Pen America recently shared that 39% of the books banned in the 2024 – 2025 school year featured LGBTQ+ characters (for fiction) or people (for non-fiction). Nineteen percent of banned books featured trans or gender non-conforming people or characters. LGBTQ+ kids and families are under attack simply for existing.
It’s crucial that we share LGBTQ+ affirming books with children, starting with picture books. Support the authors of these books and show publishers people want books like these by purchasing them and requesting your library to stock them.
These stories encourage children to accept and appreciate themselves and others. It’s never too early to start conversations about the truth that gender diversity exists, and that love is love.
If you’re looking for LGBTQ+ affirming chapter books for kids and teens, head to this blog post.
LGBTQ+ affirming picture books for your child’s shelves
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Bathe the Cat by Alice B. McGinty. Illustrated by David Roberts.
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Books don’t have to explicitly focus on LGBTQ+ identity in order to be affirming of Queer families. Bathe the Cat is a great example of this!
Grandma will be arriving soon, and the house is a huge mess. Daddy gives out a long list of instructions for Dad, Bobby, and Sarah that he’s efficiently spelled out in fridge magnets. Little does he know that the last instructions to bathe the cat have been heard by said cat.
The mischievous tabby repeatedly rearranges the words to create chaos. Dad is scrubbing the fishes instead of the dishes. Bobby is rocking the rug, not the baby. This laugh-out-loud book is full of wordplay, accompanied by hilarious cartoon-style illustrations. (Recommended for ages 3 – 7. White author.)
The Bi Book by A.J. Irving. Illustrated by Cynthia Alonso.
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The Bi Book is elegant in its simplicity. Detailed illustrations include words that start with “bi,” while brief text provides context for the word or phrase. Biped means that we have “two feet to reach the top of the world.” A beach scene shows that bivalve” signifies “two shells to hug a gleaming pearl.”
The final three page spreads indicate that sometimes “bi” can mean “more than two,” because “bi hearts love in a rainbow of ways.” Because the book doesn’t go into detail, children who aren’t familiar with the word bisexual may need a bit more explanation from adults. (Recommended for ages 3 – 6. White Queer author.)
True You: A Gender Journey by Gwen Agna and Shelley Rotner. Photographs by Shelley Rotner.
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One of the things I’ve learned from Montessori early childhood educators is how important books with realistic text and photographs are for young children as they make sense of the world. True You captures kids’ own words about their various understandings of their own genders, accompanied by photographs of them experiencing everyday life.
There are children who were told they were one gender when they were born but feel like a different gender. The authors emphasize that this is what makes someone their gender, not what other people say. There are other children who don’t feel that boy or girl describes them. Throughout the book, children tell each other that what’s important is that everyone should feel safe and accepted for who they are. (Recommended for ages 3 – 7. White authors.)
Related post: Children’s books for all ages with nonbinary and transgender characters
Raven’s Ribbons by Tasha Spillett. Illustrated by Daniel Ramirez.
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Raven loves participating in the round dance, especially watching how the ribbons on the women’s dresses sway. Because his Nohkum is known for the colorful and personalized ribbon skirts she sews, Raven asks her if a boy could wear a ribbon skirt.
Grandma tells him that in her long life, she has never seen a boy wear a ribbon skirt. But while Raven sleeps, she makes a surprise for him.
This striking illustrations in the book are filled with movement, and Spillett’s loving text conveys how tradition can be expansive, rather than rigid. (Recommended for ages 4 – 8. Cree and Trinidadian author.)
Related post: Indigenous children’s books that take place in the present day
Need fresh ideas for summer reading? My 2026 Summer Reading Guide can help!
Marley’s Pride by Joëlle Retener. Illustrated by DeAnn Wiley.
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Marley’s grandparent absolutely loves the Pride festival, with all its crowds and social activities. Deep down, Marley wants to take part, especially since this year their Zaza will be getting a special award for all the work they’ve done with the trans community. But Marley hates crowds. Clues in the illustrations and as well as information in the end notes help readers understand that Marley has sensory sensitivities that make loud, crowded events difficult for them.
Marley works through their calming techniques and makes sure that they have all the tools they’ll need, like noise canceling headphones and a special plush animal. Zaza reassures them that they can leave at any time if they need to. This reassuring and affirming book lets readers know that everyone is welcome at Pride, even if they participate in different ways. (Recommended for ages 4 – 8. Kreyol American Queer nonbinary author.)
Related post: Children’s books by autistic authors
Ritu Weds Chandni by Ameya Narvankar
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Ayesha cannot wait for her cousin Ritu’s wedding to begin. She’s especially excited about dancing in the baraat, since this will be the first time a bride in her family has led a wedding processional. When her family arrives, Ayesha is shocked that so many familiar faces are not there. Her aunt explains that family members who don’t accept Ritu and Chandni’s love have refused to attend. Some neighbors are even threatening to disrupt the baraat.
Ayesha’s joy in how beautiful a bride Ritu is and the fun of dancing in the baraat is interrupted when angry neighbors become so loud the wedding band can no longer play. Little do they know that Ayesha won’t allow anything to spoil Ritu and Chandni’s wedding! (Recommended for ages 4 – 8. Indian Queer author.)
