Picture Books with LGBTQ Characters in Pennsylvania Public Libraries
by Tracee Yawger
Multiculturalists agree that children benefit from seeing themselves and their families in
children’s books; nontraditional families have been portrayed since the 1970s and 1980s as
including single parent, blended, and multiethnic families.1 With this in mind, certain
populations continue to be missing from the pages of books for young children; lesbian, gay,
bisexual, transgendered, or questioning (LGBTQ) family members continue to be marginalized.2
The last ten years have seen a steady rise in books with LGBTQ characters for teens. Books
featuring gay and questioning teens are increasingly found on the shelves of both public and
school libraries.3 Nancy Garden, a noted author of young adult/teen books with LGBTQ
characters, states that these books “have found a small but permanent place in the YA canon.”4
Books that include LGBTQ characters that are written for young children, however, continue to
be highly controversial and much less available.
Seeking to discover the current availability of picture books in the collections of
Pennsylvania public libraries, this study attempts to answer the following questions:

1
Are Pennsylvania public libraries including picture books with LGBTQ characters
in their children’s collections?
Donna L. Gilton, Multicultural and Ethnic Children’s Literature in the United States (Lanham, MD: Scarecrow
Press, 2007); Elizabeth Knowles and Martha Smith, Understanding Diversity Through Novels and Picture Books
(Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited, 2007).
2
Definitions of terminology: lesbian – A woman whose sexual orientation is to women; gay – of, relating to, or
having a sexual orientation to persons of the same sex; bisexual – of, relating to, or having a sexual orientation to
persons of either sex; transgender – appearing as, wishing to be considered as, or having undergone surgery to
become a member of the opposite sex; questioning – expressing doubt as to sexual orientation. American
Heritage Dictionary, 4th ed. (New York: Houghton Mifflin, 2000).
3
Michelle H. Boon and Vivian Howard, “Recent Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender Fiction for Teens: Are
Canadian Public Libraries Providing Adequate Collections?,” Collection Building 23, no. 3 (2004): 133-8.
4
Lettie K. Albright and April W. Bedford, “From Resistance to Acceptance: Introducing Books with Gay and
Lesbian Characters,” Journal of Children’s Literature, 32, no. 1 (2006): 0-15.
LGBTQ Children’s Books

Are these picture books with LGBTQ characters accessible to patrons?
Very few research studies explore the inclusion of picture books with LGBTQ characters in the
collections of public libraries. Two studies, however, go beyond the anecdotal and investigate
specific holdings. Alex Spence surveys public libraries from each of the fifty states and ten
Canadian provinces for thirty “picture books with gay characters or gay-related content.”5 The
research concludes that both countries have large differences in the number of gay-related titles
for children. The study reports that larger systems generally have more titles than smaller
systems, but some smaller library systems provide more titles than their larger counterparts,
challenging the concept that budgets and geographical area alone influence these collection
decisions. Public library holdings reflected that only “seven of the thirty titles are held by more
than 50 percent of the surveyed libraries, and seventeen of the thirty are carried by fewer than 25
percent of these libraries.”6
Vivian Howard conducts a study in 2005 of Canadian public library holdings of LGBTQ
picture books. Seeking to determine whether these libraries exhibit bias in their collections, the
study compares titles with gay themes that were reviewed in book review sources and a control
list consisting of non-gay-themed picture books from the same review sources using their
internet-accessible catalogs. The results conclude that gay-themed picture books receive fewer
reviews and are less likely to be collected than a control group of non-gay-themed titles.7 Bias,
5
Alex A. Spence, “Controversial Books in the Public Library: A Comparative Survey of Holdings of Gay-Related
Children’s Picture Books, Library Quarterly 70, no. 3 (2000): 335.
6
Spence, “Controversial Books,” 352.
7
Vivian Howard, “Out of the Closet…But Not on the Shelves? An Analysis of Canadian Public Libraries’ Holding of
G ay-Themed Picture Books,” Progressive Librarian 25, (2005): 62-75.
2
LGBTQ Children’s Books
however, is difficult to determine; other studies have also noted that there are multiple reasons
which may be causes for not purchasing gay-themed picture books other than its subject matter.8
Vivian Howard’s study concentrates on titles that have been reviewed, seeking to
increase the likelihood that librarians would have had some exposure to the books. A valid
concern, as a panel discussion by several book reviewers at a program during the American
Library Association’s (ALA’s) 1990 conference in Chicago note, is that small publishing houses
rarely get exposure in the major review sources.9 Many of the picture books with gay and lesbian
characters are published by small presses. This is beginning to change as evidenced by And
Tango Makes Three, Uncle Bobby’s Wedding, and In our Mothers’ House, but this shift is quite
recent.10 The article also discusses the fact that reviews of these titles can sometimes be written
as a warning, seemingly intending to alert librarians to the possibility of the book being
challenged. Roger Sutton, then editor of The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books and
current editor in chief of The Horn Book, shares his frustration at being asked by some readers to
label books in his reviews.
They (librarians) want us to use words and phrases like “problematic,” “mature readers,”
“realistic language,” or “sensitive subject.” Some librarians want this kind of labeling
because they are themselves censors; the great majority, however, are simply afraid for
their jobs.11
Because so little research has been done on the inclusion of these titles in public libraries,
8
Nicholas K. Bellows, Measuring Self-Censorship in School Media Centers, Master’s Thesis for MLS Program,
University of North Carolina. (Chapel Hill: NC, April, 2005); Ken P. Coley, “Moving Towards a Method to Test for
Self-Censorship by School Library Media,” School Library Media Research 5 (2002): no pagination.
9
Jean Feiwel, Debbie Taylor, Carolyn Caywood, Hazel Rochman, and Roger Sutton. “Killing Books Softly:
Reviewers as Censors,” School Library Journal 36, no. 9, (1990): 155-62.
10
Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell. (New York: Simon & Shuster, 2005); Sarah Brannen, (New York: Putnam,
2008); Patricia Polacco,(New York: Philomel, 2009).
11
Feiwel, et. al., “Killing Books Softly,” 162.
3
LGBTQ Children’s Books
it is important to examine other issues related to picture books with LGBTQ characters in
literature intended for young children. These include collection development issues and the
societal benefits attributed to the inclusion of this literature.
A common defense against providing materials with LGBTQ themes and characters is the
“community standards” banner. Earl Lee states that the purpose of the “community standards”
argument is to ensure that libraries be stocked only with materials inoffensive to everyone.12 The
resulting collection might fit into a tote bag. “Community standards” also seems to imply that
the community in question is composed of strictly heterosexual individuals. The 2000 U.S.
