Queer Picture Books That Deserve Space on Every Shelf

Queer people exist, and queer families exist. Even families that may look to be heteronormative on the outside may be anything but–something I know and live personally. Because LGBTQ+ people and families populate our world, even the youngest readers and pre-readers must see representation in the books they explore. For some of those readers, queer picture books depict their everyday life. For others, it’s a place to learn about the many ways there are to be and move through the world. These stories also provide an avenue into talking about big topics with young people in a safe, age-appropriate way. Queer picture books aren’t limited to storylines about queer people, either; indeed, many of the most powerful LGBTQ+ picture books are queer normative stories, wherein two moms or two dads are simply living their lives alongside the young people they’re looking after or the pets they’re chasing. Queer picture books are also not limited to fiction. There are several queer nonfiction picture books, too. It will be of little surprise to hear that in our continuing era of book censorship, queer picture books are being banned, relocated, or restricted from public schools and public librarie...