12 Children’s Books on LGBTQ Pride, Culture, and History

It’s Pride Month, and what better way to celebrate than with some books for kids about LGBTQ Pride, culture, and history? Check them out and read with pride!

For Younger Kids

First, two new books just out this year:

• Pride: The Story of Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag, written by Rob Sanders and illustrated by Steven Salerno,  is an inspiring biography of Milk that emphasizes his friendship with Gilbert Baker, who designed the rainbow flag as a symbol of hope and inspiration. It does mention Milk’s assassination, although as gently as possible, but parents should still be prepared to address kids’ concerns there.
• Sewing the Rainbow: A Story About Gilbert Baker, written by Gayle Pitman and illustrated by Holly Clifton-Brown, takes us along with Baker from his childhood, through adversity, to his creation of the rainbow flag and regaining his sparkle. A few rough transitions may take adult explanation, but all will be inspired by this story.

And several others by Pitman:

• This Day in June (illustrated by Kristyna Litten)is a Stonewall Book Award winner that takes us on a joyous trip to a Pride Parade, where we meet a diverse group of dykes on bikes, people in leather, drag queens and others of varying gender expressions, politicians, marching bands, and parents with their children.
• When You Look Out the Window: How Phyllis Lyon and Del Martin Built a Community (illustrated by Christopher Lyles) shows us how LGBTQ-rights pioneers Lyon and Martin helped transform San Francisco and its LGBTQ community. The picture book begins with them falling in love, buying a house, and observing the lack of rights for women and gay people in their neighborhood. “So we worked to change that,” they say.
• A Church for All (illustrated by Laure Fournier) is a colorful and festive look at an inclusive church, the spiritual home to a diverse congregation of families and individuals–young and old, poor and wealthy, and more. The image for “weak and healthy” centers a person in a wheelchair, with other people standing nearby; parents/teachers may want to make sure children don’t assume the person in the wheelchair is necessarily the “weak” person. (See my fuller review.) Pitman has said she will speak with her publisher about whether to engage people around this point, or to revise the page. Also, one use of the not-recommended term “transgendered” in the author’s note at the end is being corrected, a publicist for the publisher (Albert Whitman & Co.) told me. Pitman has apologized for its accidental inclusion.

From other authors, we have a few older books:

• The Harvey Milk Story, by Kari Krakow (illustrated by David Gardner), conveys Milk’s significance with warmth and appreciation. It is wordier and more detailed that Sanders’ book above, and probably best for older elementary students. Unfortunately out of print and only available in very expensive used versions; I am listing it here in case people wish to seek it in a library.
• Similarly, Gloria Goes to Gay Pride, by Lesléa Newman, author of Heather Has Two Mommies, is also out of print and listed for the same reason. It is available free in digital form through openlibrary.org. The story holds up remarkably well, despite dated illustrations and use of “Gay Pride” rather than “LGBTQ Pride.” In it, Gloria and her two moms meet other families and people from their neighborhood at a Pride parade. Most of the spectators cheer, but a few have a sign saying, “Gays go away.” One of the moms explains, “Some women love women, some men love men, and some women and men love each other. That’s why we march in the parade—so everyone can have a choice.”

Plus:

• M Is for Mustache: A Pride ABC Book, by Catherine Hernandez (illustrated by Marisa Firebaugh), takes us through an alphabet of Pride-related words through the eyes of a Filipino American child. The book comes only as part of a set of six LGBTQ-inclusive children’s books from micro-press Flamingo Rampant—but they’re all great books, so it’s a worthwhile investment.

For Older Kids

• Pride: Celebrating Diversity & Community, by Robin Stevenson, Blends a history of the event with a broader look at the struggle for LGBTQ equality, along with a look at what it means to come out, what to expect at Pride events around the world, a glossary, and an explanation of gender identity.
• Gay & Lesbian History for Kids: The Century-Long Struggle for LGBT Rights, with 21 Activities, by Jerome Pohlen, starts with Sappho, Alexander the Great, and other figures from distant history, but then focuses mostly on U.S. social and political history. A series of activities throughout the book add fun and engagement. Despite the main title, Pohlen is inclusive of the LGBTQ spectrum.
• Queer, There, and Everywhere: 23 People Who Changed the World, by Sarah Prager, is a thoughtful exploration of historical terms for what we now call “queer” identities, an overview of queerness in every populated region of the world, and profiles that are both informative and entertaining. The figures run the gamut from the famous Abraham Lincoln to the relatively unknown Union soldier Albert Cashier. One might quibble with some of the choices, but no book this length can encompass all of the many queer people in history. We can only hope there’s a sequel.
• Gay America: Struggle for Equality, by Linas Alsenas, is a synthetic history that packs in a lot, covering politics, culture, relations between the gay and lesbian rights movement and other civil rights movements, entertainment, the evolution of gay and lesbian identities, and more. There are only passing references to bisexuality and the transgender community, which is a disappointment, but Alsenas is up front about his scope, saying he limited it in the interest of space.

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