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.
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!