It’s never too early to introduce your children to what it means to be LGBT identified. More and more people are coming out as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Asexual, Queer, 2 Spirited & Gender Queer each year. There’s no better way to raise visibility of our community than teaching our kids what acceptance is.
Take a look below to see what kinds of books are out there right now! You might be happily surprised to see what topics they conquer.
General
This adorable book, aimed for 3-7 year olds, tells the story of a closeted teddy bear who must tell his owner his secret to find happiness. It does a great job teaching children about love, acceptance and understanding for queer identified folks.
Our society is advancing and more gay couples are having kids through adoption and surrogacy. It might just be time for you to tell your kids about same-gender parents. This book can be used as an educational tool to show the diversity of families.
Uncle Mike and Uncle Steve are getting married and there’s so much to do! Follow Andy as he asks questions about the wedding and see how it affects him! This book is bound to make you smile and laugh as you read this story about same-sex marriage and family!
Transgender / Gender Queer
Kyle is getting bullied at school. He may look like other boys, but he knows he’s not “one of them.” Kyle finds it difficult to share his feelings about gender and is scared to ask his parents to help him transition. When Kayla Was Kyle is a picture book for children of all ages. It addresses the issues and ideas of Gender Diversity.
A perfect book to show your kid it’s fine to break all gender stereotypes. Whether you love pink, blue, glitter, dresses, jeans, tiaras or crowns, say hello to the Princess Boy!
This book is based off of the real-life experiences of Jazz Jennings, a transgender spokesperson and member of the LGBT community.
Jacob gets made fun of at school for wearing dresses because “dresses are for girls”! Bring up the discussion early on about how gender knows no bounds.
Morris is an imaginative kid who loves wearing his tangerine dress from the dress-up center. The other kids don’t get it and won’t let him play. “Astronauts don’t wear dresses!” One day Morris feels alone and his mother lets him stay home from school. He dreams of an amazing space adventure with his cat! Morris paints his dream and brings it to school! Why not read how the story unravels!
Not Every Princess questions the construction of gender roles and is meant to inspire children to challenge societal expectations. This book also includes a note to parents by the authors.
Female Same-Sex Families
Taking place at a beach, this book features a conversation with three small children. One asks the other what it is like to have two mommies. It’s a well written book that authentically shows a child’s curiosity answering questions like: Which mom is there when you want to go fishing? Which mom helps out when Kitty goes missing? A Tale of Two Mommies is intended for 4-8 year olds. Take a look at this book that features a same sex couple and their son.
A classic children’s story has been remade to feature a diverse LGBT family. This one featuring a female same sex couple Mama Bear, Mommy Bear and Baby Bear.
A book that features rhythmic text and colourful illustration, telling the story of a toddler spending the day with their lesbian mommies. They play games like hide-and-seek and dress-up, but we can’t forget bath time and a goodnight kiss!
Heather’s favourite number is two. She has two arms, two legs, two pets and two mommies. Heather is asked about her daddy at school, but she doesn’t have one! When it’s time to draw, everyone realizes there are lots of different types of families and the teacher says the most important thing in a family is love!
Marmee, Meema and the kids are like any other family. They have a beautiful house, they have dinners together, they laugh and dance together! So why is it that they aren’t accepted by other families? Read about their lives and how loving and happy their family is!
