Best LGBTQ+ Pride Books for Babies and Toddlers

lgbtq books for kids
LGBTQ+ Pride Books

Before little ones can even form a full sentence, books can help expose them to complex topics, including identity and the many different forms a family can take. There are lesbian, gay and transgender parents. There are families with non-binary kiddos. There are loving families in all combinations of other shapes and sizes. And what better way to show your child that than with a colorful and heartwarming book you can enjoy reading together?

Whether you want to encourage your little one to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community or you want to explain in simple but clear terms what it means to be LGBTQ+, there's a book for that. This list of children’s titles that promote LGBTQ+ pride is a good starting point for helping kids understand and embrace a rainbow of identities.

 

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‘My Two Moms and Me’ by Michael Joosten and Izak Zenou

Why We Love It

No matter what your family looks like, life with loving parents is essentially the same. That’s the lesson this board book teaches, as it follows a day in the life of two chic lesbian mothers — from breakfast and a playdate to a bedtime story and lullaby.

‘Love Makes a Family’ by Sophie Beer

Why We Love It

What is love? It’s baking a cake with your parents or a goodnight kiss before bed. With depictions of all types of families — moms and dads, dads and dads, single parents and more — this book shows that actions are what matters when it comes to love.

'Rainbow: A First Book of Pride' by Michael Genhart and Anne Passchier

rainbow a first book of pride
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Why We Love It

A bright and joyful ode to rainbow families, this book reveals what each color in the pride rainbow means. Crack it open to celebrate pride events…or to simply honor equality and acceptance any time of the year.

'Daddy, Papa, and Me' by Leslea Newman and Carol Thompson

Why We Love It

Cherish the loving bond between parents and their children with this warm-hearted board book, which follows two papas and their child from hide-and-seek to bath time. Although each and every family is unique, this book teaches that we all relish our daily rituals together.

'And Tango Makes Three' by Peter Parnell, Justin Richardson and Henry Cole

Why We Love It

Roy and Silo share a unique kind of love among their penguin peers at the Central Park Zoo. This true story reveals how the pair’s kinship led a kind zookeeper to help them welcome their very own baby penguin — proving that families really do come in all shapes and sizes.

'Julián Is a Mermaid' by Jessica Love

Why We Love It

Julián is obsessed with mermaids’ flowing hair and swishy tails, but he worries whether his abuela would accept his transformation into his dream identity. With simple text and stunning, colorful drawings, this heartwarming book weaves a tender and powerful tale of imagination, self-acceptance and the importance of allies.

'I Am Jazz' by Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings

i am jazz book
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Why We Love It

From the time she was 2 years old, Jazz Jennings knew she had a girl’s brain in a boy’s body. Although the book is recommended for preschoolers (ages 4 to 8), this real-life story is a lovely exploration of gender identity for all ages, explaining in simple and clear terms what it means to be born transgender.