In Barbara Danish’s The Dragon and the Doctor (1971), Dr. Judy, a kind doctor with brown skin and curly hair, parties with a bunch of strange animals after helping a friendly dragon. The dragon stores objects, including roller blades, in her tail. Dr. Judy unzips the dragon’s tail, makes the […]
The Sissy Duckling (2002), written by Harvey Fierstein and illustrated by Henry Cole, is the story of Elmer, a little boy Duck who loves to build, paint, cook, and play make-believe. Elmer is quite happy, even though he spends a lot of time playing alone – not quite fitting in […]
Ballerino Nate (2006), written by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley with pictures by R.W. Alley, tells the story of a young boy named Nate who becomes fascinated with ballet after seeing a student performance. He decides he wants to be a ballerina, but his slightly older brother tells him ballerinas are all […]
A Tale of Two Mommies (2011), written by Vanita Oelschlager and illustrated by Mike Blanc, is an affirming story about a little boy and his two moms. Three small, racially diverse children enjoy a day at the beach. One of the children, a little boy, has tawny beige skin, another […]
Uncle Aiden (2005), written and illustrated by Laurel Dykstra, might just be my favorite gay uncle book. And, there are probably as many gay uncle books as there are boys who wear dresses books, which is to say competition is fierce.
Bonjour, Mr. Satie (1991) by Tomie dePaola is the story of two children, Rosalie and Conrad, their uncle, Mr. Satie, and his “companion,” Ffortusque Ffollet, Esq. When the two world travelers visit their family, they bring Paris to America through French cuisine, a smattering of French words, and enchanting stories […]
Be Who You Are (2010), written by Jennifer Carr and illustrated by Ben Rumback, explores a young transgender girl’s transition. Although Hope’s sex assignment was male, she always felt like a girl. She tells her very accepting parents while she is quite young, and they support her. However, Hope isn’t […]
Mummy Never Told Me (2003) was written and illustrate by the prolific Babette Cole and published in the UK by Jonathon Cape. The story and illustrations are outrageous but oddly charming like much of Cole’s work. This narrative is told from the point-of-view of a curious little boy who realizes […]
Tommie dePaola’s Oliver Button is a Sissy (1979) tells the story of a little boy bullied at school and discouraged at home because he doesn’t enjoy typical boy things like playing ball. Oliver would rather be picking flowers and playing with paper dolls.
And Baby Makes Four, written by Judith Benjamin with photographic images by Judith Freedman, was published in 2009 by Motek Press. Lesbian moms and their young daughter prepare to welcome a new baby into their family. The story is told in the first-person from the point-of-view of the couple’s young […]
