A Dozen New LGBTQ+ Picture Books on Family, Heritage, Heroes, and More

As the season winds down, here's a roundup of some of the best LGBTQ+-inclusive picture books published over the summer—an array of stories highlighting a range of topics.

Community and Allyship

"We're All in This Together," by Ernie Young, illustrated by Sarah Walsh (Little Bee): "Everybody cooks./Everybody eats. Everybody cleans./Everybody helps. We're all in this together," says this cheery board book about sharing and community. Queer people are a welcome part of the diverse neighborhood, as we see a drag story hour in one scene and a two-mom family in another.

"Like That Eleanor," by Lee Wind, illustrated by Kelly Mangan (Cardinal Rule): Eleanor's dads named her after Eleanor Roosevelt, who was dedicated to fairness. When the young Eleanor's teacher asks girls and boys to sit on opposite sides of the room for an activity, Eleanor notices a nonbinary classmate's discomfort, and takes action to emulate her namesake and be a real ally. Eleanor has light tan skin and dark curly hair; one dad is Black and one White.

Emotions and Personal Growth

"Embarrassed Ferret," by Lisa Frenkel Riddiough, illustrated by Andrea Tsurumi (Disney-Hyperion): Ferret walks confidently to school with one of her two moms—but trips on the way in. The embarrassing moments continue, until the teacher herself farts—and helps Ferret and the class realize that embarrassing moments are actually quite normal. Riddiough's jaunty rhymes and Tsurumi's humorous illustrations make the book delightful as well as helpful.

"Popcorn Bob Can't Stop Popping," by Maranke Rinck, illustrated by Martijn Van Der Linden (Levine Querido): The anthropomorphic star of the eponymous chapter book series here stars in his first picture book. Bob explains to readers that he sometimes "explodes" over big things, little things, and when he doesn't even know why. He tries to calm himself via relaxation, breathwork, exercise, and more—all actual techniques that readers can use, shown amusingly through Bob's antics and his interactions with his chosen family, a girl and her two dads.

"Snow Kid," by Jessie Sima (Simon & Schuster): When (nongendered) snow kid Twig loses a hat, it triggers a series of discoveries and changes that make Twig question their sense of self. Finally, Twig discovers a community of snow people who show "all the different ways there were to be a snow person," and Twig realizes the joy of not just being, but becoming. Spare words and soft, charming images tell a simple tale with a powerful message.

Family and Heritage

"Night Flight," by David Barclay Moore, illustrated by Briana Mukodiri Uchendu (Candlewick): In this evocative and lovely bedtime story, a young Black boy takes flight in his imagination while his two dads are out for the evening. Although the sitter is kind, the boy clearly misses his parents, and the book celebrates the warmth and constancy of family love even when apart.

"Dancing with Water," by Gwendolyn Wallace, illustrated by Tonya Engel (Kokila): Kit, a nonbinary Black child, has a grandfather who is "magic," able to sense water with his dowsing rod. Clean water is getting harder to find, but Grandpa shows Kit how to listen for the water, and Kit learns what it means to be connected to the Earth, their ancestors, and their heritage of environmental stewardship.

"Shabbat Is ...," by A.J. Sass, illustrated by Noa Kelner (Little, Brown): Shabbat can mean many different things and be observed in many different ways, even by Jews within the same synagogue. In his first picture book, Sass, best known for award-winning middle grade novels, gives us a joyous look at Shabbat through the eyes of a trio of children with a diversity of skin tones and racial identities. One has two moms and another has a nonbinary cousin celebrating their b'nai mitzvah.

"Fa La La Family," by Scott and Mark Hoying, illustrated by Steph Lew (Henry Holt): From Scott Hoying of acclaimed a cappella group Pentatonix and his husband, Mark Hoying, comes this cheery rhyming book about how "Christmas is for families! Families of all kinds." Family and Christmas spirit are intertwined, the book conveys, no matter what a family looks like.

Biography

"Outside In and the Inside Out," by Emmy Kastner (Viking): This biography of Arnold Lobel, creator of the classic Frog and Toad series, cleverly captures some of the charm and whimsy of Lobel's own works. Kastner also thoughtfully shows Lobel's coming out after marrying a woman and having two kids, then divorcing to find love with another man.

"Spotlight on Cynthia Erivo," by Elizabeth Dennis, illustrated by Hunter M. Green Ruth Burrows (Simon Spotlight): Performer Cynthia Erivo "shines in the spotlight," and this simple biography shows young readers how they can shine like her, offering lessons from moments in her life—including "live your truth," shown on a page depicting Erivo with Pride flags behind her, as we read, "She is a proud member of the LGBTQIA+ community and hopes her activism will make it easier for young people to be themselves."

"Chappell Roan: A Little Golden Book Biography," by Cat Reynolds, illustrated by Maria Lia Malandrino (Golden Books): A cheery biography takes us from the pop superstar's childhood through the ups and downs of finding musical success. It also tells us that she donates to LGBTQ+ organizations and "knows everyone should have equal rights, no matter who they are or who they love"—although it oddly never says that Chappell herself is queer. Still, young readers should appreciate that she stayed "true to herself," even if adults may want to fill in some details.

Dana Rudolph is the founder and publisher of Mombian (mombian.com), a two-time GLAAD Media Award-winning blog for LGBTQ+ parents plus a searchable database of 1,800+ LGBTQ+ family books.