Census, however, estimates that 250,000 children are being raised in same-sex households across
the nation.13 Other estimates range anywhere from six to fourteen million. These families are not
restricted to large cities or certain areas of the country; same-sex couples reside in all voting
districts nationwide.14 The 2009 American Community Survey released by the US Census
Bureau show that the number of same-sex couples has increased at three times the rate of
population growth from 2008 to 2009.15 Yet despite these numbers, a 2006 study by Indiana
University sociologist Brian Powell reports that thirty percent of survey respondents believe that
pets should be included in the definition of a family, but not gay couples. Powell conducted
12
Earl Lee. Libraries in the Age of Mediocrity. (North Carolina: McFarland, 1998).
“Married-Couple and Unmarried Partner Households: 2000.” Census 2000 Special Reports, U.S. Census
Bureau, 2000, http://www.census.gove/prod/2003pubs/censr-5.pdf.
14
Gary J. Gates, “Same-Sex Couples and the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual Population: New Estimates from the
American Community Survey, The Williams Institute, UC Los Angeles, October 2006,
http://escholarship.org/uc/item/8h08t0zf
15
Gary J. Gates, “New Census Bureau Data Show Annual Increases in Same-Sex Couples Outpacing Population
Growth.” The Williams Institute UC Los Angeles, 4 October, 2010,
http://www.law.ucla.edu/williamsinstitute/pdf/ACS2009presser.pdf.
13
4
LGBTQ Children’s Books
three surveys between 2003 and 2010; over time these surveys reveal a 10% increase in the
number of respondents who consider same-sex couples with children as a family.16
Families with same-sex parents are members of every community. The lack of materials
available in a public library which reflect their family make-up indicate that despite the
demographics, LGBTQ individuals and families continue to be marginalized. Marginalization is
a key factor in the identification of groups to be included under the umbrella of multiculturalism.
What are the recommendations by the profession regarding multiculturalism in collection
development?
Hazel Rochman, a leading advocate of multiculturalism for children, writes of
the power of multicultural literature in a child’s worldview:
Books can make a difference in dispelling prejudice and building community; not with
role models and literal recipes, not with noble messages about the human family, but
with enthralling stories that make us imagine the lives of others. A good story lets you
know people as individuals in all their particularity and conflict; and once you see someone
as a person – flawed, complex, striving – then you’ve reached beyond stereotype.17
The ALA embraces diversity through many committees and book awards, as well as a
further interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights.
Intellectual freedom, the essence of equitable library services, provides for free access
to all expressions of ideas through which any and all sides of a question, cause, or
movement may be explored. Toleration is meaningless without tolerance for what
some may consider detestable. Librarians cannot justly permit their own preferences
to limit their degree of tolerance in collection development, because freedom is
16
David Crary. “Who’s a Family? New Study Tracks Shifting US Views.” Yahoo! News, September 15, 2010,
accessed October 10, 2010, http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100915/ap_on_re_us/us_who_s_a_family.
17
Hazel Rochman, Against Borders: Promoting Books for a Multicultural World (Chicago: American Library
Association, 1993), 19.
5
LGBTQ Children’s Books
indivisible.18
The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered Round Table (GLBTRT) of the ALA
specifically states that one of its main responsibilities is to “promote the improved quality,
quantity, and accessibility of library materials and service of particular interest or usefulness to
lesbian, bisexual, gay, and transgendered people of all ages.”19 The profession of librarianship
values multiculturalism and includes LGBTQ issues within that realm.
If multiculturalism is highly valued by the profession, then it would seem likely that all
aspects of a multicultural view would be represented in the collection development materials
used to educate and inform librarians. This however, is not the case. Children’s literature
textbooks routinely call for inclusion of ethnic and multicultural diversity yet make little or no
mention20 of same-sex families. Tomlinson & Lynch-Brown state that “it is important for
children to see families other than the typical mother, father, and two children portrayed
positively in books,” yet no mention of same-sex parents were included in the examples given.21
Though Daddy’s Roommate by Michael Willhoite was listed under picture storybooks, it was not
referenced in the section entitled nontraditional families.22 Lukens does address the topic in her
text A Critical Handbook of Children’s Literature, using the same title:
18
American Library Association. “Diversity in Collection Development: An Interpretation of the Library Bill of
Rights,” adopted July 14, 1982, by the ALA Council; amended Jan. 10, 1990, July 2, 2008, accessed October 10,
2010,
http://www.ala.org/Template.cfm?Section=interpretations&Template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm
&ContentID=8530
19
American Library Association. “Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered Round Table”, accessed October 10,
2010, http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/rts/glbtrt/index.cfm
20
Donna E. Norton, Through the Eyes of a Child: An Introduction to Children's Literature 7th ed. (Upper Saddle
River, New Jersey: Merrill Prentice Hall, 2007); Phyllis Van Orden and Sunny Strong, “Childrens Books: Practical
Guide to Selection (New York: Neal-Shuman, 2007); Doris Gebel, Crossing Boundaries with Children’s Books
(Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press, 2006); Donna L. Gilton, Multicultural and Ethnic Children’s Literature.
21
Carl M. Tomlinson and Carol Lynch-Brown, Essentials of Children’s Literature, 6th ed. (Boston: Allyn and Bacon,
2008): 138.
22
Michael Willhoite, Daddy’s Roommate (Los Angeles: Alyson, 2008).
6
LGBTQ Children’s Books
Daddy’s Roommate is a matter-of-fact picture of gay family life in which Daddy’s friend
comes to live with him. The speaker is a boy who tells us that Daddy and his friend
work, and eat, and shave, and fight and make up, and sleep together. They also read
to him, catch bugs, play ball…the boy is happy, and that is that.23
It is, however, the only title mentioned and the only reference given. Understanding Diversity
Through Novels and Picture Books by Knowles and Smith is the exception to the rule, listing a
total of nine picture books which include gay or lesbian family members.24
Jill M. Hermann-Wilmarth speaks out for the need to train teachers on the importance of
including gay and lesbian books in the classroom.25 Even with previous calls for including gay
and lesbian issues in teacher education, the topic is very rarely addressed in professional texts.26
I am frustrated that few university professors find time in their curriculum to integrate
the topics of homophobia and heterosexism into their classroom discussions of other
“isms,” like racism and sexism.27
Patricia Austin reports on her study of inclusion of LGBTQ-themed titles in children’s
literature textbooks.28 Thirty-three texts are examined not only for inclusion of overt and covert
terms in tables of contents and indexes, but also using content and comparative analysis. Several
editions of the same textbook are also compared for any changes. “Twenty-four percent of the
23
Rebecca J. Lukens, A Critical Handbook of Children’s Literature, 8th ed. (Boston: Pearson, 2007): 55.
