What do you do if you’re sure a gremlin is sneaking into your house at night, but your moms don’t believe you? That’s the dilemma for a girl named Emlyn, star of Emlyn and the Gremlin, a fanciful new picture book in which the fact of her two moms is merely incidental to the tale.
I wrote recently about a new Kickstarter campaign by Flamingo Rampant, which will launch a book club for new LGBTQ and two-spirit picture books, committed to making half of them by and about people of color. I was happy to see the project mentioned at Slate — but the article incorrectly says that the last children’s book featuring same-sex parents who are not White was Asha’s Mums, published in 1990. That’s not true. Although the number is small, and we desperately need more, there have been a few.
The past few years have been sorely lacking in quality, LGBTQ-inclusive picture books. There have been some, but they’ve been few and far between. Author and educator S. Bear Bergman aims to change that with the launch of a subscription-based book club that will deliver a new LGBTQ and two-spirit picture book to your home or school every other month.
The Princes and the Treasure is the second children’s book this year, and the third in existence, to feature a gay prince. Let’s take a look.
Most of us LGBT parents will agree, I think, that we need more LGBT-inclusive children’s books — and more inclusive books across various dimensions of diversity. That’s why I’m so excited that a wonderful group of writers and publishers has created the “We Need Diverse Books” campaign to “to raise our voices into a roar that can’t be ignored.” All they need now is people’s participation.
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: In a children’s fairy-tale story, a noble young man may marry a princess, but chooses her brother the prince instead. That’s right, it’s the plot of King and King, Linda de Haan and Stern Nijland’s 2003 picture book. It’s also a major part of Daniel Errico’s The Bravest Knight Who Ever Lived, a recent addition to the LGBT-inclusive children’s book genre. Does the new book bring anything new to the table?
A new picture book by Sarah and Ian Hoffman, Jacob’s New Dress (Albert Whitman, 2014), is welcome addition to the small but growing number of books for and about young gender nonconforming and transgender children.
The American Library Association (ALA) on Monday announced its annual Stonewall Book Awards for LGBT-inclusive children’s and young adult books, as well as its more extensive Rainbow List of notable titles. What did they choose this year?
This past year saw a number of new books for and about families with LGBT parents. Here are some favorites.
Lesbian mom trivia question: What was the first children’s book in the U.S. to feature lesbian moms? Hint: It’s probably not what you think.
