This year’s LGBTQ-inclusive picture books blew me away. Here are a few that stand out and look the most festive, perfect for holiday gifts. Stories of family, identity, community, biography and just pure fun: you’re bound to find something for someone on your list!
Click on the images or titles for full reviews!
In many accounts of family life, oddity is incidental to the story:
- Too green! by Sumana Seeboruth, illustrated by Maribel Castells (Barefoot Books), with a family consisting of two mothers (also available in English/Spanish edition);
- My moms built a tree houseby Gareth Peter, illustrated by Izzy Evans (Lantana);
- and two tales which include, among other things, families composed of two fathers: Soon, your hands, by Jonathan Stutzman, illustrated by Elizabeth Lilly (Knopf); And
- Awake, asleepby Kyle Lukoff, illustrated by Nadia Alam (Orchard Books).
Two books celebrate the many types of families, including queer families:
Other family and relationship topics are explored in:
- Our wish for you: a story about open adoptionby Dano Moreno, illustrated by Ryan O’Rourke (Charlesbridge), with two dads and a biological mother;
- Dad and Dad’s big big familyby Seamus Kirst, illustrated by Karen Bunting (Magination Press), in which a girl with two fathers discovers her extended family;
- Grandfather’s pridefrom Harry Woodgate (Little Bee), the standalone sequel to the Stonewall award-winning film Grandpa’s campervan; And
- The wishing flowerby AJ Irving, illustrated by Kip Alizadeh (Knopf), about a girl who has a crush on another girl.
Gender-creative boys star in:
Gender creative girls star in:
- Florist, by Amy Bloom, illustrated by Jameela Wahlgren (Norton); And
- Molly’s tuxedoby Vicki Johnson, illustrated by Gillian Reid (Little Bee).
Gender identity plays a central role in:
- Them, Him, Her: words for you and mefrom Mudpuppy, illustrated by Andy Passchier, a bright board book;
- Not him or her, I am meby AM Wild, illustrated by Kah Yangni (Henry Holt), about a day in the life of a non-binary child;
- I can be… me! by Lesléa Newman, illustrated by Maya Gonzalez, a celebration of self; And
- The book Gender and Infinity for children, by Maya Gonzalez (Reflection Press), a holistic look at gender through the infinity of nature. (Also available in version coloring book.)
Biographies include:
- Little Black Lives Matterby Khodi Dill, illustrated by Chelsea Charles (Triangle Square), a board book featuring queer lives among many others;
- Dare to Question: Carrie Chapman Catt’s Voice for the Voteby Jasmine A. Stirling, illustrated by Udayana Lugo (Union Square);
- Good books for bad children: the genius of Ursula Nordstromby Beth Kephar, illustrated by Chloe Bristol (Anne Schwartz), about the pioneering (and queer) children’s book editor;
- Door by Door: How Sarah McBride Became the First Openly Transgender US Senatorby Meeg Pincus, illustrated by Meridth McKean Gimbel (Crown);
- No horses in the house! The daring life of the artist Rosa Bonheurby Mireille Messier, illustrated by Anna Bron (Orca);
- Unstoppable: How Bayard Rustin organized the 1963 March on Washingtonby Michael G. Long, illustrated by Bea Jackson;
- Queen of the Desertby Jyoti Rajan Gopal, illustrated by Svabhu Kohli (Levine Querido), about Rajasthani drag artist Queen Harish;
- To see clearly: a portrait of David Hockneyby Evan Turk (Harry N. Abrams);
- Jovita wore pantsby Aida Salazar, illustrated by Molly Mendoza (Scholastic), about Mexican revolutionary and genre creator Jovita Valdovinos (also available in Spanish); And
- Hope for Ryan Whiteby Dano Moreno, illustrated by Hannah Abbo (Albert Whitman).
Community and social issues are highlighted in:
- The wish machine, by Jonathan Hillman, illustrated by Nadia Alam (Simon & Schuster), about a non-binary child and his mother facing housing insecurity but finding strength in each other; And
- Can we please leave the policing to grandmothers? by Junauda Petrus, illustrated by Kristen Uroda (Dutton), which imagines police salaries paid to grandmothers who cruise the streets in “badass” vintage automobiles, offering help and hope. Two of the “grandmothers” have beards, although their identity is not specified.
For pure fun, try:
- You need to relax! by Juno Dawson, illustrated by Laura Hughes (Sourcebooks Jabberwocky), in which a girl responds with humor to her peers who wonder what happened to her brother, now in his true identity as a trans girl;
- Oh no, the aunts are hereby Adam Rex, illustrated by Lian Cho (Chronicle), about a gang of aunts (including one of male appearance and unspecified identity), ready to be overwhelmed with hugs and gifts;
- Princess Pru and the Ogre on the Hillby Maureen Fergus, illustrated by Danesh Mohiuddin (Owlkids), about a girl with two fathers who befriends a fearsome ogre;
- Glittering Pirate Beardby Larissa and Oksanna Crawley (Rebel Mountain Press), about a gender-creative pirate and his equally fabulous crew;
- Cinderella and a mouse called Fredby Deborah Hopkinson, illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky (Anne Schwartz), a gender-changing reimagining of Cinderella’s beloved;
- Cinda meets Ella: a rather strange storyby Wallace West (Little, Brown), another story, where a mysterious non-binary date attracts Cinda’s attention;
and on a fun but non-fictional note:
In addition, I will mention two books that I found very well done, but which deal with the theme of grief – perhaps not a good choice for Christmas gifts unless your family has experienced such grief recently, but noteworthy since this also serves as an end-of-year recap:
- My friend, the loonby Nina LaCour, illustrated by Ashling Lindsay (Candlewick), in which a girl’s two moms help her find comfort after losing her favorite balloon.
- Fluffy and the starsby T’Anchay Redvers, illustrated by Roza Nozari (Orca), about a child (who happens to be non-binary) dealing with grief after the death of a pet.
For longer reviews and books I didn’t have room for here (including middle grade and adult titles), as well as books from previous years, please visit my full website. LGBTQ Family Books Database.
May you give thoughtfully and receive graciously, and may your entire holiday be full of love.
Originally published with slight variations in my Mombian newspaper column.