Elizabeth Knowles and Martha Smith, Understanding Diversity.
25
Jill M. Hermann-Wilmarth, “Full Inclusion: Understanding the Role of Gay and Lesbian Texts and Films in
Teacher Education Classrooms,” Language Arts 84, no. 4 (2007): 347-56.
26
John Warren Stewig, “Self-Censorship of Picture Books about Gay and Lesbian Families,” in D.R. Walling, ed.,
Open Lives, Safe Schools (Bloomington, IN, 1996); Linda L. Lamme and Laurel A. Lamme, “Welcoming Children
from Gay Families into Our Schools,” Educational Leadership 59, no.4, (2002): 65-9; Alvin Schrader and Kristopher
Wells, Challenging Silence, Challenging Censorship: Inclusive Resources, Strategies and Policy Directives for
Addressing Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian, Trans-Identified and Two-Spirited Realities in School and Public Libraries
(Ottawa, ON: Canadian Teacher’s Federation, 2007).
27
Jill M. Hermann-Wilmarth, “Full Inclusion,” 348.
28
Patricia Austin, April Bedford, and Barbara Ward, “Presenting Gay-Themed Literature: A Content Analysis of
Textbooks Used to Instruct Pre-Service and In-Service Teachers, (Unpublished manuscript, February 13, 2010).
24
7
LGBTQ Children’s Books
texts contain no mention of homosexuality whatsoever.”29 When content is included, the way in
which it is introduced is of particular interest.
The most likely places where LGBT literature was discussed or mentioned were in
sections on contemporary realistic fiction (52%), censorship and controversial books
(48%), diversity (42%), and sex, sexuality, and gender (41%).30
It is worth noting that when LGBTQ content is included in children’s literature textbooks, it is
most frequently introduced in light of the problems that it may cause for the teacher or librarian.
In addition to books specific to children’s literature, textbooks used in collection
development classes specifically for librarians rarely raise the topic. In Fundamentals of
Collection Development and Management, Johnson does define diverse collections as those
which “address and respond to the needs and interests of an increasingly diverse society,
including individuals with disabilities; single parent and other nontraditional families; gay,
lesbian, bisexual, and transgender individual.”31 Evans discusses censorship and self-censorship,
but the only mention of gay themes is a Wisconsin school district’s banning of four young adult
books.32 If the literature is not included in the textbooks used to train librarians, it is no surprise
that these titles are not on the shelves of public libraries.
Public librarians were not always expected to have a responsibility to develop and
maintain a well-rounded, diverse collection. Until well into the 20th century, librarians were
more often gatekeepers, charged to provide moral guidance. Current discussions of censorship
often revolve around outside censors questioning the libraries collection, but considered more
29
Austin, Bedford, and Ward, “Presenting Gay-Themed Children’s Literature,” 8.
Austin, Bedford, and Ward, “Presenting Gay-Themed Children’s Literature,” 10.
31
Peggy Johnson, Fundamentals of Collection Development and Management, 2nd ed. (Chicago: American
Library Association, 2009): 129.
32
G. Edward Evans and Margaret Z. Saponaro, Developing Library Collections (Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited,
2005): 418.
30
8
LGBTQ Children’s Books
egregious is the self-censorship practiced by authors,33 publishers,34 reviewers,35 and librarians
themselves.36
An article by Debra Lau Whelan in the February 2009 issue of School Library Journal
was an impassioned plea for children’s librarians to recognize the problem and even the
prevalence of self-censorship.37 Controversial books are not getting to children because
librarians are not buying them. The Newbery winner for 2008 was not purchased for many
public and school library collections because the book includes the word “scrotum.” Selfcensorship is the embodiment of librarian as gate keeper, preventing children from having access
to ideas which may cause the adult professional personal discomfort.
Once these picture books are purchased for the children’s collection of a public library,
are they accessible? A common strategy to find books in the library catalog is to employ a
subject search. In the past, Library of Congress subject headings have included judgmental and
offensive descriptions such as Yellow Peril, Jewish Question and Mammies.38
The term
Homosexuality first appeared in 1946; before then, the Library of Congress used the main
33
Nancy Garden, “Lesbian and Gay Kids’ Books Under Fire,” Lambda Book Report 8 (1994): 9-11.
Michael Thomas Ford, “Gay Books For Young Readers: When Caution Calls the Shots,” Publishers Weekly 241
(1994): 24-7; Nancy Garden, “Gay Fiction for Kids: Is Anyone Out There Publishing it?” Lambda Book Report 6
(1997): 25; Leslea Newman, “The More Things Change…: Heather Has Two Mommies Turns 20,” Publishers Weekly
256, no. 42 (2009): 58; Nathalie Op de Beeck, “Diversity Breeds Controversy: Meeting the Demand for Stories of
Gay/Lesbian Family Life is Not Easy, and Conservative Opposition Doesn’t Help,” Publishers Weekly 252, no. 17
(2005): 32-3.
35
Feiwel, Taylor, Caywood, Rochman, and Sutton. “Killing Books Softly;” James H. Sweetland and Peter G.
Christensen, “Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Titles: Their Treatment in the Review Media and Their Selection by
Libraries,” Collection Building 14, no. 2 (1995): 32-41.
36
Mark I. West, Trust Your Children: Voices Against Censorship in Children’s Literature (New York: NealSchuman, 1988); Debra Lau Whelan, “Little Secret: Self-Censorship is Rampant and Lethal,” School Library Journal
55, no. 2 (2009): 27-30; L. Woods and Claudia Perry-Holmes, “Libraries Practice Prior Censorship to Avoid ‘The Flak
if We Had the Joy of Sex Here,’” Library Journal, (September 15, 1982): 1711-15; Celeste West, “The Secret Garden
of Censorship: Ourselves,” Library Journal, (September 1, 1983): 1651-1653.
37
Debra Lau Whelan, “Little Secret.”
38
Sanford Berman, Prejudices and Antipathies: A Tract on the Subject Heads Concerning People (Jefferson, NC:
McFarland, 1993).
