Two of my favorite LGBTQ-inclusive kids’ books of recent years are Cory Silverberg and Fiona Smyth’s works on sexuality and reproduction, What Makes a Baby? and Sex Is a Funny Word. Now, the two want your input for their next volume.
Many of us queer parents (myself included) bemoan the lack of LGBTQ-inclusive children’s books, especially for younger tots. There’s one potential source for these books, however, that has not yet been fully tapped: tie-ins to the increasing (though still small) number of LGBTQ-inclusive kids’ television shows.
The first book for LGBTQ families in Eastern Europe is building on the success of a January giveaway and launching an Indiegogo campaign to get the book into the hands of more children.
Several authors of queer-inclusive kids’ books are making their stories available free—one just for today!
Author Jacqueline Woodson, recently inaugurated National Ambassador for Children’s Literature and a queer mom, won the American Library Association’s (ALA’s) Laura Ingalls Wilder Award for books that have made “a substantial and lasting contribution to literature for children.” Several other LGBTQ children’s books and their authors were also honored at the ALA’s annual Youth Media Awards today.
The 2018 Rainbow Book List of librarian-recommended, LGBTQ-inclusive books for children and young adults is now out, with almost 50 titles from 18 publishers. At the same time, the list highlights gaps in specific areas of LGBTQ content and the ongoing problem of getting the word out about queer-inclusive kids’ titles.
A recent article calls for more picture books featuring characters with same-sex parents—specifically, ones that are less issue-driven and more about our everyday stories. That’s an approach I’ve been uplifting for years, and I couldn’t be happier to see others pick up the call. Her piece has inspired me to offer some additional thoughts on the state of LGBTQ-inclusive children’s books.
One recent children’s book has incorporated LGBTQ content so unassumingly that you may have missed it. The latest board book in the Tinyville Town preschool series, however, by New York Times bestselling author and illustrator Brian Biggs, not only features a gay protagonist—but shows him in bed with his husband. Biggs was kind enough to share with me the story behind the story.
Last Friday, I posted that award-winning author Jacqueline Woodson, who also happens to be a queer mom of color, had been named National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature. She was inaugurated yesterday by the Librarian of Congress, Dr. Carla Hayden. Watch the video, which includes a speech by Woodson in which she thanks her partner and their children, and a conversation between Woodson and Hayden.
Award-winning author Jacqueline Woodson, who identifies as queer and is raising two children, has been named National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature by the Children’s Book Council, Every Child a Reader, and the Library of Congress.
