In this week of religious holidays for many, here are three new picture books showing that LGBTQ identities and faith don’t always stand in opposition. One stars a queer-parented family exploring the concept of God, another stars a two-dad family active in their church, and the third stars a Jewish transgender girl.
Religion and faith aren’t for everyone (and I acknowledge the deep harm that some religions have done to LGBTQ people), but for those who find them meaningful, wish to explore them, or simply want to share positive representations of LGBTQ people of faith as part of our diverse world, these books are worth a read.
Click links or images for full reviews, and visit my Database of LGBTQ Family Books to filter by the names of different religions and find other books with additional representation, including Christian, Jewish, Muslim, and Hindu characters.
The Love That Made You, by Grace Semler Baldridge, illustrated by Fran Alvare (Beaming Books). This rhyming poem from parent to child gently raises some big questions, like “How did we get here? Who made the earth grand?” The narrator parent doesn’t know all the answers, but tells the child that there is still meaning to be found in the world and a “Love” in the universe, noting, “Some call it religion,/faith, or divine/a God from above/as eternal as time.” People around the world find different ways to connect with this Love, the parent continues, including through prayer.
As the poem by alt-Christian singer-songwriter and author Grace Semler Baldridge plays out, warm illustrations by Fran Alvarez show a two-mom family (or mom and nonbinary parent family; one could see it either way) spending a day in the woods, interacting with nature and the other people they encounter.
Baldridge takes a wide and non-denominational approach (which, to my Jewish mind, would work for Jewish families, too); they explain in an Author’s Note that they have become “a faithfully skeptical person” who remains curious about the divine. When Baldridge became a parent, they say, they wondered, “How can I explain God in a way that isn’t traumatizing but is potentially even reassuring?” For LGBTQ parents and other adults who may be more likely than others to have experienced trauma in conjunction with religion, that feels particularly important. Not that all LGBTQ parents will find meaning in faith, but for those who do, or who simply want to explore it with their children, this book is a much-needed and therefore recommended resource.
Such a Busy Sunday, by Lawrence Schimel, illustrated by Mati Ark (Pilgrim Press). Tina’s Sundays with her two dads and younger brother Todd are always busy, as this rhyming story shows. First there are pancakes, then it’s off to the park with their dog. After that, they change and go to church. A neighbor invites them for lunch, which is followed by sports, arts and crafts, and shopping. Finally, it’s bedtime, when all get a well-earned rest.
Throughout the story, too, we see Tina and Todd being good neighbors and friends, sharing at the park, donating to the community food drop, and making cards for the sick. The text doesn’t explicitly link these deeds to their faith, but the actions could be viewed as connected to the principles of caring, kindness, and community that many communities of faith (among others) promote. Families as well as religious school teachers will therefore likely welcome this highly recommended title onto their shelves, as it should resonate with their ideals as well as give important representation to a part of their communities.
The Right Blessing: An Identity Story, by Samantha Orshan Kahn and Kerry Olitzky, illustrated by Violet Tabacco (Kar-Ben). A Jewish nine-year-old named Joey wants to tell her family the truth: that she’s a girl, not a boy like they think she is. One Shabbat evening, Joey’s dad starts to give Joey and her brother and sister the traditional blessings, one for the boys and one for the girls. Joey doesn’t want the boys’ blessing, but can’t find the words to explain. The next day, however, she finally tells her family that she knows in her heart she’s a girl. Her parents say they’ll love her no matter what.
Soon, Joey feels happy and safe at home and more sure than ever that she’s a girl. She wants to start living as a girl at school and she wants the right blessing on Shabbat. Her parents are fully supportive, though they admit there’s a lot to figure out: “But we will do it together, one step at a time.” The story ends with Joey getting the girls’ blessing from her father, awash in family love.
I have some concern with how readers might misunderstand Joey’s discomfort in talking with boys as the primary sign of her being trans (see my full review); adults may wish to stress to young readers that (as the book goes on to explain), it is really what Joey feels in her heart that is driving her, not simply her external friendships. This is nevertheless a recommended title that should be welcomed by Jewish families and educators. The book has a clear pedagogical purpose (for both young readers and their adults), but conveys it with warmth and authenticity.
Olitsky’s previous book about a trans girl, Just Like Queen Esther (co-authored with Rabbi Ari Moffic), centers a protagonist who has already socially transitioned but is finding ways to feel more confident in herself; The Right Blessing stars a girl at an earlier part of her journey. Families and libraries may wish to have both.
You may also be interested in the 2018 title A Church for All, a celebration of an LGBTQ-inclusive community. (I had a few concerns about some of the representation of disabled people in it, however, so please read my review to decide if the book works for you.)