Picture Books for Pride

(2) PS Illustrated by Linda Davick. At the park, a kid asks Riley, "Are you a girl or a boy?" Style maven Riley--sporting a tutu, "crazy monster shirt," and "hat with dinosaur spikes"--answers: "I'm...a dancer. And a monster hunter...And a dinosaur." The other child's response to Riley? "Want to play?" Davick's cheery illustrations are true to Arnold's upbeat, self-possessed (gender unspecified) young protagonist.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2019

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Mike Curato. When Worm and Worm decide to marry, their animal friends offer "that's how it's always been done"–type advice, some ridiculous ("You'll need to get rings"); characters appear against white backdrops, which distills the story's abiding humor. Readers will be won over long before this higher-order message book gently broaches its love-is-love concept ("which one of you is the bride?").

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Cyd Moore. Willow's uncle hasn't danced since he was ostracized for it as a child. With his wedding to partner David fast approaching, sunny and energetic Willow helps Uncle Ash regain his love of the pastime. Though the narrative arc is uneven, Willow's relationship with her "two favorite uncles" is conveyed with warmth and dimension. Smiles dominate the cheery, colorful illustrations in this third Willow tale.

Reviewer: Claire E. Gross

(4) K-3 Illustrated by EG Keller. Vice President Pence's daughter's (real-life) pet bunny relates falling in love with another boy bunny, to the consternation of overbearing, obnoxious, in-charge (read: president) Stink Bug: "Boy Bunnies Marry Girl Bunnies...This Is the Way It Has Always Been. You. Are. Different. And Different Is Bad." As satire, this is lots of fun (and effective: "Stink bugs are temporary. Love is Forever"); as a picture book, it's a little scattered. Adorable progressive-leaning critters populate the illustrations.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(3) K-3 Could you even give a book this title in the twenty-first century? DePaola's book about a boy who can't throw a ball to save his life but who enjoys paper dolls, dress-up, and (as he discovers to his delight) tap-dancing is as fresh and necessary as ever. While the muted turquoise and beige color scheme shows its age, the feelings are still just right.

Reviewer: Roger Sutton | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2017

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Mika Song. When Ho'onani, who doesn't "see herself as a wahine, 'girl'...or kāne, 'boy,'" auditions to participate in the traditionally all-male hula chant, she not only wins a spot--she's named the group's leader. This story is inspired by a documentary about the ancient Hawaiian concept of a third gender "embracing both feminine and masculine traits." The illustrations' sun-bleached colors and minimal backgrounds focus on Ho'onani's self-assured presence and on the powerful chant's performance.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Becca Human. When it's announced that a medieval prince must choose a bride, only one village maiden doesn't see him (or any man) as husband material. But when she meets the prince's sister at the ball... This follow-up to the likewise gay-positive Prince & Knight features rhymes that are indifferent to meter, but the sumptuous jewel-toned art gives the Middle Ages an enchanting aura.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Stevie Lewis. A prince must choose a bride, but all the women he meets lack...something. He realizes what's missing when a knight in shining armor saves him from a dragon. The simplistic story works as a valentine to same-sex love, but several verses stumble over themselves to complete a rhyme; the glossy illustrations conjure classic Disney movie stills.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Shelagh McNicholas. A little girl describes how she was born with "a girl brain but a boy body" and that once her parents talked to a doctor to understand more about it, they let her be herself. There is little plot, but the straightforward text and friendly, pastel-hued watercolors fairly successfully simplify the issue of gender identity for a young audience and their caregivers.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Chris Case. With his mother's help, Jacob, a boy who chooses dresses from the class costume corner, sews a dress of his own. While neither art nor text is especially distinguished, the emotionally resonate gender-nonconformity story will be useful in many settings and provides guidance for both adults and children wondering how to handle a boy who prefers dresses. Thoughtful notes to adults add value.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Chris Case. The creators of Jacob's New Dress take on a timely subject: public restrooms. When dress-wearing Jacob and his gender-nonconforming friend, Sophie, reveal that neither feels comfortable using the school bathrooms, their teacher helps the class understand the arbitrariness of gender labels. Accompanied by welcoming illustrations, the generally lighthearted story makes its case without much didacticism. An authors' note provides context.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(2) K-3 "Everyone" says that Archie and Zack love each other--everyone, that is, but the two boys in question, who are boon companions at school and at play but seem unable to put their mutual affection into words. Three times, Archie tries to write Zack a love note; three times, he fails to send it because "something's missing." That the something is an oral declaration only becomes apparent when it actually occurs, although, oddly, the boys keep their feelings in the third person, saying "Zack loves Archie" and "Archie loves Zack." Men, amirite? The story is oblique and more than a little adult, but the animated pictures (watercolor and ink and pencil) of the boys and their supportive schoolmates are filled with friendship and fun and leave no doubt that Archie (who is white) and Zack (who is brown) belong together.