Related post: Children’s books starring South Asian characters
Dancing with Water by Gwendolyn Wallace. Illustrated by Tonya Engel.
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Dancing with Water is filled with immersive illustrations that seem to move water across the page and thoughtful text about a Black family and community’s relationship to water.
Young Kit is transfixed by their grandpa’s ability to find water so that he can dig wells for people who need them. But as clean water becomes harder to find, Grandpa’s water divining doesn’t always work.
As he teaches Kit about all the ways that water is threatened, he asks them for help in finding the place of the next well. As Kit rides Grandpa’s shoulders, waves of pink, blue, and yellow emerge from their head, helping to locate the water. Grandpa reminds them that as long as they “listen to the water, it will always lead you back to me, to us.” (Recommended for ages 4 – 8. Black author.)
Related post: Thoughtful children’s books about the environment
Image description: Cover of Born Ready. A boy with tawny brown skin and a mop of curls atop his head hugs himself and wears a delighted smile while keeping his eyes closed.
Born Ready: The True Story of a Boy Named Penelope by Jodie Patterson and Charnelle Pinkney Barlow
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In the My Reflection Matters Village, I got to hear Jodie Patterson tell her family’s moving story of how Penelope helped them realize that he was a boy. This joy-filled children’s book tells the same story, and Penelope’s determined spirit shines through.
Penelope’s family is big and busy, and he can’t seem to make them stop and listen, so that he can tell them: I’m a boy! So he makes his presence known with actions to make them see, hear, and feel him. (Those actions are often unpleasant.) When he finally tells Mama that he’s a boy, she reassures him that it’s fine to “feel like a boy.”
But no, Mama isn’t understanding! Penelope tells her “I don’t feel like a boy, I AM a boy.” Once she finally understands, Mama is ready to help Penelope show his joyful true self to all of the world. (Recommended for ages 3 – 7. Black author.)
Shop this entire list of LGBTQ+ affirming picture books on Bookshop.org! (Supports independent bookstores and my business.)
And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson, Peter Parnell, and Henry Cole
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This picture book, which tells the true story of two male penguins raising a baby at the Central Park Zoo, has been around long enough to achieve classic status.
While the other boy and girl penguins at the zoo find each other and become couples when the time is right, Roy and Silo (two boys) do everything together. They even build a nest together like the other penguin couples. When another penguin lays two eggs and can’t care for both, a zookeeper decides to let Roy and Silo care for the egg. They take turns lovingly keeping the egg warm, until one day little Tango is born. (Recommended for ages 3 – 7. White Gay authors.)
Baby’s First Words by Christiane Engel
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Babies and toddlers are eager to label their worlds. This word book, featuring a curious baby with two dads, helps little ones do just that. Another reason to love this word book is that it includes both adjectives and nouns (for example “loud fire engine”), as well as feeling words. The illustrated tabs also make it easy for babies and caregivers to skip right to a favorite page. (Recommended for ages 6 months – 2 years. White author.)
The Bread Pet: A Sourdough Story by Kate DePalma and Nelleke Verhoeff
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When Uncle JB stops by Cora’s house on his way out West, he asks if she’ll take care of his bread pet. Cora agrees, having no idea how quickly the sourdough starter “pet” will take over their kitchen.
Soon she and her two moms have to do something to contain it, but Cora can’t bear to throw away any of the bread pet. When Mum remarks that many people would love to have the sourdough bread they’re overwhelmed with, a solution is born.
Kids can also find simple instructions for making their own sourdough bread in the back of the book. (Recommended for ages 4 – 8. White author.)
A Church for All by Gayle Pittman and Laure Fournier
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Step inside a joy-filled church where people of all ages, gender identities, races, classes, sexual orientations, and physical abilities gather together. The rhyming text is simple, allowing the pictures to carry the heart of the book’s message.
When I read this to the children at our church during my children’s sermon, I prefaced it by talking about how our church wants families with two mommies, and families with two daddies, and families with a mom and a dad (or any other type of family), to know that God loves them and is so glad they are here. Since the words don’t point this out, I thought it was important to make it explicit. That way the children didn’t miss the LGBTQ+ affirming message of the book. (Recommended for ages 3 – 7. White Queer author.)
Related post: Chidren’s books about LGBTQ+ history
In Our Mothers’ House by Patricia Polacco
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A young woman tells us all about the adventures (and a few mishaps) of growing up in a loving family with her mothers Meema and Marmee, and her siblings Will and Millie. Although Meema and Marmee are very different, they’re both unflappable. Neither is frazzled when Will slides all the way down the banister, taking the knob with him, or when toddler Millie draws all over a wall with charcoal from the fireplace.
Even when one neighbor is repeatedly rude to their family, Meema doesn’t let her prejudice distract them from putting together a huge celebration for the neighborhood. (Recommended for ages 5 – 9. White straight author.)