34
9
LGBTQ Children’s Books
heading of Sexual Perversion for gay and/or lesbian content.39 Carrie McClary and Vivian
Howard published a study looking at the subject headings for LGBT young adult (YA) and adult
fiction in five urban Canadian public libraries, finding that 55% of the YA titles searched had
been assigned an overt, unambiguous subject heading. They also found that YA titles were most
often assigned the general subject heading of Homosexuality, whereas adult titles received
subject headings that were more specific (Lesbians, Gay Men).40 The authors speculated that
perhaps the trend toward social tagging might help to increase the search terms by which patrons
might find these titles.
Yet subject headings are not the only barrier to access. Do the titles reside on shelves
within the children’s department? Are these shelves accessible to the children for whom they are
intended? Moody discusses some of the ways in which libraries attempt to avoid the charge of
censorship by keeping the book in question but limiting the chances that a child might actually
find it. Common practices include shelving the book in nonfiction, parenting collections, and in
the librarian’s office.41 This question of whether subject headings reflect the gay and lesbian
characters in a book and whether these books are then accessible to the intended audience are
valid questions in a discussion of the possibilities of self-censorship.
Beyond the public library’s mission to serve the “needs, interests, and abilities of all
persons in the community the library serves,”42 there is also the reality that bullying in schools
continues to be a significant problem. Statistics reveal that nearly three-quarters of LGBTQ high
39
Carrie McClary and Vivian Howard. “From “Homosexuality” to “Transvestites”: An Analysis of Subject
Headings Assigned to Works of GLBT Fiction in Canadian Public Libraries, Canadian Journal of Information and
Library Science, 31, no. 2 (2007): 150-62.
40
McClary and Howard, “From Homosexuality” to “Transvestites,” 153.
41
Kim Moody, “Covert Censorship in Libraries: A Discussion Paper,” Australian Library Journal, 54, no. 2, (May
2005): 138-47.
42
American Library Association, “Diversity in Collection Development.”
10
LGBTQ Children’s Books
school students hear anti-gay comments frequently.43 The 2007 National School Climate Survey
found that nearly 9 out of 10 GLBT high school students are harassed; nearly a third of these
students skipped a day of school in the past month because they felt unsafe.44 Several state and
national studies have found that gay, lesbian, and bisexual teens are more likely to seriously
consider and attempt suicide than heterosexual teens45 and discrimination is seen as the culprit.46
Children of LGBTQ parents are similarly at risk as a 2001 study reports that straight students
with same-sex parents experience the same amount of harassment as LGBTQ students.47
If these statistics indicate a need to address the homophobic conditions which plague
LGBTQ children and children of LGBTQ families, many maintain that children from more
traditional families would also benefit from books with LGBTQ characters. Linda Pickett, as the
chair of The Association for Childhood Education International Diversity Committee, addresses
this by stating that “to create real peace, which can only be possible in a world with human
rights and social justice as basic values, as Gandhi said, ‘we shall have to begin with the
children.’”48
43
Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG), “Learn the Facts,”
http://community.pflag.org/Page.aspx?pid=1016
44
Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN),“2007 National School Climate Survey: Nearly 9 out of
10 LGBT Students Harassed,” accessed October 2009. http://www.glsen.org/egibin/iowa/all/library/record/2340.html?state=research&type=research
45
Anne H. Faulkner and Kevin Cranston, “Correlates of Same-Sex Sexual Behavior in a Random Sample of
Massachusetts High School Students,” American Journal of Public Health, 88 (1998): 262-66.
46
Vickie M. Mays and Susan D. Cochran, “Mental Health Correlates of Perceived Discrimination Among Lesbian,
Gay, and Bisexual Adults in the United States,” American Journal of Public Health, 91, no. 11 (2001): 1869-76.
47
Tonja R. Namsel, Mary Overpeck, Ramani S. Pilla, W. June Ruan, Bruce Simons-Morton, and Peter Scheidt,
“Bullying Behaviors among U.S. Youth: Prevalence and Association with Psychological Adjustment,” Journal of the
American Medical Association, 16 (2001): 2094-2100.
48
Linda Pickett, “We Shall Have to Begin with the Children,” Childhood Education, 85, no. 2 (2009): 106.
11
LGBTQ Children’s Books
Introduction of gay-themed literature in the classroom has shown that children are
capable of, and interested in, discussion of gay and lesbian families.49 Janine Schall and Gloria
Kauffman report that following the reading of several different picture books with lesbian and
gay characters, the children “wondered why they didn’t have access to books that explained life,
relationships, and family.”50 As John Warren Stewig states, “seeing such diversity in books can
only help all children more accurately understand the variety of life today.”51 Joyce Herbeck
specifically calls for an early beginning to this diversity in books, as “knowledge of alternative
lifestyles needs to begin early and to continue into adolescence in order to help children accept
and understand their peers and their families”52
This study seeks to answer the question – are Pennsylvania public libraries including
picture books with LGBTQ characters in their children’s collections? If the answer is yes, then
the next question – are these picture books with LGBTQ characters accessible to patrons – is
vital. Collections without accessibility are often considered an overt act of self-censorship; the
purchase yet subsequent attempt to restrict or prevent access.53 An online search is made of
Pennsylvania public library catalogs for a select list of picture book titles with LGBTQ
characters. Once ownership is established, the record is searched for subject headings and
shelving information. The online record is the entrée for both the patron and the researcher to a
library’s collection.
49
Janine Schall and Gloria Kaufmann, “Exploring Literature with Gay and Lesbian Characters in the Elementary
School,” Journal of Children’s Literature, 29, no. 1 (2003): 36-45.
50
Schall and Kauffmann, “Exploring Literature,” 41.
51
John Warren Stewig, “Self-Censorship of Picture Books,” 79.
52
Joyce Herbeck, “Creating a Safe Learning Environment: Books for Young People About Homosexuality,” Book
Links, 14, no. 3 (2005): 30.
53
Christine M. Allen, “Are We Selecting? Or Are We Censoring?” Young Adult Library Services, 5, no. 3 (2007): 5;
Kim Moody, “Covert Censorship in Libraries.”
12
LGBTQ Children’s Books
A list of picture books with LGBTQ characters was compiled. The initial list of 61 titles
met the following criteria:

“A fiction or nonfiction title with illustrations occupying as much or more space than the
text and with text, vocabulary, or concepts suitable for preschool through grade two.”54

Include gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgendered characters

Originally published or reprinted between the years of 2003-2009.
