Looking for LGBTQ-inclusive, holiday-themed books for kids? There may not be as many as we’d like, but there might be more than you think!
Click titles or images for full reviews and more!
Christmas Books
Joy to the World! Christmas Around the Globe, by Kate DePalma, illustrated by Sophie Fatus (Barefoot Books), shows families around the world celebrating Christmas in different ways but with a similar spirit. After an image of Mary and Joseph on their way to Bethlehem, we meet modern families from Columbia, India, the Philippines, Canada, Mexico, Egypt, Ethiopia, Australia, Italy, Serbia, Argentina, Iceland, and Lebanon. Each family has its own foods and activities, but all radiate joy and love. The Canadian family has two dads. Several pages at the end explain each country’s traditions in more detail.
The Christmas Truck, by J. B. Blankenship, illustrated by Cassandre Bolan, shows a child (whose gender is never specified and whose wavy hair could be seen as any gender), prepare for Christmas with their papa and dad, and help find and deliver a gift to the child of a family that is not able to afford gifts. The bouncy rhymes, bright illustrations, and depiction of extended family are lovely, as is the message about giving.
Santa’s Husband, by Daniel Kibblesmith, illustrated by A. P. Quach (Harper Design), reimagines the jolly old elf as Black and married to his White husband, who helps him prepare reindeer, elves, and more for Christmas. Fun and festive.
Rachel’s Christmas Boat, by Sophie Labelle (Flamingo Rampant), stars a child who cleverly solves the problem of changing the name on a parent’s Christmas gift after the parent comes out as transgender.
Over the River & Through the Wood: A Holiday Adventure, by Linda Ashman, illustrated by Kim Smith (Sterling), takes the concept of the classic song and gives it a new spin, showing us an extended, multiracial family, including two dads and their child, overcoming obstacles as they gather for an unspecified winter holiday. their way to meet at Grandma’s for the holidays. It’s a fun romp showing the diversity that may be found even within one family. (The original song was written about Thanksgiving, but there have also been versions that swap in Christmas. This book doesn’t specify either, but I’m including it under the Christmas books since it may resonate with those of you who know that version.)
Christmas Bears: A Tale of Two Tired Dads and One Magical Morning, by Danni Cannon, illustrated by masastarus. Two burly, bearded dads just want to sleep in on a cold winter’s day. The kids, however, are up and ready to play again in this fun rhyming tale. While the plot is simple, the tale is told with such fun and cheer (despite the sleepy grumpiness) that I couldn’t help but smile at this wonderful little slice of family life. It’s a self-published book, but is much more polished than many, with dynamic and whimsical illustrations by masastarus to complement the rhymes of author Danni Cannon.
[Updated 12/15/23 to add this self-published book I just found out about: Daddy’s 12 Days of Christmas, by Katie L. Carroll, illustrated by Phoebe Cho (Shimmer Publications). This take on the classic song centers a multiracial family with two dads. The five mischievous children here sometimes bring their daddy homemade cookies, but sometimes broken baubles on the Christmas tree, as we see the ups and downs (and constant love) of family life. There are four snuggly hugs, three headaches, two throbbing arms, and ultimately “a gift waiting under the tree.” It’s a lot of fun. Even though the story is told from only one dad’s perspective, and only one is named as a dad, the images make it clear that both dads and all the kids are a family.]
Our Subway Baby, by Peter Mercurio, illustrated by Leo Espinosa (Dial). This book, based on the author’s true story, isn’t “about” Christmas per se, but nevertheless makes a lovely Christmas tale. When a man finds an abandoned baby in a New York City subway station, he and his partner unexpectedly end up adopting the child and bringing him home just in time for Christmas, with the last-minute help of extended family.
Elves on the Fifth Floor, by Francesca Cavallo, illustrated by Verena Wugeditsch (Undercats), is an early chapter book about a two-mom family who have just moved to the beautiful but dull city of R. One day, a letter arrives from Santa Claus, asking for their help in wrapping presents for the city’s children. But can they do so in time? Why do the family’s children then disappear? And will this unfriendly community learn to be nice to each other again? The adventurous holiday mystery will likely delight young readers, though a few parts of the narration are clunky. Parents should be aware, too, that the family moved to R from a faraway country where the children “would have been sent to an orphanage, and their moms to jail” simply for being a family like theirs, which might scare some young readers. That aside, this is a fun family caper that ends with the requisite dose of holiday cheer.
A Very Strangeworlds Christmas, by L. D. Lapinski (Orion), is a digital-only novella set in the world of Lapinski’s excellent Strangeworlds Travel Agency middle grade trilogy. Twelve-year-old Flick Hudson loves traveling the multiverse via magical suitcases with Jonathan Mercator, overseer of the Strangeworlds Society. Even so, she wasn’t expecting something quite so magical to happen on Christmas Eve…. Fans of the series will enjoy this bonus story; those new to it would be better advised to read the trilogy first, however, as there are significant spoilers here. (And those who haven’t read the series yet are in for a treat.) While Jonathan is trans and Flick has a crush on another girl in the main series, their queer identities are almost unremarked here (beyond a reference to Flick blushing when she receives a gift from the girl). Those in the know, however, will delight in these two queer characters simply having another adventure where their identities aren’t a Big Deal. In a perfect world, that’s how it should be.
Hanukkah Books
LGBTQ-inclusive Hanukkah books are unfortunately far fewer. Here’s what I know.
Light the Menorah: A Hanukkah Handbook, by Jacqueline Jules, illustrated by Kristina Swarner (Kar-Ben), offers a holiday assortment of history, rituals, activities, songs, and recipes. On one page, we see two women, wearing yarmulkes, as one lights a menorah and the other holds a baby. Another page shows two men at a table playing dreidel with a child. While the characters’ relationships are not specified, it’s easy to see them as couples.
Families may also want to seek out the books of Lesléa Newman, author of the classic Heather Has Two Mommies, who has written several books on the Jewish holidays. Notable are The Eight Nights of Chanukah, and Here Is the World: A Year of Jewish Holidays (Abrams), both of which can be read free online at Open Library (click their titles above). Both are delightful stories by this queer, Jewish creator. Neither has clearly queer characters, which may be disappointing to those seeking them, but most of the characters aren’t gendered (the books are more thematic than plot-driven, so we don’t learn a whole lot about individual characters), leaving at least some room for readers’ imaginations.
Multi-Holiday Books
Happy All-idays! by Cindy Jin, illustrated by Rob Sayegh (Little Simon), is a cheery, rhyming board book in which families in a diverse community (including a two-mom and a two-dad family) celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, “Chrismukkah,” Kwanzaa, and the New Year. At the end, the entire community gathers in joy to exchange gifts, food, and “Happy ALL-idays” greetings.
For middle-grade readers (or perhaps as a family read-aloud with younger children), The Lotterys More or Less, by Emma Donoghue, illustrated by Caroline Hadilaksono (Scholastic), continues the whimsical series about two same-sex couples (one male, one female) jointly raising their seven children. Their 9-year-old middle child, Sumac, feels responsible for organizing their varied winter celebrations (the parents are of Jamaican, Mohawk, Scottish, and Indian ancestry; neighbors include a Muslim and a Jewish family), but an ice storm brings complications for the family and community. One of Sumac’s brothers is gender creative.
And a Need for More
There are no Kwanzaa-themed kids’ books with queer characters, unfortunately, to the best of my knowledge. Clearly, even though the number of LGBTQ-inclusive kids’ books has skyrocketed in the past few years, there are still plenty of gaps that remain to be filled. That’s a holiday gift we can all wish for.