10 Picture Books to Celebrate Pride Month with Your Little Ones
This Pride Month, consider choosing one of these endearing, inclusive, and good-natured picture books for a bedtime story. From showing children examples of diverse family models, encouraging them to always act with respect and love, and empowering them to be true to themselves, these kids books for Pride month contain beautiful nuggets of wisdom that will stay with them long after you say goodnight. Love is love, so acknowledging Pride with kids is so important.
Happy reading, and happy Pride!
10 Kids’ Books for Pride Month…
Our Rainbow, by Little Bee Books | Available here
Each page in this adorable little book for toddlers explains the meaning behind one colour in the Pride rainbow flag. For example, orange is for healing and blue is for harmony. Next time you are outside, and you see a rainbow, or you are out and about and see the LGBTQ Pride flag, your child may have a whole new appreciation for the colours that they see.
Maiden & Princess, by Daniel Haack, Isabel Galupo, and Becca Human | Available here
This fairy tale, targeted for readers aged 4–8, opens like all the classics of yore: the king and queen are hosting a ball to find a wife for their prince, and all the ladies in the village are invited. But in this story, when a brave maiden, who knows the prince from their time fighting in battle together, arrives at the ball, she instead falls in love with his sister, the princess, and they live happily ever after.
Big Bob, Little Bob, by James Howe and Laura Ellen Anderson | Available here
When new neighbours Big Bob and Little Bob first meet and realize they have the same name, they wonder if they will become friends. But Big Bob likes to play with trucks and run around, while Little Bob likes to wear dresses and play with dolls. Over time, they discover that friendship can transcend these differences and from then on, they play together, a key message for kids’ books for Pride month.
Love Makes a Family, by Sophie Beer | Available here
In this preschool read-along, it does not matter whether you have two moms, two dads, or one of each. What’s important is that your family has love. It’s the ultimate message for any kids’ books for Pride month.
I Am Perfectly Designed, by Karamo Brown | Available here
In this book co-authored by Queer Eye’s Karamo Brown and his son Jason “Rachel” Brown, a little boy and his father walk around town and discover how perfectly matched they are. In this interview, Brown stressed how important stories of children with LBGTQ parents are in the age we are living in.
Mary Wears What She Wants, by Keith Negley | Available here
This picture book, targeted for readers aged 4–8, opens once upon a time when boys wore pants and girls wore dresses. That is, until young Mary decides to wear pants, to the surprise (and irritation!) of all those around her. The story is inspired by the real life of Mary Edwards Walker, a pioneering 19th-century doctor who was arrested for wearing pants, so it’s the perfect piece of educational herstory to add to your reading list.
Love, by Matt de la Peña | Available here
This book for toddlers celebrates the bond of love in a child’s life with beautiful illustrations. While some reviews say that the way this book touches on dark and difficult topics is refreshing, honest, and necessary, others say that it might be too much for little ones, so make sure you pre-read this one before choosing it for a bedtime story to decide for yourself.
My Two Moms and Me, by Michael Joosten and Izak Zenou | Available here
In this board book written by Michael Joosten with pictures by fashion illustrator Izak Zenou, little readers will meet all sorts of children with two moms. They go on a playdate, they listen to their bedtime lullaby, and they settle in at night—everyday activities that all readers can relate to!
Stonewall: A Building. An Uprising. A Revolution | Available here
This non-fiction children’s book tells the story of the historic Stonewall Uprising that occurred 50 years ago this June. It explains what happened and why this was an important moment in the LGBTQ civil rights movement.
The True Adventures of Esther the Wonder Pig, by Steve Jenkins, Derek Walter, Caprice Crane, Cori Doerrfeld | Available here
The adult version of the memoir about social media-famous Esther the Wonder Pig and her two dads has been adapted into an adorable picture book for young readers. The book tells the true story of how Steve and Derek adopted a little micro piglet as a pet, only to discover that she would keep growing to 500 pounds!
