Chasten Buttigieg’s Papa’s Coming Home is the first picture book with human LGBTQ characters on the New York Times Best Sellers list. If it whets your appetite for similar tales, here are seven others that also don’t make an “issue” of LGBTQ identities and that involve traveling family members or preparing to welcome them.
First, let me say that I love Papa’s Coming Home—not least because it isn’t “about” being an LGBTQ family. I’ve heard from many LGBTQ parents that they want more books where the characters’ queerness is incidental to the story—and that’s why I created an “Incidental queerness” tag in my Database of LGBTQ Family Books.
Buttigieg himself explained to Out, “I didn’t want to read my kids a story where our kind of family meant we always had to talk about being different…. I just wanted it to be a lighthearted, day-in-the-life, cute, funny, engaging story that they would laugh at and we would enjoy.”
To the best of my knowledge, the only other LGBTQ-inclusive picture book that has made the New York Times Best Sellers list is A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo, which involves anthropomorphic animal characters and is very much “about” LGBTQ identities and equality. Granted, sometimes books that are specifically about LGBTQ topics or identities can be valuable—but LGBTQ people are more than just our LGBTQ identities, and we need books that reflect that, too, as do the ones below.
Click images or titles for full reviews, and filter my Database of LGBTQ Family Books by the “Incidental queerness” tag and picture book category to see additional titles. (And yes, those are still not enough; we need even more such books across the whole range of LGBTQ and intersectional identities.)
First, for those who haven’t yet read my full review of it: Papa’s Coming Home, by Chasten Buttigieg, illustrated by Dan Taylor (Philomel Books), is a sweet and gently humorous family story about a boy and a girl who are happily preparing for the homecoming of their Papa, who has been away on a trip. It’s clearly inspired by Buttigieg’s real life, but is not specific to his family; it’s an entertaining tale recommended for any family with a traveling parent, although two-dad families may particularly appreciate it.
Mama and Mommy and Me in the Middle, by Nina LaCour, illustrated by Kaylani Juanita (Candlewick), has a very similar premise to Papa’s Coming Home—one parent traveling for business. Here, however, it’s a two-mom family with one child, a girl, and the book gently explores the sense of loss (and perhaps a little anger) that she has been feeling at her Mommy’s absence, as well as the joy upon her return.
Goodbye, Hello: A Going Home Travel Adventure, by Angela H. Dale, illustrated by Daniel Wiseman (Holiday House), is another tale where one of two same-sex parents is absent for work—in this case, in the Navy. The text follows a young child, her infant sibling, and their Mommy as they travel by plane to meet Mama in Japan, where her Navy ship is making port. Dale’s rhymes are delightful and evocative, capturing images and moments along the journey.
Far, Far Away, by Molly Beth Griffin, illustrated by Bao Luu (Charlesbridge), is a lovely book about a young boy named Rowan going canoe camping with his Mom and Mama “far, far away from the world he knows, and back again.” Griffith captures the annoyances and fears of a young child on a first camping trip, but also conveys the wonder that the wilderness can offer, particularly when experienced with loving parents who are skilled campers.
Also by Griffin is Just Us, illustrated by Anait Semirdzhyan (Charlesbridge), the tale of a two-mom family looking forward to hosting Thanksgiving. When a snowstorm means that extended family can no longer come to visit, however, the family must adapt. It’s a lovely tale about navigating disappointment but finding flexibility and gratitude.
Bathe the Cat, by Alice B. McGinty, illustrated by David Roberts (Chronicle Books), tells of a two-dad family’s preparation for Grandma’s arrival. Papa makes a list with magnetic letters on the fridge, assigning tasks like “mop the floor,” “scrub the dishes,” “rock the baby,” and “feed the fishes.” Papa himself will “bathe the cat.” The cat doesn’t want to be bathed, however, leading to hilarious antics as the family tries to get ready in time.
The Girl Who Loves Bugs, by Lily Murray, illustrated by Jenny Løvlie (Peachtree), is a fun escapade about the titular girl, her two moms, and a mishap at a family reunion—with a save by the visiting Great-Gran. It’s a lively, rhyming story that encourages STEM exploration.
The Bread Pet: A Sourdough Story, by Kate DePalma, illustrated by Nelleke Verhoeff (Barefoot Books), is a whimsical story that begins when a girl’s uncle leaves her his “Bread Pet”—a sourdough starter—to watch while he goes away on a trip. He gives her instructions on how to feed it daily—but feels like he has forgotten to tell her something…. When the starter grows out of control, the solution involves the girl, her whole community, and a little help from her two moms.