Reviewer: Roger Sutton | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2021

(1) PS Love's follow-up to Julián Is a Mermaid (rev. 5/18) features characters both familiar and new. At the start of the story, Julián and Abuela are strolling down the sidewalk, arm-in-arm and dressed to the nines, on their way to a wedding. They join up with a friend of Julián's, Marisol, wearing a yellow dress and backward ball cap that is soon to be replaced with a crown of flowers. Through spare text and lavish watercolor, gouache, and ink illustrations, Love paints a picture of a joyous occasion. "A wedding is a party for love," the author writes, opposite which we see Julián and Marisol posing with the brides as they share a kiss. Our two main characters steal away from the party, Julián now wearing Marisol's flower crown, and we watch their play take flight beneath a fluorescent-hued willow tree. When Marisol's dress is ruined in all the fun, Marisol puts on Julián's dress-shirt, adorned with the tree's bright cyan leaves. The scene is magical--a magic befitting children who are uninhibited by societal gender norms and restraints. When the friends are discovered, they are not admonished but whisked away to join the brides on the dance floor. Brown craft paper is used as the book's background, adding depth to the colors throughout and emphasizing the different shades of each character's brown skin. Once again Love has brought us young characters who are free to live, play, and express themselves however they wish without conflict. An abundance of joy and love.

Reviewer: Hill Saxton | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2020

(1) K-3 After seeing three magnificent-looking people dressed as mermaids, Julián creates a makeshift mermaid outfit. Abuela discovers her grandson's attire; how will she react? She helps Julián complete the outfit, then proudly takes him to a festive sea-creature-attire parade. Small but important details add depth to Julián's emotional journey. Vibrant watercolors with gouache and ink create lively scenes that splash and swirl on the page.

Reviewer: Minh Lê | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2018

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Kaylani Juanita. Brown-skinned (possibly biracial) Aidan, who's transgender, knows how it feels to be misunderstood, so he wants to get things right for his new sibling. Lukoff's straightforward approach to Aidan's gender transition rings with authenticity, and he puts the child-centered story ahead of message. Celebrating the family's close, affirming relationship, Juanita's vibrant digital illustrations take cues from the text, which models how to avoid the male/female binary.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2019

(2) PS Illustrated by MacKenzie Haley. Patrick loves his purple polka-dot tights. They provide extra warmth under snow pants, add flair to dress-up outfits, and make great teddy-bear lifesaving equipment. The only problem: technically, the tights belong to his sister, even though "Penelope didn’t care about the tights...most of the time." The cartoonlike illustrations, featuring an energetic boy with curly orange hair, amplify emotions in the child-centered text. "It wasn't fair," the narrator comments when Penelope takes back the tights to wear during her piano recital. The accompanying illustration shows a visibly displeased Patrick sitting amidst smiling, oblivious audience members, including his parents. "Disaster" strikes during a post-recital ice-cream outing (Penelope spills hot fudge on the tights), and Patrick's body language clearly conveys his dejected feelings. When his dad presents him with new tights--a three pack!--a double-page spread celebrates along with Patrick. Featuring realistic sibling dynamics and parents who model nonchalant support without editorializing, this book affirms kids' creative expression and imaginative play.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2021

(3) PS Illustrated by Laura Cornell. This seminal book about a little girl with lesbian moms has been newly illustrated in watercolor and gouache. The revised text (gone are details about Heather's conception and birth) focuses mainly on Heather's day at school--building block towers, playing dress-up, and drawing pictures of her family and comparing its make-up to that of her classmates'. The details are different, but the nontraditionalness remains.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2015

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Lauren Simkin Berke. A remarkable life is given a sensitive portrayal in this picture-book biography. Dr. James Barry, assigned female at birth in the late eighteenth century, lived after the age of nineteen as a man. He rose through the ranks as a British military doctor, becoming known for his advocacy for proper hygiene in hospitals as well as his care for disadvantaged patients. Robinson tells her subject's story from childhood straightforwardly, addressing the reader directly ("Let me tell you a little more about what we do and don't know..."). While the main text does not use the word transgender, the opening lines ask readers to "imagine living at a time when you couldn't be the person you felt you were inside." Illustrations place realistically drawn figures in rich colors against sketchy, washed-out backgrounds, drawing the eye to Barry and the elegant clothes he loved. Back matter includes an author's note that gives more detailed information about events only briefly touched on in the story, as well as a note about gender identity and how names and pronouns are treated in the text.

Reviewer: Laura Koenig | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2021

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Steven Salerno. Bold colors and a rainbow motif decorate this picture book introduction to Harvey Milk, his cause, and the symbol he helped create (with designer Gilbert Baker) for gay equality. The book's first half focuses on Milk's biography; the second tells of gay rights achieved after his assassination and the evolution of the pride flag. Back matter includes notes and photos of pride demonstrators. Reading list, timeline, websites.

Reviewer: Christina Dorr

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Jamey Christoph. When police raided Greenwich Village's Stonewall Inn in June 1969, its LGBTQ+ patrons decided to stand up, heralding that "a new day was dawning for the gay rights movement." The text is engagingly narrated by the nineteenth-century-constructed building itself while handsome digital illustrations show the historic changes in architecture and occupants. Appended with a photo gallery, historical note, and participant interview. Reading list, websites. Glos.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Dougal MacPherson. A teddy bear previously gendered a boy by human Erroll nervously announces that she's not Thomas but instead a girl teddy named Tilly. Luckily, Erroll provides unconditional support, and they can quickly go back to their tea parties and playground adventures. Soft ink and colored-pencil illustrations match the gentle tone of this simply stated and warmhearted gender-identity narrative.

Reviewer: Kazia Berkley-Cramer

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Vera B. Williams & Chris Raschka. Foster child Lester finally has a real family in Daddy Albert, Daddy Rich, and their dog Wincka. But sleeping alone makes Lester anxious. While the text takes its time in developing and solving this crisis, the pleasures of familyhood dot the narrative and provide texture. In their watercolors, Williams and Raschka engage the matter-of-fact intimacy of the boy with his gay dads.

Reviewer: Roger Sutton | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2016