16 LGBTQ-Inclusive Picture Books and Board Books You May Have Missed
I’ve been adding books fast and furiously to my database and haven’t mentioned them all individually on the blog—so here are a few newish ones that are worth a look!
children’s books
“I’ll Build You a Bookcase” Celebrates Diverse Families and a Love of Reading
A lovely rhyming story shows diverse people and families, including one with two dads, as it seeks to inspire a lifetime love of reading. It’s also available in four different bilingual editions!
“The Girls” and “The Boys” Show the Power of Lifetime Friendships Across Difference
One of my favorite LGBTQ-inclusive picture books from the past few years has largely flown under the radar here in the U.S., so I’m mentioning it again just as a follow-up book comes out. The first book looks at the power of female friendships as it follows the intertwined stories of four girls from childhood into adulthood; the second follows four boys and gives us insight into not only male friendships, but also societal pressures around masculinity. There are queer characters in both, along with a message of unconditional allyship.
“My Shadow Is Pink” Shows the Love of a Dad
A young child, assigned male at birth but whose “shadow is pink,” finds acceptance and love from his burly, masculine, blue-shadowed dad in a new picture book inspired by the author and his child’s real-life story.
Children’s Book with Transgender Protagonist Tops Most-Challenged List Again, Though Challenges to Antiracist Books Rise
For the third year in a row, George, a book about a transgender girl, topped the American Library Association’s (ALA’s) annual list of the Top 10 Most Challenged Books, and LGBTQ-themed books remained dominant among all the censorship attempts tracked by the ALA. Unlike in the previous few years, however, books with themes of race and racial justice, not LGBTQ themes and characters, made up the majority of books in the top 10. That’s still awful.
“Adventures with My Daddies” Is Storytime Fun
A sweet new picture book about a girl who loves having her dads read stories to her (especially the one about her adoption) is uplifting and empowering.
25 Recent Picture Books with Transgender and Nonbinary Characters
Today is the Transgender Day of Visibility, so I’m celebrating by rounding up 25 (!) picture books with transgender and/or nonbinary characters that have been published in 2020 and 2021 alone. (I’ll also show you how to find older trans-inclusive kids’ books and ones for and about trans parents.)
“Sam Is My Sister” Shares a Boy’s Perspective of Having a Trans Sibling
In a new picture book by the real-life mother of a transgender daughter, a young boy isn’t quite sure what’s happening when his younger sibling, whom he thought was a boy, begins to want long hair and to wear dresses. The whole family learns together in this story that adds to the small number of picture books about transgender children and their siblings.
“The Little Library” and Its Nonbinary Librarian Are a Big Delight
I’ve long said we need more LGBTQ-inclusive kids’ books where the characters’ LGBTQ identities are incidental to the plot. A new picture book in a popular series takes just that approach with a delightful tale of a boy who “is a slow and careful reader” and a librarian (who happens to be nonbinary) helping him find just the right book for his interests.
Queer-Inclusive Kids’ Books for Passover (and an Idea for One About Easter)
Passover, the Jewish holiday celebrating freedom from slavery, starts this weekend—and yes, there are a few (very few) queer-inclusive picture books about the holiday. There are none that I know of about Easter, alas (but I’ll share an idea for one)!