The LGBTQ-inclusive kids’ books of 2022 are just getting started—here are four being published today, two picture books and two middle-grade titles! Read on for reviews.
Click titles for the full reviews of each book.
Picture Books
Brian the Dancing Lion, written and illustrated by Tom Tinn-Disbury (Capstone Editions). In this light-hearted story about embracing our true selves and gender expressions, Brian the Lion loves to dance, to any kind of music. The problem is, lions are supposed to be fierce, and no one would think a dancing lion was fierce. He therefore keeps his dancing a secret. When his secret slips out, however, his friends—a gorilla, an alligator, and a rhino—turn out to be more accepting than he had imagined, and reveal their own not-fierce hobbies.
There are now a number of books about boys who want to dance but are hesitant in the face of gender stereotypes, notably the recent Llama Glamarama, Glad Glad Bear, When Langston Dances, and Téo’s Tutu, and the older Oliver Button Is a Sissy. Some readers may prefer the stories with human characters; others may like the whimsy of animals. And Téo and Glad Glad Bear offer representation to boys whose style leans towards traditionally female clothing as well, which some (though not all) readers may seek. Brian the Dancing Lion is especially close in storyline to Llama Glamarama, but is a little gentler; Llama Glamarama has more frenetic humor. Neither is better or worse; different readers will prefer each at different times. It’s good to have options, and Brian holds his own with any of the other stories.
Yes! No! A First Conversation About Consent, by Jessica Ralli and Megan Madison, illustrated by Isabel Roxas (Penguin Workshop). With the clarity of their earlier Being You: A First Conversation About Gender, the creative team here tackles the sensitive but important topic of consent, showing children how to ask for permission and be asked for permission about anything involving their bodies—and explaining why this is important. Adults, too, should value the lessons and the language offered here.
At least two of the children in the book seem gender ambiguous, and could be read as any one of several genders. Another is cycling with two women who seem like her moms. (I am choosing to read it this way, though one could be an aunt or a family friend).
With an upbeat tone, a kids’-eye perspective, and colorful images, this book distills the idea of consent into simple phrases and easily understood concepts. Two pages at the end offer more detailed information for adults on bodily autonomy, power and adultism, boundaries, and more. This is indeed a good first conversation—but will hopefully lead to many more. Talking about consent should be an ongoing process as our children grow.
Middle Grade Books
The Visitors, by Greg Howard (G.P. Putnam’s Sons). The Hollow Pines Plantation in Georgetown, South Carolina, may appear deserted, but to one 12-year-old boy, now a ghost, it’s home. He doesn’t remember how long he’s been there or the trauma that bound him to the place. He just knows that he can’t escape, and nor can the other souls who were stuck there long before him, part of the plantation’s legacy of slavery. When three living children (one of whom is a trans girl) visit, hoping to solve a mystery tied to the site, he sees the possibility of finally escaping the sad and scary locale and its legacy of pain and sorrow. There’s also another queer character, but I will not spoil the story by saying more. Author Greg Howard deals compassionately (though non-preachily) with tough issues like racism, homophobia, and bias, and the ending offers an uplift of hope.
I should offer one content warning, but it’s also a major spoiler, so I’ll write it in white-on-white below. If you want to know, click and drag over the next line:
A major character in the book dies by suicide.
Cameron Battle and the Hidden Kingdoms, by Jamar J. Perry Bloomsbury USA). Inspired by West African and Igbo history and mythology, this book has many of the beats of classic fantasy stories (an orphan who just might save the world; a forbidden object; a portal to a secret realm), but also offers a Black protagonist, worldbuilding rooted in Black culture, and a queer romance—not items unique to this story, but still all too rare in literature generally.
Debut author Jamar J. Perry weaves in themes of self-confidence, family, and friendship as Cameron and his friends train, quest, and fight to save the world. Perry says in a promotional message about the book, “I wrote Cameron in the same vein of myself: a Black queer boy who has a love for reading, who uses reading as a form of escape into fantasy worlds, and who finds his historical positioning based on his experiences. It is my hope that Cameron can inspire other Black boys to love themselves as they are, instead of who others want them to be.” That’s a lofty goal, but he just might succeed.