Genhart
A young boy is being bullied about having two dads. He is being told that he doesn’t have a real family. When he confides in his friend, he discovers that his friend’s parents―a mom and a dad―and his two dads are actually very much alike. Love Is Love is a gentle yet straightforward story that shows that love is what makes a family. A great resource to discuss discrimination! ~ Diverse – Preschool, Elementary School
More books about bullying: 20 Multicultural Children’s Books about Bullying
Zak’s Safari
by Christy Tyner
When the rain spoils Zak’s plan for a safari adventure, he invites readers on a very special tour of his family instead. We learn about how his two moms met, fell in love, and wanted more than anything to have a baby—so they decided to make one using a sperm donor. Zak’s Safari is a fun and informative book that explains sperm donation in simple but accurate language and that celebrates family. ~ Diverse – Preschool, Elementary School
Elementary & Middle School
by Janai Akerele
“Why do I have two moms?” Angel goes on a journey to find an answer to this question. She won’t stop until she’s questioned every member of the family. Not only does Why Do I Have Two Mommies? feature LGBT characters but also a range of other diverse characters, from the Middle-Eastern neighbour to the Asian best friend and the interracial grandparents. ~ Diverse – Elementary School
In Our Mothers’ House
by Patricia Polacco
Just like any other family, Marmee, Meema and their three kids like to cuddle, cook and dance together. Some people don’t accept them but the family gains strength from their love and lives by their own rules. With expressive drawings of loving family interactions, In Our Mothers’ House teaches children that different isn’t wrong and that love is what makes a family. ~ Diverse – Elementary School
Antonio’s Card/ La tarjeta de Antonio
by Rigoberto González
Mother’s Day is around the corner, and Antonio searches for words to express his love for his mother and her partner, Leslie. When his classmates make fun of Leslie, a tall artist who wears paint-splattered overalls, Antonio feels hurt and confused. Complemented by richly hued paintings, Antonio’s Card is a warm and tender story about standing up for yourself and the people you love. ~ Hispanic – Elementary School
by Katie O.Neill
When the heroic princess Amira rescues the kind-hearted princess Sadie from her tower prison, they discover that they bring out the very best in each other. Together, the two very different princesses embark on a journey to defeat their greatest foe yet: a jealous sorceress, who wants to get rid of Sadie once and for all. Princess Princess Ever After is a queer, feminist and multicultural graphic novel that children will love! ~ Diverse – Elementary School, Middle School
More princess books: 14 Multicultural Children’s Books About Spunky Princesses
by Katie O’Neill
After discovering a lost tea dragon, blacksmith Greta learns about the dying art form of tea dragon care-taking from the kind tea shop owners. As she befriends them and their shy ward, Greta sees how the craft enriches their lives—and eventually her own. From the award-winning author of Princess Princess Ever After comes The Tea Dragon Society, a charming graphic novel with a diverse cast of LGBTQIA characters and people of colour. Includes “Extracts from the Tea Dragons Handbook”, explaining more about tea dragons. ~ Diverse – Elementary School, Middle School
Don’t miss the adorable follow-up: Aquicorn Cove
*You can buy any of the books on this site from Amazon USA by clicking on the book titles or images.*
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2 Responses
Bethany | Biracial Bookworms
Zak’s Safari is my personal favorite on this list! Thanks for sharing with the #diversekidlit link up and welcome to the team!!
Katie Logonauts
Great list! Stella Brings the Family is one of my new favorite LGBTQIA picture books, and my 3rd graders loved the Family Fletcher novels by Dana Alison Levy! Thanks for sharing this with #diversekidlit and for joining us as a co-host!