It’s June, and you know what that means… end of school freeze pops! And, of course, it’s Pride Month. Perhaps we should have rainbow sherbet instead!
Recently, my wife and I had a conversation about the television shows my son likes. He’s a big fan of Puffin Rock, Go Dog, Go, and Bluey. We approve of all of these shows for his limited screen time because the cartoons inspire kindness, creativity and wholesome adventures, all things we like! On the other hand, they all feature households with a mom and a dad. Truth is, tv shows for kids may occasionally feature a two mom family. Doc McStuffins & Go Dog, Go each had an episode, (which were pretty cute by the way) but for the most part, our household is not represented.
So we turn to books!
Here are some of our favorite picture books that you can read with your kiddos to celebrate Pride Month too.
The Rainbow Parade by Emily Neilson
The Rainbow Parade couldn’t be more perfect for Pride Month. What better way to celebrate than with a parade! This book was inspired by the author’s experiences as a kid going to the Pride Parade in San Fransisco every year with her two moms.
The whole book is charming and colorful, and focuses on what it’s like to be at a parade and what it means to have pride. My favorite spread is when the little girl says, “…there are three things that all of the people in the parade have in common…”
We plan on taking our son to the Pride Parade in Boston, and this book will be the perfect introduction to what it’s all about.
My Mommies Built a Treehouse by Gareth Peter and Izzy Evans
My Mommies Built a Treehouse is a sweet picture book about a little boy who builds a treehouse with his two moms. Things don’t always go as expected, but his moms are supportive (and handy!) They build a wonderful treehouse together that can be shared with friends and family. Now my son wants a treehouse too!
Our Rainbow by Little Bee Books
Our Rainbow is a beautifully illustrated board book that illuminates what each color in the rainbow flag stands for. I was wonderfully surprised by the descriptions and meanings of the colors myself.
Little Bee Books gathered nine different diverse illustrators whose styles and interpretations of the colors are all unique but tell one story. The colors are bright and bold, and each color spread leaps off the page.
Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, black, and brown . . .
Our Rainbow, 2019
These are the colors of our rainbow flag. Do you know what they stand for?
My son’s favorite page is the final image, depicting all of the families in the park together.
But Wait, There’s More!
Check out some of my previous posts featuring LGBQT themes in picture books:
Book Review: Jacob’s School Play: Starring He, She and They
By Alison Potoma
It’s not often that you see a picture book on the banned book list but Ian and Sarah Hoffman, authors of the Jacob books, are keeping fine company with In Our Mothers’ House by Patricia Polacco and Heather Has Two Mommies by Leslea Newman.
Book Reviews: Papa, Daddy, & Riley and Who’s Your Real Mom?
By Alison Potoma
Two books on the Diverse BookFinder list stood out to me. While they asked the same central question, “Who is your real dad?” and “Who is your real mom?” each book approached the answer in completely different ways, ultimately coming to the same conclusion.
And here are some more recommendations from fellow Writers’ Rumpus contributors!
Meet the Fords: A Family You Won’t Soon Forget
By Keri Demers
On the night of that child’s 4th birthday in March 2015, they looked their mother straight in the eye (still wearing their favorite Elsa gown from the day’s birthday festivities) and proudly declared, “Mom, I’m not a boy. I’m a girl. In my heart and in my brain.”
GIRLS OF PAPER AND FIRE by Natasha Ngan
By Laura Fineberg Cooper
The world of Ikhara is so vividly drawn, I was increasingly worried about main character Lei’s safety as I feverishly turned pages into the wee hours of the night. I recommend GIRLS OF PAPER AND FIRE not only as a compelling, gorgeously written YA novel, but also as an exceptional world building mentor text.
However you celebrate pride, just remember… be extra loud, super proud, and very colorful! Happy Pride everybody!
WRITERS' RUMPUS 
What a wonderful list and a wonderful way to celebrate Pride month all year long! Thanks Alison!
LikeLike
Great batch of books, Alison, thank you!
LikeLike
We will definitely be checking out all of these books. Especially “My Mommies Built a Treehouse!” Thanks so much for sharing ❤️
LikeLike
Alison, thank you for writing this personal and insightful post, and for sharing such a great selection of books. I’m eager to check out OUR RAINBOW!
LikeLike
What a great selection! These would be wonderful additions to school libraries and classrooms, too.
LikeLike