5 Kids Books to Celebrate Pride Month

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As many of us know, June is Pride Month. Pride month was created to commemorate the Stonewall riots in New York in 1969. During the month of June we celebrate the contributions of the LGBTQ+ community to our country. We also celebrate individuality and the fact that not all families look the same. 

Finding educational children’s books that celebrate Pride can be difficult, but it’s not impossible. Below is a list of books I researched and was able to purchase on Amazon.  

Rainbow: A First Book of Pride

by Michael Genhart, PhD 

This easy to read, hardcover book shares the meaning behind each color of the rainbow flag. The book features incredibly diverse characters from various countries and backgrounds. You’ll also be able to find diverse family makeups including transracial families, which was personally super important to me since the adoption of our son was a transracial adoption (meaning we are not of the same race). 

Pride Colors

by Robin Stevenson 

This book we actually found for the first time at Richland Library. It quickly became a favorite in our home and is perfect for babies and young toddlers. We love all the photographs of real families. I love that this board book also features positive affirmations for children like, “I’ll love the person you grow to be.” The back also has a short explanation of Pride Day and the Rainbow Flag. 

Love Makes a Family

by Sophie Beer 

This board book has some of my favorite illustrations; they are bright, fun, and really engaging. With a wide variety of different families, I also love that this book breaks away from gender stereotypes a little by showing dads playing dress up and moms building pillow forts. The text follows a pattern of “Love is…” and gives examples like “…lending a helping hand” and “…chasing away monsters.” Proof that above all else, Love truly does make a family. 

This Day in June

by Gayle E Pitman

This is my favorite new book! The story follows the day of a Pride Parade and the characters are as beautiful as they are diverse. There are gay and lesbian characters, but also trans and gender-non-conforming characters as well. The book is truly a celebration of being an individual. You get an on the ground view of the middle of a parade. The back also has a Reading Guide that goes deeper into the importance of the lines in the book. There is also a guide in the back to help parents and caregivers steer the conversation in age-appropriate ways. 

They, She, He, Me: Free to Be!

by Maya & Matthew 

This book features common pronouns and the fluidity of each. You’ll even see the less common pronoun “Ze” used . This book is great for discussing gender non-conformity, transgender, and even nonbinary pronoun choices. The back of the book features text that delves deeper into the importance of choosing pronouns you identify with and how the pronouns you choose, while important, don’t define everything about a person. They’re only part of who you are. Ultimately, the most important thing you can do is live your truth and be a kind person.

These books celebrating our LGBTQ+ friends, neighbors, and family members will be a welcome addition to your child’s library all year. Did I miss any other great children’s books?

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Carey Shofner
Originally from Indiana, Carey moved to South Carolina in 2009. She and her husband, Brett, met during college at USC and now reside in Forest Acres. She is an elementary school teacher turned stay-at-home mom to two wonderful boys. After struggling with infertility for years, their son, Milo, joined their family in November of 2017 through domestic adoption. In March of 2020 baby River joined the family via embryo adoption. In addition to being a SAHM, Carey works in Social Media Management, is a babywearing educator, and a postpartum doula. She enjoys writing, iced coffee, road trips, and connecting with other mamas online. Her passions include adoption ethics and education, infertility, mental health advocacy, plus size life, and social justice issues. You can follow Carey’s motherhood journey and more on Instagram at MessyAsAMother.

1 COMMENT

  1. This is a wonderful list! We rented “This Day in June” from Richland Library last summer and are reading it again right now (I think it’s going to be our new Pride Month tradition!). We also rented “A Church for All” (also by Gayle Pitman) which is lovely! We are still reading “Pride: The Story of Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag” (by Rob Sanders) – it was a little longer so my 17-month-old had a hard time staying focused, but so far it’s great. Thanks for sharing your recommendations!

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