A Rainbow of Pride Books for Kids of All Ages

The number of children’s books about Pride has increased dramatically over the past few years. Here are some of the best.

Picture Books on Pride Colors and Celebrations

Robin Stevenson’s Pride Colors board book (Orca, 2019) takes the meanings of the colors in the Pride flag, as envisioned by creator Gilbert Baker, and turns them into a poem from parent to child, coupled with images of babies and toddlers and sometimes their two moms or dads. “Yellow sunshine, smiles so bright./I’ll hug you, kiss you, hold you tight,” says one spread. There’s a mention of “Pride Day fun” at the end, but the book is more about the sentiments that extend far beyond a single day or month.

Rainbow: A First Book of Pride, by Michael Genhard and illustrated by Anne Passchier (Magination Press, 2019), uses essentially the same concept, but in a more literal way. “Red means life,” it says, showing a red-laden image of two dads happily holding their newborn. It continues through all the colors of the rainbow and ends with a spread of families waving rainbow flags. It’s a less warmly personal book than Stevenson’s, but makes a bright introduction to the colors of Pride and images of LGBTQ families.

Our Rainbow, by Little Bee Books (2019) and a variety of artists, is a board book published in partnership with LGBTQ media advocacy group GLAAD, and again takes a similar approach. It shows the meanings of the colors as exemplified through simple acts of kindness–but also includes brown and black, colors that many are now adding to the rainbow flag to honor racial diversity.

This Day in June, by Gayle Pitman and illustrated by Kristyna Litten (Magination Press, 2014), is a Stonewall Book Award winner that takes us on a joyous trip to a Pride Parade, where we meet a diverse group of people including dykes on bikes, drag queens, people in leather, marching bands, LGBTQ parents with their children, and parents of LGBTQ children.

M Is for Mustache: A Pride ABC Book, by Catherine Hernandez and illustrated by Marisa Firebaugh (2015), takes us through an alphabet of Pride-related words through the eyes of a Filipino American child. The book comes only as part of a set of six LGBTQ-inclusive children’s books from micro-press Flamingo Rampant—but the rest of the set is pretty fun, too.

Gloria Goes to Gay Pride, by Lesléa Newman, author of Heather Has Two Mommies, is out of print, but available free in digital form through openlibrary.org. The 1991 story holds up remarkably well, despite dated illustrations and use of “Gay Pride” rather than “LGBTQ Pride.” In it, Gloria and her two moms meet other families and people from their neighborhood at a Pride parade. Most of the spectators cheer, but a few have a sign saying, “Gays go away.” One of the moms explains, “Some women love women, some men love men, and some women and men love each other. That’s why we march in the parade—so everyone can have a choice.” A good choice for parents who need to explain anti-LGBTQ protesters.

Picture Books on LGBTQ History and Pride

Stonewall: A Building. An Uprising. A Revolution, by Rob Sanders (Random House, 2019), uses the perspective of the Stonewall Inn itself to create a simple yet compelling story that focuses on the people in the neighborhood. Jamey Christoph’s evocative illustrations capture their diversity of race, gender identity, and sexual orientation.

Pride: The Story of Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag, by Rob Sanders and illustrated by Steven Salerno (Random House, 2018), is an inspiring biography of Milk that emphasizes his friendship with Gilbert Baker, who designed the rainbow flag. It mentions Milk’s assassination, although as gently as possible, but parents should still be prepared to address kids’ concerns there.

Sewing the Rainbow: A Story About Gilbert Baker, written by Gayle Pitman and illustrated by Holly Clifton-Brown (Magination Press, 2018), takes us along with Baker from his childhood, through adversity, to his creation of the rainbow flag and regaining his sparkle. A few things (such as Baker’s draft letter) may take adult explanation, but all will be inspired by this story.

The Harvey Milk Story, by Kari Krakow and illustrated by David Gardner (Two Lives, 2002), conveys Milk’s significance with appreciation. It is wordier that Sanders’ book and probably best for older elementary students. Unfortunately, it is out of print and only available in expensive used versions or in libraries.

When You Look Out the Window: How Phyllis Lyon and Del Martin Built a Community, also by Pitman and illustrated by Christopher Lyles (Magination Press, 2017) shows us how LGBTQ-rights pioneers Lyon and Martin fell in love, bought a house, and observed the lack of rights for women and gay people in their neighborhood–then worked to help improve San Francisco and its LGBTQ community.

While all of the above books are excellent, I should note the lack of books about people of color who were pioneers of the LGBTQ rights movement, including Marsha P. Johnson, Sylvia Rivera, and José Julio Sarria. Let’s encourage publishers to seek out and produce such volumes in the future—I have no doubt there are skilled authors to write them.

For Tweens and Up

Gayle Pitman’s The Stonewall Riots: Coming Out in the Streets (Abrams, 2019) is organized around 50 representative objects from the era and the event, such as photos, matchbooks, picket signs, and more. Pitman weaves the stories behind these objects into a narrative that feels both accessible and substantial.

The Stonewall Riots: The Fight for LGBT Rights, by Tristan Poehlmann (Essential Library, 2016) is a solid overview, but only available in a $30 library edition, which may make it a better library pick than one for home bookshelves.

Pride: Celebrating Diversity and Community, by Robin Stevenson (Orca, 2016), blends a history of the event with a broader look at the struggle for LGBTQ equality, what it means to come out, what to expect at Pride events, a glossary, and more.

Gay & Lesbian History for Kids: The Century-Long Struggle for LGBT Rights, by Jerome Pohlen (Chicago Review Press, 2015), starts with Sappho and Alexander the Great, but then focuses mostly on LGBTQ social and political history in the U.S. A series of activities throughout the book adds fun and engagement.

Happy reading and happy Pride!

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