Picture book illustrations can be amazing—but sometimes children find an important kind of resonance in books with photographs, like these two new picture books featuring photos of real children from a variety of families, including ones with same-sex parents.
We are Little Feminists: Becoming Siblings, by Shuli de la Fuente-Lau (Little Feminist). As with the previous board books in the joyful We are Little Feminists series, this volume uses simple text plus photos of real children and their families to illustrate a theme. Here, readers encounter children and their new siblings from families diverse in many ways. “Change is coming/something new is near,” the text begins, moving on to talk of the upcoming fun and joy, as well as changes big and small, for everyone in the family. No matter what, though, the book reassures readers, the family’s love will grow, siblings will become friends, and new memories will be created.
While some of the images show the siblings simply enjoying family time with each other and/or their parent(s), others hint at how the family grew: We see pregnant parents; a two-dad family and son holding an ultrasound photo (presumably of their surrogate and sibling-to-be); a mom-dad family at court, smiling in front of a judge (presumably having just completed an adoption). There is also a two-mom family and ones that could be solo-parent families. Sometimes the siblings and parents look alike; other times they don’t.
The “Note for Grownups” at the end says, “In this book you’ll see families growing through adoption, egg or sperm donation, surrogacy, fostering, and families blending.” Not all of those methods are clear from the photos and text—but knowing that some of these families have formed in those ways may offer grown-ups motivation to discuss them, particularly if they are similar to their own. Backmatter also includes helpful Family Discussion Questions for different ages of children.
An affirming, highly recommended title, and one that adds to the small number of books featuring LGBTQ families welcoming a second or subsequent child.
See also We Are Little Feminists: Celebrations and We Are Little Feminists: Families, which likewise include photos of children and their same-sex parents.
Love Is a Big Feeling, by Shelley Rotner (Holiday House). National Geographic photographer Shelley Rotner here brings young readers yet another simple but powerful book, filled with photos of a diverse group of real children and families. This time, she explores the concept of love, “a big feeling that comes from deep inside.” Love is everywhere, she asserts, urging readers to “Let love in and let love show.” We see some of the many ways to express love—through a smile, a hug, a dance, and more—and see that love can be about spending time with friends, reading a story, climbing a tree, or caring for the earth, and many other things.
Love is “a big feeling for family,” too, and we see photos of several different types of families, including ones with single moms, a mom and a dad, two moms, and two dads. And while love is about kindness and peace towards others, the book asserts, it also urges readers to “Love who you are!”
While the text is straightforward, the engaging photographs of real children and families, the wide scope of what love can mean, and the final message of self-love make this a highly recommended title.
See also Rotner’s Families, which again includes families with two moms or two dads, as well as mom-dad and solo-parent families; and True You: A Gender Journey, which includes photos and testimonials of real children across a variety of gender identities and expressions.
