Mombian’s Fabulous Father’s Day List of Picture Books Featuring LGBTQ Dads

A Kids Book About Gay Parents, by Jonathan and Thomas West, illustrated by Rick Delucco (A Kids Book About). Part of the lauded A Kids Book About (AKBA) collection, this volume is designed to be read by a child and adult together, with room for discussion. It reads less like a story and more like a conversation with the authors, who share their journey to becoming the adoptive parents of four. They also reinforce the more general messages that “the kids of gay parents, are loved, wanted, and they belong,” that families come in many forms, and that anyone can build a family.

Dad and Daddy’s Big Big Family, by Seamus Kirst, illustrated by Karen Bunting (Magination Press). A sweet story about extended family, related and chosen, centering on a girl who attends a family reunion with her two dads, and is confused by people there who have different interests and look different, but are ostensibly part of her family. Her dads explain that extended family means smaller families connected into one big family, “like a big web!” People can be in the same family web because they are related or because they are people we choose, but are all connected by love. Some light humor keeps the story from cloying, and the discussion of extended family fills a gap in LGBTQ-inclusive picture books.

This Is the First Book I Will Read to You, by Francesco Sedita, illustrated by Magenta Fox (Viking). In this sweet picture book, a father expresses his thoughts as he gets ready to read to his new child for the first time. This story of vulnerable, nurturing, and gentle fatherhood is a great model for all fathers. Furthermore, a family photo on the wall in one illustration shows the dad and another man with their arms around each other. Pair the image with the fact that the author is himself married to a man, and it seems likely that the father is intended to be a queer man. We don’t see the other man elsewhere; presumably, if they are parenting together, they’ll each have their own “first book” moment with their child. The queerness is subtle, but queer dads who want to see themselves here can easily do so, even as the book carries a broad message. Highly recommended, and a perfect story for bedtime.

Awake, Asleep, by Kyle Lukoff, illustrated by Nadia Alam (Orchard Books). Two-time Stonewall Award winner and Newbery Honoree Kyle Lukoff, in his first book for the very youngest children, gives us a charming tale about everyday family moments. Lukoff’s prose has always been lyrical; here, he leans into his poetic skills with spare, gently rhyming text as we follow three families through their days. One family has two dads, a young girl, a baby, and a grandmother, all with brown skin and black hair (except the grandmother’s, which is gray). The second consists of a mom, dad, and young girl, all with light brown skin and dark hair—and in one scene, the burly, tattooed dad happily pulls on pink hi-top sneakers to match his daughter’s. The third has a single, White mom and young boy. (I know; I said I’d stick with dad-focused books, but I’m making an exception since I love Lukoff’s work and there’s a lot of dad goodness here in addition to some moms.)

Princess Pru and the Ogre on the Hill, by Maureen Fergus, illustrated by Danesh Mohiuddin (Owlkids). Princess Pru’s life is practically perfect, with “two loving dads, an ostrich named Orville, and three royal tarantulas.” The only thing marring this picture is the hulking, fearsome ogre who just moved in nearby. Pru wonders, however, if he is just lonely. When the ogre invites everyone in the kingdom to his house, the kings worry that he is planning to turn them into a stew. Pru, however, puts on her fanciest outfit and heads up the hill—correctly guessing that the ogre is throwing a party. Following her lead, the kings and the people of the kingdom join the ogre (whose name is Oggy) for a delightful afternoon, and Pru and Oggy become close friends. An amusingly told story with a light message about being empathetic and not making assumptions.

That’s My Daddy, by Ruth Redford, illustrated by Dan Taylor (Farshore). What’s your daddy like? Does he wake up grumpy or happy? Does he have hair, and if so, what color? Is he tall, short or medium? What does he do for work? With questions like these and more, author Ruth Redford explores a great variety of daddies. A two-dad couple is among them—and career options such as “nurse” and “dancer” reflect an openness to careers that are not traditionally gendered. We also see dads dressing up in bee wings and a unicorn horn to play with their tutu-clad daughters. A happy little volume showing many of the things—active, tender, creative, silly, and caring—that dads may do.

Grandad’s Pride, by Harry Woodgate (Little Bee). Yes, grandparents have their own day, but every grandfather is also a father. This follow-up (but standalone) book to the Stonewall Award-winning Grandad’s Camper is as warm and joyous as the first volume, a sweet, lovely story about intergenerational wisdom, with an added layer of community spirit, as young Milly learns about Pride from Grandad and inspires him and the entire town to hold a Pride celebration. Woodgate’s illustrations are again outstanding—vibrant and cheerful, with lots of little details for readers to discover.