Many, many LGBTQ-inclusive kids’ books are at heart about love, but some foreground it more than others. Romantic love, familial love, and loving friendships—here are some of my favorite tales, for Valentine’s Day or any time of year!
Click the titles or images below for more details, fuller reviews, and purchase links.
Sometimes love is romantic …
Love, Violet, by Charlotte Sullivan Wild, illustrated by Charlene Chua (Farrar, Straus and Giroux). This charmingly written and beautifully illustrated book is also, importantly (to the best of my knowledge), the first picture book to clearly depict a young girl’s same-sex crush. The story allows these queer children to have what they deserve: happiness, with no one criticizing or questioning their relationship.
When We Love Someone We Sing to Them/Cuando Amamos Cantamos, by Ernesto Javier Martinez, illustrated by Maya Gonzalez (Reflection Press). A lyrical bilingual book that honors the Mexican serenata tradition even as reframes it to include one boy creating a love song for another, with the help of his father. Pura Belpré Honor Award winner Maya Christina Gonzalez deserves equal credit for her vibrant illustrations.
Jerome By Heart, by Thomas Scotto, illustrated by Olivier Tallec (Enchanted Lion Books). One boy expresses his (maybe romantic, maybe close friendship) love for another. He struggles with his parents’ disapproval, but ultimately decides his love for Jerome supersedes it. While I personally prefer books in which parents are supportive of LGBTQ youth, I’m including this one in the list here because love in the face of opposition is nevertheless a powerful form of love. Translated from French by Claudia Bedrick.
Sometimes love means fantasy and fairy tales …
Aalfred and Aalbert: A Love Story, by Morag Hood (Peachtree Publishing). Aardvarks Aalfred and Aalbert sometimes longed to be part of a pair, but each had his own life. A little bird tries to help them meet—and succeeds in an unexpected way. Gentle humor and a judicious use of words and images make this story a charmer. (Note: The hardback version is titled just Aalfred and Aalbert, but the paperback is Aalfred and Aalbert: A Love Story.)
Porcupine Cupid, by Jason June, illustrated by Lori Richmond (Margaret K. McElderry Books). On Valentine’s Day, Porcupine wants to prod other members of his forest community into romance with each other—but will he himself gets stuck by love in the end? Some of the pairings could be viewed as same-sex pairs, and one wears a scarf colored like the trans flag; another has a yoga mat colored like the genderqueer flag.
Maiden and Princess, by Daniel Haack and illustrated by Isabel Galupo (Little Bee Books). A maiden and a princess fall in love with the support of their families in this empowering fairy tale.
Princess Princess Ever After, by Katie O’Neill (Oni Press). The traditional fairy tale trope gets flipped in this graphic novel when Amira, a princess with a shave-sided haircut, rescues Princess Sadie, a princess trapped by her evil sister. Sadie eventually rescues Amira in return and the two feisty royals fall in love. The graphic form will have wide appeal; some of the language, in complexity (“spontaneous,” “fulfillment”) and tone (“butthead”) may make it better for middle-grade readers than younger ones.
The Bravest Knight Who Ever Lived, by Daniel Errico and illustrated by Shiloh Penfield (Schiffer Kids). A noble young man might marry a princess, but chooses her brother the prince instead, after a series of chivalric adventures. See also my interview with author about the Hulu television show based on the book.
Promised Land, by Adam Reynolds and Chaz Harris, illustrated by Bo Moore and Christine Luiten (Promised Land). A young Prince and a farm boy fall in love. However, when the Queen re-marries, her sinister new husband seeks control of the Enchanted Forest and the land the farm boy’s family are responsible for protecting.
Maiden Voyage, by Adam Reynolds, Chaz Harris, and Jaimee Poipoi, illustrated by Bo Moore and Christine Luiten (Promised Land). In the same universe as Promised Land (above), but with a new cast of characters, this tale of adventure features a fisherman’s daughter, a courageous female captain, pirates, and an evil queen. Despite a few stylistic flaws, it has plenty of action and heart.
