LGBTQ+ Picture Books for Families
Every child deserves to see loving families and joyful self-expression on the page, not only in a special month. These books treat identity as part of everyday life: play, courage, grandparents, and belonging.
This shelf is the picture-book door into our LGBTQ+ topic hub. Trans stories have their own hub at Transgender books because families looking for that specificity should not have to wade through a general rainbow list.
Who this is for
Rainbow families. Gender-curious kids. Classrooms stocking a shelf that is not a debate. Relatives who want a gift that is not a pamphlet. You do not need a coming-out story in the house for these books to earn their space.
The books, without the lecture
Julián Is a Mermaid is still the one we hand over first. Subway, curtain-as-tail, an abuela who decides. Ask what Julián might wear to feel like himself today. There is no test.
When Aidan Became a Brother is Kyle Lukoff on a trans boy getting ready for a new sibling. The plot is not “will the family accept him.” That part already happened. The plot is how to love a baby without stuffing them into a story that does not fit. That is a useful book even in houses that think they do not need a trans story yet.
Red: A Crayon's Story is the metaphor a lot of adults reach for. It works because it is funny and stubborn, not because it is a coded lecture. Kids who are tired of being told what they are will recognize it.
My Shadow Is Purple gives language for kids who do not land neatly on a binary. Read it when the crayon box has become an argument. Let them pick the color. You do not have to narrate.
Love, Violet is a valentine a girl is scared to give another girl. Crush, courage, a teacher who does not make it weird. Use it in February if you want. Use it in October if that is when someone needs it.
How to keep this from becoming a unit
Leave the books in the regular pile. Read them on a random night. If a child asks a question you were not ready for, it is allowed to say “I need to think” and come back. Our after the last page guide is for that pause.
Share the shelf with a teacher, auntie, or friend who is building a kinder classroom or home library. One book on a shelf that a child can take down without permission is worth more than a display that only appears in June.
What we skip
We skip books where a queer child exists to educate the straight kids. We skip tragedy-as-the-point for this age. We skip anything that treats a two-mom family as a special episode. If you want the longer policy, it is on About.
This shelf
5 books · buy on Bookshop, or save the list
Ages 3–8
Julián Is a MermaidJessica Love
While riding the subway home from the pool with his abuela one day, Julián notices three women spectacularly dressed up. Their hair billows in brilliant hues, their dresses end in fishtails, and their joy fills the train car. When Julián gets home, daydreaming of the magic he’s seen, all he can think about is dressing up just like the ladies in his own fabulous mermaid costume: a butter-yellow curtain for his tail, the fronds of a potted fern for his headdress. But what will Abuela think about the mess he makes — and even more importantly, what will she think about how Julián sees himself? Mesmerizing and full of heart, Jessica Love’s author-illustrator debut is a jubilant picture of self-love and a radiant celebration of individuality.
Ages 3–8
When Aidan Became a BrotherKyle Lukoff
When Aidan was born, everyone thought he was a girl. His parents gave him a pretty name, his room looked like a girl's room, and he wore clothes that other girls liked wearing. After he realized he was a trans boy, Aidan and his parents fixed the parts of his life that didn't fit anymore, and he settled happily into his new life. Then Mom and Dad announce that they're going to have another baby, and Aidan wants to do everything he can to make things right for his new sibling from the beginning--from choosing the perfect name to creating a beautiful room to picking out the cutest onesie. But what does "making things right" actually mean? And what happens if he messes up? With a little help, Aidan comes to understand that mistakes can be fixed with honesty and communication, and that he already knows the most important thing about being a big brother: how to love with his whole self. When Aidan Became a Brother is a heartwarming book that will resonate with transgender children, reassure any child concerned about becoming an older sibling, and celebrate the many transitions a family can experience.
Ages 3–8
Red: A Crayon's StoryMichael Hall
A blue crayon mistakenly labeled as "red" suffers an identity crisis in this picture book by the New York Times–bestselling creator of My Heart Is Like a Zoo and It's an Orange Aardvark!
Ages 3–8
My Shadow Is PurpleScott Stuart
A heartwarming and inspiring book about being true to yourself, by best-selling children's book creator Scott Stuart. This story considers gender beyond binary in a vibrant spectrum of colour"--Provided by publisher.
Ages 3–8
Love, VioletCharlotte Sullivan Wild
Stonewall Book Award Winner Lambda Literary Award Finalist Charlotte Huck Honor Book Love, Violet by Charlotte Sullivan Wild and Charlene Chua is a touching picture book about friendship and the courage it takes to share your feelings.