PLAYGROUND
June is LGBT+ Pride Month which commemorates the Stonewall riots — a historical event when a group of oppressed people stood up to authorities in the heat of June 1969. The following year the first Pride marches, parades and celebrations started to honor that history. This selection of children’s books will help you to celebrate Pride Month with your kids.
Words by Scottie Campbell, Orange County Library System
And Tango Makes Three
By Justin Richardson & Peter Parnell
(Ages 4-8)
The true story of two male penguins, Roy and Silo, living in New York’s Central Park Zoo who fall in love. When a zookeeper gives them an egg to hatch, the female hatchling completes their family. She is given the name Tango…because it takes two…
10,000 Dresses
By Marcus Ewert
(Ages 4-8)
One of the first books of its kind, the story is about Bailey who was born a boy, but identifies as a girl. Bailey has dreams of climbing a staircase lined with magical dresses, but when she tells her parents about the dreams they tell her to stop talking about the dresses because she’s a boy.
Stonewall: A Building. An Uprising. A Revolution
By Rob Sanders
(Ages 5-8)
Florida author Rob Sanders (Pride: The Story of Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag) marks the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising with the very first picture book on the topic. Young readers will learn the history of the Stonewall Inn and its role in the LGBT+ civil rights movement.
In Our Mothers’ House
By Patricia Polacco
(Ages 6-8)
Marmee, Meema, and the kids are just like any other family on the block. In their beautiful house, they cook dinner together, they laugh together, and they dance together. But some of the other families don’t accept them; they say they are different. How can a family have two moms and no dad?
A Queer History of the United States for Young People
By Michael Bronski Adapted by Richie Chevat
(Young Audience)
It’s important for young people to know their history, particularly if it’s history that might be left out of textbooks. This book explores how LGBT+ people have always been a part of our national identity, contributing to the country and culture for over 400 years.
George
By Alex Gino
(Young Audiences)
When people look at George, they think they see a boy. But she knows she’s not a boy. She knows she’s a girl. When her teacher announces that their class play is going to be Charlotte’s Web. George really wants to play Charlotte, but the teacher says she can’t even try out for the part…because she’s a boy. So, George and a friend come up with a plan so everyone will know who she really is, once and for all.
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Maddy Zollo