Reading with Pride: LGBTQIA+ Friendly Picture Books
In celebration of Pride month this June, the Carle Bookshop team wanted to share our go-to recommended reading list for LGBTQIA+ friendly picture books. To make it easier to browse, we've sorted the books by broad themes of stories about inclusive families, partnered love, gender identity and self expression, and historical and biographical picture books. While we are still left wanting so many more titles - more diverse voices and especially more depictions of queer and nonbinary characters without being "issue" books - we're grateful for the authors, illustrators and publishers who have brought us these books as a start. Please let us know your favorites in the comments below, especially if you have suggestions to add to the list!
FAMILIES
A Family is a Family is a Family by Sara O’Leary, illustrated by QinLeng
And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell, illustrated by Henry Cole
Baby’s First Words/Mis Primeras Palabras by Christiane Engel
Daddy, Papa, and Me by Lesléa Newman, illustrated by Carol Thompson
Everywhere Babies by Susan Meyers, illustrated by Marla Frazee
Harriet Gets Carried Away by Jessie Sima
Heather Has Two Mommies by Lesléa Newman, illustrated by Laura Cornell
Home at Last by Vera B. Williams, illustrated by Chris Raschka
In Our Mother’s House by Patricia Polacco
Little Pig Saves the Ship by David Hyde Costello
Mommy, Mama, and Me by Lesléa Newman, illustrated by Carol Thompson
Plenty of Hugs by Fran Manushkin, illustrated by Kate Alizadeh
Real Sisters Pretend by Megan Dowd Lambert, illustrated by Nicole Tadgell
Stella Brings the Family by Miriam B. Schiffer, illustrated by Holly Clinton-Brown
LOVE
Jerome by Heart by Thomas Scotto, illustrated by Olivier Tallec
King & King by Linda de Haan and Stern Nijland
Maiden & Princess by Daniel Haack and Isabel Galupo, illustrated by Becca Human
Prince & Knight by Daniel Haack, illustrated by Stevie Lewis
Worm Loves Worm by J.J. Austrian, illustrated by Mike Curato
SELF-EXPRESSION & GENDER IDENTITY
10,000 Dresses by Marcus Ewert, illustrated by Rex Ray
BunnyBear by Andrea J. Loney, illustrated by Carmen Saldaña
Call Me Tree/Llamame Arbol by Maya Christina Gonzalez
I Am Jazz by Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings, illustrated by Shelagh McNicholas
Introducing Teddy by Jessica Walton, illustrated by Dougal MacPherson
It Feels Good to Be Yourself by Theresa Thorn, illustrated by Noah Grigni
Jacob’s Room to Choose by Sarah and Ian Hoffman, illustrated by Chris Case
Julian is a Mermaid by Jessica Love
Mary Wears What She Wants by Keith Negley
Morris Micklewhite and the Tangerine Dress by Christine Baldacchino, illustrated by Isabelle Malenfant
My Princess Boy by Cheryl Kilodavis, illustrated by Suzanne DeSimone
Neither by Airlie Anderson
Not Quite Narwhal by Jessie Sima
Oliver Button is a Sissy by Tomie dePaola
Red: A Crayon’s Story by Michael Hall
Sparkle Boy by Lesléa Newman, illustrated by Maria Mola
The Boy and the Bindi by Vivek Shraya, illustrated by Rajni Perera
When Aidan Became a Brother by Kyle Lukoff, illustrated by Kaylani Juanita
HISTORY & BIOGRAPHIES
Pride: The Story of Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag by Rob Sanders, illustrated by Steven Salerno
Stonewall: A Building, an Uprising, A Revolution by Rob Sanders, illustrated by Jamey Christoph
This Day in June by Gayle E. Pitman, illustrated by Kristyna Litten
Queer Heroes by Arabelle Sicardi, illustrated by Sarah Tanat-Jones
When You Look Out the Window by Gayle E. Pittman, illustrated by Christopher Lyles
For more suggestions for older readers and teens, check out our complete listing online here.
Huge shoutout to The Carle's 2018 Trinkett Clark Intern Chandra Boudreau, who curated The Carle's Reading Library exhibition ALL: A Look into LGBTQ Representation in Picture Books that inspired this reading list.