When Aidan Became a Brother by Kyle Lukoff and Kaylani Juanita
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The first few years of Aidan’s life, he often felt misunderstood. People thought he was a girl, but Aidan knew he was a boy. Eventually, Aidan and his parents figured out just what kind of boy he was, and what made him happy.
So when his parents tell him that Mom is going to have a baby, Aidan knows his job as a big brother is to make sure the baby feels understood. But when the time comes for the baby to arrive, Aidan starts to worry. What if the baby doesn’t like the clothes and the nursery decorations he helped to choose? With his parents’ support, he starts to understand that being a good big brother doesn’t have to mean doing everything right. (Recommended for ages 5 – 9. White trans masculine author.)
Related Post: 14 children’s books about adjusting to a new sibling
They, She, He, Easy as ABC by Maya Christina Gonzalez and Matthew SG
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The fun rhyme and rhythm of this ABC book help children learn how to use inclusive pronouns. First, there’s a short introduction to pronouns. For example, “they is a way to let everyone be. No one left out and everyone free!”
Then we dance our way through the alphabet with children who find many different ways to express themselves and break stereotypes. They also happen to use a variety of pronouns for themselves. “Ari loves to arabesque. They hold their pose with ease,” while “Brody is a break dancer. Brody loves to freeze.” (Recommended for ages 3 – 7. Latine Queer author.)
Related post: Talking about microaggressions with kids
Stella Brings the Family by Miriam B. Schiffer and Holly Clifton-Brown
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Stella is unsure what to do when her teacher announces they are having a Mother’s Day celebration and everyone can invite a special guest. Stella has a wonderful family who loves her, especially her Daddy and Papa, but she doesn’t have a Mom. Who should she bring to the celebration?
Worrying over who to invite make Stella lose her focus even when she’s doing her favorite things, like playing soccer. But by the time the class makes the invitations to the celebration, Stella has figured out just what to do. (Recommended for ages 3 – 7. White author.)
I Am Jazz by Jessica Herthel, Jazz Jennings, and Shelagh McNicholas
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When Jazz Jennings was thirteen years old, she co-wrote this picture book about her life. Since the age of two, Jazz knew that she had a girl’s brain even though she had a boy’s body. Readers see her playing with her friends Samantha and Casey, but Jazz adds that she’s not exactly like her two friends.
Jazz tells about the confusing journey she and her family went through, until they finally met with a doctor that helped them understand what it meant to be transgender. Even then, Jazz faced challenges at school. This simple, straightforward book will help kids and adults alike to empathize with and understand trans kids. (Recommended for ages 4 – 8. White trans feminine co-author.)
Rainbow: A First Book of Pride by Michael Genhart and Anne Passchier
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This is a great book to read before pride events or any time of year. I didn’t know that each color of the flag has a specific meaning, which this book explores with simple words and vibrant illustrations. I especially love the page that shows families holding pride flags around the world. (Recommended for ages 2 – 5. Biracial Mexican and Swiss American gay man.)
Prince and Knight by Daniel Haack and Stevie Lewis
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This rhyming fairy tale tells the familiar story of a prince who must marry since it will soon be time to take the throne. On this quest, “the prince met many ladies (and he made them all swoon!), but it was soon clear that he was singing a different tune.”
The attempt to find a bride is soon forgotten when a dragon attacks the village. When the prince sets out to face the dragon alone, a brave knight (whose armor is indeed shining) shows up to join the battle. Both prince and knight soon realize that they are not just partners in battle but should be partners in life as well. (Recommended for ages 4 – 8. White Queer author.)
Related Post: 12 Fairy Tales for Young Feminists
This Day in June by Gayle E. Pitman and Kristyna Litten
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The pageantry, exuberance, and acceptance of a San Francisco Pride parade come to life in this colorful book. Simple rhymes and elaborate illustrations give children the chance to ask questions and develop respect for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. The book’s core message is that on “this day in June, we’re all united!”
After the story, there’s a Reader’s Guide that explain themes in the illustrations, as well important aspects of LGBTQ history and culture. Pitman, a psychology professor, also includes an age-by-age guide for parents about how to talk to kids about gender identity and sexual orientation. (Recommended for ages 3 – 7. White Queer author.)
Pride Colors by Robin Stevenson
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I can’t decide whether I like the adorable photographs or the joyful rhymes of this book better. Families will want to cuddle their little ones close while they read this playful book together.
There’s a growing demand for books with LGBTQ+ families that just celebrate little one’s everyday life, and this book helps fill that gap. (Recommended for ages 6 months – 2 years)
Related Post: 11 Fun Ideas for Teaching Gender Diversity to Toddlers
4 responses to “LGBTQ+ affirming picture books & board books”
This also looks like a great book: https://www.albertwhitman.com/book/jacobs-new-dress/
Where are the books for kids who are assigned female at birth and identify as a boy?
I haven’t been able to get my hands on a copy of it yet, but I’ve heard great things about When Aidan Became a Brother by Kyle Lukoff.
I just published a new children’s book that features a little girl and her two moms. “Miss Molly Learns Responsibility.” June 2020 My facebook page is : kperobooks
My goal is to write an entire series of Molly’s loving family.