Publication date ranges are established in order to minimize the risk of deselection by the
libraries because of age or condition, as well as to minimize the risk of a very recent title not
being included due to insufficient time for purchasing.
Once this list of sixty-one titles is created, every effort is made to search for sources
which review or recommend LGBTQ books for children. Library collection textbooks, children’s
literature textbooks, recommended or “best of” children’s literature books and LGBTQ-specific
books, journal articles, and websites are searched for these 61 titles. The 14 most frequently
referenced of these are chosen for the study; the number fourteen is chosen at random between
the numbers of 10 and 20. Appendix A is the full list of original 61 titles.
The 14 titles used in the study are as follows:
Table 1. Picture books with LGBTQ characters selected for study
Publication
Date
Author
Title
Brannen, Sarah
Uncle Bobby’s Wedding
2008
De Haahn, Linda
King & King
2004
Ewert, Marc
10,000 Dresses
2008
Fierstein, Harvey
The Sissy Duckling
2009
54
Carolyn W. Lima & John A. Lima, A to Zoo: Subject Access to Children’s Picture Books. 7th ed. (Westport, CT:
Libraries Unlimited, 2006).
13
LGBTQ Children’s Books
Garden, Nancy
Molly’s Family
2004
Gonzales, Rigoberto
Antonio’s Card
2005
Newman, Leslea
Felicia’s Favorite Story
2008
Newman, Leslea
Heather Has Two Mommies
2008
Newman, Leslea
Daddy, Papa, and Me
2009
Newman, Leslea
Mommy, Mama, and Me
2009
Parr, Todd
The Family Book
2003
Polacco, Patricia
In Our Mothers’ House
2009
Richardson, Justin
And Tango Makes Three
2005
Willhoite, Michael
Daddy’s Roommate
2008
Three hundred and fourteen Pennsylvania public libraries are randomly selected from a
list of all public libraries in Pennsylvania and their online catalog records are examined in March
of 2010 for the following information:

Is the title listed in the catalog? Are there multiple holdings?

Are subject descriptors overt and unambiguous? Do subject descriptors include the
subheading of Juvenile?

Does the holding information indicate that the book is shelved with other picture books?
The first question to be addressed - is the title listed in the catalog? The research of
Alex Spence reports on the holdings for large library systems in the United States, Canada,
Australia and Britain.55 Vivian Howard’s research in 2005 focuses on the holdings of public
libraries in Canada.56 The current study zeroes in on a local concern – the current state of
Pennsylvania’s public library collections. Of the 314 Pennsylvania public library online catalogs
55
56
Spence, “Controversial Books.”
Howard, “Out of the Closet.”
14
LGBTQ Children’s Books
searched, 41% do not include any of the fourteen titles. 78% of the libraries own 0-2 of the
fourteen titles. None of the libraries own every title. 26 of the 314 libraries, 8%, owned 10-13
titles.
Fig. 1 Number of titles owned by libraries
With a sample size of half of the public libraries in Pennsylvania, it is disconcerting to
find that 41% of the libraries own not one of the fourteen titles. One of the titles is by a
mainstream author, Patricia Polacco.57 It might be argued that with some library’s use of
Standing Order Plans of popular authors, that Patricia Polacco’s inclusion in the top four most
frequently found titles may have less to do with purchasing the title because of the content and
characters than inattention on the part of the purchasing librarian. Upon revisiting the data,
however, it is revealed that of the 74 libraries which are found to own only one of the 14 titles,
only 10 of them include Patricia Polacco’s book as that one title.
57
Polacco. In Our Mothers’ House.
15
LGBTQ Children’s Books
It is not surprising to find that the title most frequently found in the online catalog
searches, And Tango Makes Three,58 has been featured in mainstream media sources. Reviews
are found in all major review sources, including Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, Booklist,
School Library Journal, and New York Times Book Review. Articles regarding challenges of the
book are covered by papers across the country as well as USA Today and American Libraries. It
is surprising, however, to find that 210 of 314 public libraries do not have this title in their
collections. If librarians are actively seeking reviews of new titles it is difficult to understand
how this book is missed by nearly 67% of the libraries in the study. If, however, the press
coverage is not missed but becomes the reason for not purchasing the book, then self-censorship
is alive and well.
The next most frequently found titles are as follows: The Sissy Duckling by Harvey
Fierstein; The Family Book, by Todd Parr; and In Our Mother’s House by Patricia Polacco. For
a brief summary by the publishers of the fourteen books and a photo of the cover art, please see
the Selected Picture Books Annotated Bibliography.
Table 2. Number of libraries which own at least one copy of title
58
Title
Author
And Tango Makes Three
The Sissy Duckling
The Family Book
In Our Mother's House
Molly's Family
Heather Has Two Mommies
King & King
Daddy, Papa, and Me
Mommy, Mama, and Me
Daddy’s Roommate
Uncle Bobby’s Wedding
Justin Richardson
Harvey Fierstein
Todd Parr
Patricia Polacco
Nancy Garden
Leslea Newman
Linda deHaahn
Leslea Newman
Leslea Newman
Michael Willhoite
Sarah Brannen
# Libraries
104
71
71
58
35
29
28
24
22
21
16
Richardson and Parnell. And Tango Makes Three.
16
LGBTQ Children’s Books
Antonio’s Card
10,000 Dresses
Felicia’s Favorite Story
Rigoberto Gonzales
Marc Ewert
Leslie Newman
9
7
3
If the title is listed in the catalog, does the library own multiple copies? Some larger library
systems purchased multiple copies of several titles. The only titles which did not have a
duplicate copy purchased by any library are10,000 Dresses by Marc Ewert and Felicia’s
Favorite Story by Leslea Newman.59 Appendix B charts the difference between single holdings
and multiple holdings across libraries.
The next elements investigated in the catalog records for each of the fourteen titles are
the subject headings. Library of Congress subject headings are in a constant state of revision.
Not as quickly as needed, many would argue, but changes are made to more accurately reflect
the changing cultural landscape.60 If books for young children with LGBTQ characters are to be
found in an online catalog, subject headings which are overtly LGBTQ need to be employed.
Searching WorldCat for these titles provided a list of overt subject headings, including the
subheading of juvenile fiction, which would be expected to be copied and pasted along with the
rest of the record by many of the libraries’ catalogers. This list is as follows:
Table 3. Library of Congress overt LGBTQ subject headings
Children of gay parents - Juvenile fiction
Gay fathers - Juvenile fiction
Gay parents - Juvenile fiction
Homosexuality - Juvenile fiction
Lesbian mothers - Juvenile fiction
Lesbians - Juvenile fiction
Sex role - Juvenile fiction
59
Marc Ewert, 10,000 Dresses, (New York: Seven Stories, 2008) ; Leslea Newman, Felicia’s Favorite Story, (Ridley
Park, PA: Two Lives, 2008).
