Hello, book enthusiasts! Curious about what’s new in the world of queer children’s literature? This is your go-to spot for the latest updates on queer kidlit releases! Every month this feature will include the latest queer inclusive stories – families of all kinds, breaking down gender stereotypes, and just being yourself, no strings attached.
Get those bookmarks ready, because it’s time to dive in!
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Picture Books
We’re Happy You’re Here by Julie Wilkins, Illustrated by Brady Sato
An inclusive and diverse celebration of the joys of preparing to welcome a child and the importance of community and family.
Many special people are involved in welcoming a new child into a family: parents, grandparents, siblings, friends, surrogates, midwives, doctors, doulas, therapists, social workers, financial planners, nutritionists, technicians and more. Everyone has their part to play, and it takes a lot of wishing, planning and training. But it’s all worth it when we finally get to say, “We’re happy you’re here!”
The Dress in the Window by Robert Tregoning, Illustrated by Pippa Curnick
A young boy longs for a dress that he sees in a shop window and rejoices when his mother gifts it to him for his birthday.
That dress! It shimmers, so radiant and red. As the boy stares at it, full of wonder, he has just one wish: to put on that dress and to swirl and to swish. He’ll do anything to earn enough to buy it from the secondhand shop, but he’ll have to hurry. There’s just one red dress in the window!
This playful and imaginative story of self-expression brims with the infectious joy that comes when a child’s individuality is met with wholehearted support and love.
Circle of Love by Monique Gray Smith, Illustrated by Nicole Neidhardt
Everyone is welcome in the circle.
In this warmhearted book, we join Molly at the Intertribal Community Center, where she introduces us to people she knows and loves: her grandmother and her grandmother’s wife, her uncles and their baby, her cousins, and her treasured friends.
They dance, sing, garden, learn, pray, and eat together. And tonight, they come together for a feast! Molly shares with the reader how each person makes her feel—and reminds us that love is love.
Through tender prose and radiant artwork, author Monique Gray Smith (Cree/Lakota) and illustrator Nicole Neidhardt (Diné) show how there is always room for others in our lives. Circle of Love is a story celebrating family, friends, community, and, most of all, love.
Includes an author’s note, contextual notes, and glossary.
Harper Becomes a Big Sister by Seamus Kirst, Illustrated by Karen Bunting
Harper discovers that the addition of a new baby to the family does not mean there is less love to go around, but instead there is more to share.
When Dad and Daddy adopt a new baby, Harper is excited to be a big sister for the first time. She picks out a stuffed animal just for her baby brother and practices holding a doll in case Dad and Daddy’s arms get tired. She can’t wait for the new baby to join all the family’s favorite activities! But when the new baby arrives, Dad and Daddy don’t have as much time or energy as they used to.
Everything is about the new baby! Daddy is too tired from being up all night with him to play hide and seek with Harper. Dad is too busy taking care of the baby to go to the park. Even Taco Tuesday is ruined!
Millie’s Big Decision: A Picture Book by Ian Eagleton, Illustrated by Max Rambaldi
Author Ian Eagleton and illustrator Max Rambaldi’s picture book Millie’s Big Decision is a story of puppies, love, loss, and a celebration of modern families!
Millie has always wanted a dog, but when her grandmother passes away, she finds herself scared of letting anyone (or any dog) in. Can her dads help her find the perfect pup to teach her to love again?
Rainbows, Unicorns, and Triangles: Queer Symbols Throughout History by Jessica Kingsley Publishers, Illustrated by Jem Milton
In the past, being different has often been dangerous, and people couldn’t always be open about how they wanted to dress, what gender they wanted to be, and who they loved…
Within these pages, you’ll learn about how LGBTQIA2S+ people have used signs and symbols throughout history to communicate with each other, create safe spaces, and celebrate who they are!
You’ll recognise the rainbow flags of Pride Month, but what about the Labrys, the Lambda or the Lavender Rhino? This beautifully illustrated guide takes you on a journey through everything from the green carnations of Oscar Wilde and the violets of Sappho to the black rings of asexuality and the reclaimed pink triangles of persecution. A wonderful guide for children 5+ to the visual worlds of queer life.
Family is Family by Melissa Marr, Illustrated by Marcos Almada Rivero
Celebrate the many wonderful ways families are unique and chickens are adorable!
On the way to school, Little Chick notices all the other kids are traveling with a mom or a dad, a big brother or a big sister. Little Chick doesn’t have a dad or siblings. He has two moms. His friend asks: Want to borrow a bear brother? No! Little Chick likes being an only chick. Although he’s fascinated to see that some families swim together and some fly, some have teeth and some have beaks, he’s happy to be a chicken—and to be right where he’s meant to be—with the family that loves him.
Chapter Books
Super Switch by Jeff Szpirglas and Danielle Saint-Onge, Illustrated by Rachel Smith
Nine-year-old Bailey Kaufman is nervous for their first day of school at the Hero Academy, the elementary school for young superheroes.
Surrounded by classmates with incredible powers, like flying and super snot, Bailey isn’t sure where they fit in. However, a new machine designed to help students discover and learn to control their powers might have the answers Bailey is looking for. It was created by Mr. Kaufman, the new principal and Bailey’s dad. But when another student thinks they recognize Mr. Kaufman from an old comic book, Bailey is shocked. It couldn’t be their dad…could it? Either way, fitting in is going to be harder than Bailey thought.
Middle Grade
The Lumbering Giants of Windy Pines by Mo Nets
In this debut spooky adventure, Jerry and her trusty wheelchair move into a creepy motel at the edge of the woods where nothing is as it seems. When her mom disappears, it’s up to Jerry to brave the forest and its demons so she can save what’s left of her family.
Ever since her dad died, 11-year-old Jerry Blum and her mom have bounced around dead-end towns, staying in a series of rundown motels where her mother picks up housekeeping work and Jerry can get around in her wheelchair.
But the Slumbering Giant motel is different. Lights blink on and off in the surrounding trees, a mysterious radio station plays only at midnight, and people disappear into the woods, never to been seen again. Not to mention that Jerry’s mom keeps vanishing to do “special work” that she refuses to discuss. When her mother doesn’t come home one morning, Jerry springs into action.
Luckily, she’s not alone. Paul, a pocket-size imaginary dragon, and Chapel, a new friend with a penchant for the supernatural, join Jerry’s search for her missing mom. But along the way Jerry discovers her mother’s terrible secret: she’s not a housekeeper at all; in fact, she’s been defending the town from demons that have been haunting it for generations.
Armed with nothing but a Ren Faire sword and a backpack, Jerry and her friends venture into the forbidden woods to save Jerry’s mother. But the “demons” hiding there aren’t what they seem, and Jerry must unravel the truth behind the town’s legend, or risk losing what’s left of her family.
Rainbow Reads For Kids 