Raven Wild, by Adam Reynolds, Caitlin Spice, and Chaz Harris, illustrated by Bo Moore and Christine Luiten (Promised Land). Also in the same universe as Promised Land (above), a young trans woman has adventures and finds love. Empowering, but wordy for the picture-book age group.
Prince and Knight, by Daniel Haack and illustrated by Stevie Lewis (Little Bee Books). A prince’s parents seek to find him a bride. While defending the kingdom from a dragon, however, he falls in love with the (male) knight who helps him. His parents are overjoyed he has found someone to love, and the two marry. Full review.
Prince & Knight: Tale of the Shadow King, by Daniel Haack, illustrated by Stevie Lewis (Little Bee Books). This sequel continues the tale of the Prince and the Knight. Here, they must save the land from the Shadow King, whose self-hatred has spilled out to blight the land after he himself experienced harassment because of how he spoke and dressed, and who he loved.
The Prince and the Frog, by Olly Pike. Siblings Prince Oskar and Princess Caroline meet a frog who (of course) is really an enchanted prince, and can only regain his true form with a “true love’s kiss.” They assume that Caroline might be the one, and try to nurture their relationship, but it is not to be. Eventually, they realize that it is Oskar and the frog who are growing close…. Also, Pike makes a point of having Caroline say that she is happy being single—a nice nod to inclusion for those who don’s wish to partner. (Pike’s Prince Henry is another romantic, same-sex fairytale read, but hard to find in the U.S.)
King & King, by Linda de Haan and illustrated by Stern Nijland (Tricycle Press). A prince rejects all the princesses his mother wants him to marry. Luckily, when he finds his prince, his family is supportive.
Sometimes love makes a family …
Love Makes a Family, by Sophie Beer (Dial Books). A sweet board book with images of people in diverse families demonstrating what “love is” on each page. We see families with two moms, two dads, one of each, and single parents, among others. Author/illustrator Sophie Beer’s bright drawings make this one a winner.
Under the Love Umbrella, by Davina Bell, illustrated by Allison Colpoys (Scribble US). We see several children encountering everyday difficulties—a broken toy; a friend who is unfair; a scary barking dog, a moment of shyness—as a parental narrator (or really, several narrators, as we see several different families) soothingly reassures them that the “umbrella of my love” is always with them. One of the children has two moms.
Love in the Wild, by Katy Tanis (Mudpuppy). This board book celebrates the many types of love found in the animal kingdom, based on scientists’ observations of same-sex couples, adoption, nonbinary gender expression and more. It’s unfortunately impossible to tell from the illustrations what sex or gender most of the animals are, so the point doesn’t come across as strongly as it could. (This supplemental PDF helps, though.) Still, the illustrations are beautiful and full of rainbows, with a message of “love is love.”
Love Is in the Hair, by Syrus Marcus Ware (Flamingo Rampant). A child is staying with her two uncles while waiting for the birth of a new sibling, and learns the stories of her family through the objects woven into the dreadlocks of one uncle’s hair. The uncles’ queerness is incidental; this is simply a charming tale of the way we collect, keep, and share family memories.
My Maddy, by Gayle Pittman, illustrated by Violet Tobacco (Magination Press), “Most mommies are girls. Most daddies are boys. But lots of parents are neither a boy nor a girl. Like my Maddy,” begins this gentle story told as a series of reflections by a child about a parent she loves and who loves her, too. The story was inspired by an intersex parent, but the text never specifies Maddy’s identity, allowing nonbinary parents with a range of identities to see themselves here—and more importantly, for their children and children’s peers to see them.
A Color Named Love, by M. Ellery, illustrated by Clara Reschke, (Rainbow Factory/Self). A child named Anna learns to feel love from first two, then three, then four parents. The book swirls with bright colors and whimsical images as Anna experiences the love of each new member of her family. The book was written with children of polyamorous parents in mind, but feels broad enough to work for families of three or more parents who are not all romantically linked (say, a couple and their donor/surrogate and partner who are all co-parenting). Joyous and celebratory.
