Superman, Wonder Woman, and Other Superheroes Support Two-Mom, Two-Dad Families in This Picture Book

If you or your kids are fans of Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, Aquaman, Green Lantern, the Flash, or any of the other superheroes from the DC universe, you’ll love this picture book in which they extol the powers of families—including ones with same-sex parents.

Family Is a Superpower (Capstone, 2019), by award-winning author Michael Dahl and illustrator Omar Lozano, is bold in its opening assertion, “Throughout the universe, a single superpower outshines all others. An ever-changing, ever-growing power found within the World’s Greatest Super Heroes … and everyday heroes, like you.” On subsequent pages, we learn that this superpower means heroes are never alone and always protected. It helps them find strength in every difference and reach out to those in need. With each assertion, we see bright images of superheroes—and a diverse assortment of everyday people, both children and parents—demonstrating the relevant qualities. Included are two-mom and two-dad families, single-parent families, and multi-racial families.

The superpower, revealed at the end, is family itself. While this book therefore falls into the general genre of books celebrating diverse types of families, it stands out because it incorporates some of the world’s most-recognized icons. The two-dad family is even one of those on the cover—the publisher isn’t trying to hide the book’s broad inclusion.

Don’t get me wrong: We absolutely still need more LGBTQ-inclusive children’s media with original characters, stories, and worlds. At the same time, it is significant when we are associated with existing major media franchises, just as it is significant when we see a same-sex-headed family (and I hope, other LGBTQ characters soon) in a Disney film or on Sesame Street. Yes, this is just a children’s book; it’s a far cry from an LGBTQ character in a DC (or Marvel) feature film. But the young children who grow up reading this book may grow up expecting—nay, demanding—LGBTQ inclusion (and other diverse characters) in their feature films as well.

You can also download a free poster of the book’s cover as a pdf from the publisher, Capstone.

There are those who still fight against the inclusion of LGBTQ people in children’s media. They won’t win—we have Superman and Wonder Woman on our side.

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