60
Sanford Berman, Prejudices and Antipathies.
17
LGBTQ Children’s Books
Transgender people - Juvenile fiction
Four hundred and ninety-seven copies of the 14 titles are found in the library catalog
searches. Each online catalog record is examined for subject heading classification, logging
overt LGBTQ subject headings and whether they include adult and/or juvenile subheadings. A
chart of the subject heading search results may be found as Appendix C. Nearly 86% of the 497
copies are cataloged using overt main subject headings. It must be noted that WorldCat does not
include an overt subject heading in the record for one of the titles, The Family Book by Todd
Parr.61 Though the book includes the phrase “some families have 2 moms or two dads” with
accompanying illustrations, the subject headings listed in WorldCat for The Family Book are
Families – Juvenile Fiction and Individuality – Juvenile Fiction. 62 If the copies of The Family
Book are removed from this list, all remaining copies of the other 13 titles reveal that nearly 97%
of the records list overt subject headings. This use of overt subject headings is a necessity if
patrons are to have access to the books; it is encouraging to see that so many records are listing
overt main subject headings.
There is a disservice to patrons, however, in that only 57% of the 497 copies included the
subheading of Juvenile. It is not clear as to why the Juvenile subheading is not being included in
the cutting and pasting of records, as these books are intended for a juvenile audience. The
non-inclusion of the subheading of Juvenile fiction is a restriction to access. Parents or teachers
searching for books for young children must search through all adult books in their attempt to
find a relevant title.
61
62
Todd Parr, The Family Book. New York: Little, Brown (2003).
Parr, The Family Book, 15.
18
LGBTQ Children’s Books
The holding information in the online records provides a general area where a title may
be found. Picture books, commonly cataloged and listed as Picture Books or Easy, are housed
within the children’s department of a public library and are routinely accessible to young
children. A parent or teacher looking for picture books for young children would anticipate
finding them grouped together. Over 86% of the copies had holding information that indicates
the books are shelved with other picture books.
As discussed earlier, owning the books is only one piece of the accessibility issue. Are
there reasons why picture books written for young children with LGBTQ characters would not
be shelved with all of the rest of the picture books written for young children? The next most
common shelving choice after the correct designation of picture books is juvenile nonfiction. It
might be expected that of the fourteen titles in the study, the title most often shelved as juvenile
nonfiction would be And Tango Makes Three.63 Though it is based on a true story, the authors,
publisher, and WorldCat categorize this book as e (easy) under Dewey classification - a picture
book for ages 4-8. Four libraries shelved And Tango Makes Three as juvenile nonfiction; six
libraries shelved Heather Has Two Mommies as juvenile nonfiction.64 Continuing to be one of
the most challenged books since its publication, Heather Has Two Mommies celebrated its 20th
anniversary in 2009 with a special edition proudly recognizing it as one of the first books written
which included LGBTQ characters. Heather Has Two Mommies is a picture book for young
children, categorized as easy. It is not juvenile nonfiction and should not be shelved as such.
Other alternative shelving choices include a parent and/or teacher resources section and
juvenile fiction. None of the titles categorized as parent and/or teacher resources were written
explicitly for the purpose of instruction – if these titles are included, then so should all other
63
64
Richardson and Parnell, And Tango Makes Three.
Leslea Newman, Heather Has Two Mommies: 20th Anniversary Edition, 3rd ed. (Los Angeles: Alyson, 2008).
19
LGBTQ Children’s Books
books written for young children. Juvenile fiction is not easy – it is not intended for young
children but for primary to middle grade readers.
Seventeen copies, 3.4%, include the following listings: reference; professional
collection; home school collection; paperback archives; juvenile issues: sexuality and
homosexuality; children’s oversize; advanced picture books; coping. The remaining 1% had no
holdings information listed – it can only be assumed that these titles are unavailable. In the
libraries which listed books as reference or professional, neither indicated ownership of duplicate
copies. Unless a library owns two or more copies of a title, it is questionable for a picture book
with LGBTQ characters to reside on a reference shelf or in the professional collection of the
librarian. The holding information used by one library, Paperback archives, initially appeared to
be of concern. Upon revisiting the data however, the online records indicate that the library
owns duplicate copies of both titles.
The placement of a picture book with LGBTQ characters in an issues or coping section
would seem to imply that there is something wrong with families that include people who are
LBTQ. Some libraries which shelve these titles in an issues or coping section also affix the
books with labels. Searching online in the spring of 2005, Dr. Carrie Gardner finds that 11
Pennsylvania public libraries own copies of King & King by Linda De Haan.65 Dr. Gardner,
currently an assistant professor at Clarion University, is interested to see that the holding
information indicates that 5 of the 11 copies are shelved in a section other than the children’s
department. Seeking to discover the placement of these books, she visits each of the public
libraries which Access PA, the union catalog for the state of Pennsylvania, indicates as
possessing a copy of the book in their collection. One of the libraries lists King & King as
65
Carrie Gardner, telephone conversation, December 7, 2010; De Haan, King & King.
20
LGBTQ Children’s Books
residing in a family problems section; upon finding the book on a shelf outside of the children’s
department, Dr. Gardner discovers that the book features a label on the spine - a broken heart.
The message to the patron, adult or child, upon finding this book on the shelf is very clear –
something is very wrong with the people in the story.
Perhaps the section of the children’s section which includes information on sexuality
would be appropriate for picture books with LGBTQ characters? None of the fourteen titles,
however, include information on sexuality, either heterosexual or homosexual. These books do
not describe or mention sex to their intended audience. Advanced picture books? Again, these
titles are written for younger children. Oversized? Their size is not of any unusual shape for
normal picture book shelving. Each of these fourteen titles were published or re-released
between the years of 2003-2009. Housing picture books with LGBTQ characters anywhere other
than with other picture books is a barrier to access. The books are included in the collection, but
the holding information implies that they are in a location which does not allow a child to
“happen upon” the books while browsing.