Love Is Love, by Michael Genhart, illustrated by Ken Min (Little Pickle Press). An unnamed boy tells a friend that some kids were saying that his shirt with a rainbow-colored heart was “gay.” He thinks it’s because he has two dads. The boy ponders that being different might be scary to some people, but that his dads really love each other and him and have told him being gay is nothing to be ashamed of. He also knows “lots of other gay people,” including his teacher and others in his community, and knows there are “lots of famous gay people,” too. The family gathers to fly kites with other people in rainbow-heart shirts (presumably other LGBTQ families) as the boy explains that the love in their family is what matters.
I Love Us: A Book About Family, from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, illustrated by Luisa Uribe. A simple board book about different types of families, including one with two dads (and maybe one with two moms; it’s unclear if they’re together or in two separate families). On each page, a narrator (presumably a child in the depicted family) tells us all the things they love to do with their family.
Elvis Presley’s Love Me Tender, illustrated by Stephanie Graegin (Dial Books): The classic song, adapted as a sweet ode to family love. A two-mom family is among the several types shown.
My Shadow Is Pink, by Scott Stuart (Larrikin House). A young boy whose “shadow is pink” finds acceptance and love from his burly, masculine, blue-shadowed dad in a picture book inspired by the real-life story of the author and his son. The dad, while initially hesitant about his son’s gender expression, quickly finds ways to support his son in both words and actions. “And some they will love you…/And some they will not. But those that do love you/they’ll love you a lot,” the dad assures him.
Sometimes love makes change…
Two Grooms on a Cake: The Story of America’s First Gay Wedding, by Rob Sanders, illustrated by Robbie Cathro (Little Bee Books). The story of the first same-sex couple in the U.S. to legally wed—back in 1971—told entertainingly by the two groom figurines on their wedding cake. A delightful and layered story that offers a sweet taste of LGBTQ history.
When You Look Out the Window: How Phyllis Lyon and Del Martin Built a Community, by Gayle Pitman, illustrated by Christopher Lyles (Magination Press). LGBTQ-rights pioneers Lyon and Martin helped transform San Francisco and its LGBTQ community. The picture book begins with them falling in love, buying a house, and observing the lack of rights for women and gay people in their neighborhood. “So we worked to change that,” they say. Their love for each other overflows into love for their community.
Sometimes love means friendship and more …
This Love: A Celebration of Harmony Around the World, by Isabel Otter, illustrated by Harriet Lynas (Tiger Tales). “Love is a special language that’s understood by all,” says this gentle book that shows the many types of love—of families, friends, and even pets—around the world. A two-mom and a two-dad family are among those depicted.
My Best Friend, by Julie Fogliano, illustrated by Jillian Tamaki (Atheneum). Beautifully captures the magical spirit of childhood friendships at an age when children are still figuring out what it means to have—and to be—a friend. It’s not exactly queer inclusive, but the close relationship between the two girls may resonate with some queer women and girls. It’s easy to imagine that their friendship could someday evolve into something more, but even if it doesn’t, such loving friendships are still to be treasured.
The Girls, by Lauren Ace, illustrated by Jenny Løvlie (Rodale Kids): A beautiful celebration of female friendship as we see four girls support each other through hardships and celebrate each others successes from childhood and into adulthood. One of them ends up in a relationship with another woman; we also see all four marching in a Pride parade as they “always took pride in their friendship.”
The Boys, by Lauren Ace, illustrated by Jenny Løvlie (Rodale Kids), a follow-up to The Girls, tracing the lives of four boys with different interests and racial identities. One of them is the son of two moms in The Girls. The boys become friends in childhood, drift apart, but eventually realize that patience and kindness could bring them back together. We also see one of the men marrying and starting his own family with another man. A lovely and understated examination of masculinity and friendship.