Future studies may wish to re-examine the assumption that larger libraries purchase more
LGBTQ picture books than smaller libraries. Whether due to increased budgets, urban culture,
or some other variable, it has yet to be fully answered. Online catalog searches of other
geographical regions, within the United States and abroad, would also provide more information
regarding the inclusion of these books. Also indicated is further study of the Dewey decimal
classifications assigned to the copies of LGBTQ picture books with holding information listed as
nonfiction. Dr. Carrie Gardner’s experience of finding King & King with a spine label
portraying a broken heart in a family problems section calls for further study.66 The current
66
Carrie Gardner, telephone conversation.
21
LGBTQ Children’s Books
study noted that nonfiction holding information was listed, but did not address the Dewey
decimal classifications.
Are Pennsylvania public libraries including picture books with LGBTQ characters in
their children’s collections? Some are – 59% own at least one of the titles. There is no magic
number of titles owned by a library which can determine a balanced collection or
self-censorship. The results of this study, however, indicate that there is much room for
improvement.
The announcement of an LGBTQ youth literature award to the ALA Youth Media
Awards is an exciting step forward. The Stonewall Children’s and Young Adult Literature
Award, an annual award for works written “for children and teens of exceptional merit relating to
the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered experience” has already brought increased media
attention to the question of LGBTQ books for young children.67 Three of the fourteen titles used
in this study, 10,000 Dresses by Marc Ewert, Daddy, Papa and Me, and Mommy, Mama and Me by
Leslea Newman were chosen as Honor Books for the first Stonewall Children’s and Young Adult
Literature Award in 2010.68 The current president of ALA, Roberta Stevens, states the following:
Children’s books regarding the GLBT experience are critical tools in teaching tolerance,
acceptance, and the importance of diversity. Our nation is one of diverse cultures and
lifestyles and it is important for parents, educators and librarians to have access to quality
67
Macey Morales, “ALA Adds GLBT Youth Literature Award to Prestigious Youth Media Award Announcement,”
American Libraries, November 1, 2010, accessed November 11, 2010,
http://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/news/ala/ala-adds-glbt-youth-literature-award-prestigious-youth-mediaaward-announcements; Macey Morales, “GLBT Youth Award Captures Media Interest,” American Libraries,
November 9, 2010, accessed November 12, 2010, http://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/news/ala/glbt-youthliterature-award-captures-media-interest
68
American Library Association, “Stonewall Book Awards for 2010 Announced,” News release, January 19, 2010.
22
LGBTQ Children’s Books
children’s books that represent a spectrum of cultures.69
Demographics reflect our changing culture and an increasingly inclusive definition of
multiculturalism. As communities evolve, public library collections are being called to lead the
way for LGBTQ-inclusive literature for all ages.
69
Roberta Stevens, in Macey Morales, ““ALA Adds GLBT Youth Literature Award to Prestigious Youth Media
Award Announcement,” American Libraries November 1, 2010, accessed November 11, 2010,
http://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/news/ala/ala-adds-glbt-youth-literature-award-prestigious-youth-mediaaward-announcements
23
LGBTQ Children’s Books
Appendix A
Initial List of 61 LGBTQ Titles for Young Children
Author
Aldrich, Andrew R.
Benjamin, Judith
Brannen, Sarah S.
Bridges, S. Y.
Brown, Marc
Bryan, Jennifer
Burks, Stephanie
Carter, Vanda
Combs, Bobbie
Combs, Bobbie
Considine, Kaitlyn Taylor
de Haan, Linda.
de Haan, Linda.
Edmonds, Barbara Lynn
Edmonds, Barbara Lynn
Elwin, Rosamund
Ewert, Marcus
Fierstein, Harvey
Fox-Keem Kyme
Garden, Nancy
Godon, Ingrid
Gonzalez, R.
Gordon, Sol
Gregg, Jennifer C.
Heron, Ann
Hoffman, Eric
Jopling, Heather
Jopling, Heather
Jopling, Heather
Judes, M.
Kay, Verla
Kennedy, Joseph
Krakow, Kari
Kuklin, Susan
Meyers, Susan
Title
How My Family Came to Be: Daddy, Papa and Me
And Baby Makes 4
Uncle Bobby's Wedding
Ruby's Wish
Postcards from Buster: Buster's Sugartime
The Different Dragon
While You Were Sleeping
If I Had 100 Mummies
123 A Family Counting Book
ABC A Family Alphabet Book
Emma and Meesha My Boy
King & King
King & King & Family
Mama Eat Ant! Yuk!
When Grown-Ups Fall in Love
Asha's Mum's
10,000 Dresses
The Sissy Duckling
What Are Parents?
Molly's Family
Hello, Sailor
Antonio's Card
All Families Are Different
Flying Free
How Would You Feel If Your Dad Was Gay?
Best Best Colors
Monicka's Papa is Tall
Ryan's Mom is Tall
The Not-So-Only-Child
Max, The Stubborn Little Wolf
Rough, Tough Charley
Lucy Goes to the Country
The Harvey Milk Story
Families
Everywhere Babies
24
LGBTQ Children’s Books
Miller, J. Phillip
Newman, Leslea
Newman, Leslea
Newman, Leslea
Newman, Leslea
Newman, Leslea
Newman, Leslea
Okimoto, Jean Davies
Parr, Todd
Parr, Todd
Parr, Todd
Parr, Todd
Parr, Todd
Polacco, Patricia
Richardson, Justin
Setterington, Ken
Simon, Norma
Skutch, Robert
Snow, Judith E.
Tompkins, Crystal
U'Ren, Andre
Valentine, Johnny
Valentine, Johnny
Walter-Goodspeed, D.D.
Wilhoite, Michael
Wilhoite, Michael
We All Sing With the Same Voice
Felicia's Favorite Story
Heather Has Two Mommies
Mommy, Mama, and Me
Daddy, Papa, and Me
The Boy Who Cried Fabulous
A Fire Engine for Ruthie
White Swan Express: A Story...Adoption
We Belong Together: A…Adoption and Families
It's Okay to Be Different
The Family Book
The Mommy Book
The Daddy Book
In Our Mothers' House
And Tango Makes Three
Mom and Mum Are Getting Married
All Families Are Special
Who's In a Family
How It Feels to Have a Gay or Lesbian Parent…
Oh the Things Mommies Do!: What…Two?
Pugdog
One Dad, Two Dads, Brown Dad, Blue Dads
The Daddy Machine
At My House What Makes a Family is Love
Daddy's Roommate
Daddy's Wedding
25
LGBTQ Children’s Books
Appendix B
Frequency of Ownership by Title: Single and Multiple Holdings
Title
And Tango Makes Three
The Sissy Duckling
The Family Book
In Our Mother's House
Molly's Family
Heather Has Two Mommies
King & King
Daddy, Papa, and Me
Mommy, Mama, and Me
Daddy's Roommate
Uncle Bobby's Wedding
Antonio's Card
10,000 Dresses
Felicia's Favorite Story
Single
Holdings
104
71
71
58
35
29
28
24
22
21
16
9
7
3
Title
And Tango Makes Three
The Family Book
The Sissy Duckling
In Our Mother's House
Molly's Family
Heather Has Two Mommies
King & King
Daddy, Papa, and Me
Mommy, Mama, and Me
Daddy's Roommate
Uncle Bobby's Wedding
10,000 Dresses
Antonio's Card
Felicia's Favorite Story
Including
Multiples
125
83
81
62
41
32
31
27
26
23
17
9
9
3
Appendix C
Subject Headings Listed in Online Records
Title
Uncle Bobby’s Wedding
King & King
10,000 Dresses
Sissy Duckling
Molly’s Family
Antonio’s Card
Felicia’s Favorite Story
Heather Has Two Mommies
Daddy, Papa, And Me
Mommy, Mama, and Me
The Family Book
In Our Mothers’ House
And Tango Makes Three
Daddy’s Roommate
Totals
# Copies
16
28
7
71
35
9
3
29
24
22
71
58
103
21
497
Overt Overt Juvenile
Adult
Yes
No
Subheading Subheading
16
0
13
4
28
0
14
14
7
0
6
4
67
4
35
30
35
0
28
7
9
0
6
3
3
0
2
1
29
0
18
11
23
1
21
6
21
1
18
8
14
57
14
0
57
0
37
27
97
5
60
46
20
1
11
13
426
69
283
174
26
LGBTQ Children’s Books
Appendix D
Titles’ Holding Information Listed in Online Records
# of
Title
titles
Uncle Bobby's Wedding
16
King & King
28
10,000 Dresses
7
Sissy Duckling
71
Molly's Family
35
Antonio's Card
9
Felicia's Favorite Story
3
Heather Has Two Mommies
29
Daddy, Papa and Me
24
Mommy, Mama and Me
22
The Family Book
71
In Our Mother's House
58
And Tango Makes Three
103
Daddy's Roommate
21
Totals 497
Easy Juvenile
15
0
20
0
5
0
69
0
27
1
9
0
2
0
14
1
23
0
21
0
65
0
51
7
95
1
13
3
429
13
Juvenile Parent/
Nonfiction Teacher Reference Other None Totals
1
0
0
0
0
16
2
3
0
2
1
28
0
1
0
1
0
7
0
1
0
1
0
71
1
2
0
4
0
35
0
0
0
0
0
9
0
0
0
1
0
3
6
5
2
1
0
29
0
0
0
0
1
24
0
0
0
1
0
22
0
0
0
3
3
71
0
0
0
0
0
58
4
3
0
0
0
103
3
1
1
0
0
21
17
16
3
14
5
497
27
LGBTQ Children’s Books
Selected LGBTQ Picture Books Annotated Bibliography
Brannen, Sarah. Uncle Bobby’s Wedding. New York: Putnam, 2008.
Chloë is jealous and sad when her favorite uncle announces that he will be getting
married, but as she gets to know Jamie better and becomes involved in planning the
wedding, she discovers that she will always be special to Uncle Bobby--and to Uncle
Jamie, too.
De Haan, Linda. King & King. Berkeley, CA: Tricycle, 2004.
When the queen insists that the prince get married and take over as king, the search for
a suitable mate does not turn out as expected.
Ewert, Marc. 10,000 Dresses. New York: Seven Stories, 2008.
Bailey longs to wear the beautiful dresses of her dreams but is ridiculed by her
unsympathetic family which rejects her true perception of herself.
28
LGBTQ Children’s Books
Fierstein, Harvey. The Sissy Duckling. 2nd ed. New York: Simon & Shuster, 2009.
Elmer the duck is teased because he is different, but he proves himself by not only
surviving the winter, but also saving his Papa.
Garden, Nancy. Molly’s Family. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2004.
While preparing decorations for Open School Night, Molly and several of her classmates
draw pictures of their families and discover that family means something different to
each of them.
Gonzales, Rigoberto. Antonio’s Card. San Francisco: Children’s Book Press, 2005.
With Mother's Day coming, Antonio finds he has to decide about what is important to
him when his classmates make fun of the unusual appearance of his mother's partner,
Leslie.
29
LGBTQ Children’s Books
Newman, Leslea. Felicia’s Favorite Story. Ridley Park, PA: Two Lives, 2008.
It's bedtime, but before Felicia goes to sleep she wants to hear her favorite story, the story
of how she was adopted by Mama Nessa and Mama Linda. And so Felicia's parents tell
her how they flew off in a big silver airplane to meet the baby girl who was waiting for
them, and how they loved her from the very first moment they saw her.
Newman, Leslea. Heather Has Two Mommies: 20th Anniversary Edition. 3rd ed. Los Angeles:
Alyson, 2008.
When Heather goes to playgroup, at first she feels bad because she has two mothers and
no father, but then she learns that there are lots of different kinds of families and the most
important thing is that all the people love each other.
Newman, Leslea. Daddy, Papa, and Me. Berkeley, CA: Tricycle, 2009.
A baby enjoys a number of fun activities with his two fathers.
30
LGBTQ Children’s Books
Newman, Leslea. Mommy, Mama, and Me. Berkeley, CA: Tricycle, 2009.
A baby enjoys a number of fun activities with her two mothers.
Parr, Todd. The Family Book. New York: Little, Brown, 2003.
Represents a variety of families, some big and some small, some with only one parent
and some with two moms or dads, some quiet and some noisy, but all alike in some ways
and special no matter what.
Polacco, Patricia. In Our Mothers’ House. New York: Philomel, 2009.
Three young children experience the joys and challenges of being raised by two mothers.
31
LGBTQ Children’s Books
Richardson, Justin and Peter Parnell. And Tango Makes Three. New York: Simon & Schuster,
2005.
At New York City's Central Park Zoo, two male penguins fall in love and start a family
by taking turns sitting on an abandoned egg until it hatches.
Willhoite, Michael. Daddy’s Roommate. 2nd ed. Los Angeles: Alyson, 2008.
A young boy discusses his divorced father's new living situation, in which the father and
his gay roommate share eating, doing chores, playing, loving, and living.
32
LGBTQ Children’s Books
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