International Children’s Book Day
- Mar 31, 2024
- 11 min read
International Children’s Book Day was started in 1967 around Hans Christian Anderson’s birthday to encourage a love of reading amongst children all over the world. This annual tradition is celebrated globally and is meant to highlight children’s books. Celebrate International Children’s Book Day on April 2, 2023 by selecting affirming books from the alphabetized list below that is categorized by grade levels. These selections and links on where to buy them are also listed in the Education Resources section of our website.
Kindergarten to Grade 4
“47,000 Beads” by Koja Adeyoha & Angel Adeyoha
Fiction Picture Book (Ages 6-8) • Theme: Indigenous
Peyton loves to dance, and especially at Pow Wow, but her Auntie notices that she’s been dancing less and less. When Peyton shares that she isn’t comfortable wearing a dress anymore, Auntie Eyota asks some friends for help to get Peyton what she needs.
“Families” by Kerry McCluskey & Jesse Unaapik Mike
Fiction Picture Book (Ages 6-8) • Theme: Indigenous
Talittuq is excited to start his first day of grade two. He is looking forward to the new school year, but as he meets his friends again for the first time after summer vacation, he notices that a lot of his friends’ families are very different from his own. Some have one mom and one dad, and some have only one mom. Some kids live with their grandparents. Some live with two dads or two moms. As Talittuq hears about all the fun his friends have had with their families, he learns that families come in many different shapes and sizes, and what holds them all together is love!
“It’s Okay to be a Unicorn” by Jason Tharp
Fiction Picture Book (Ages 3-6) • Theme: Gender
Cornelius J. Sparklesteed is known among all the other horses in Hoofington for his beautiful and creative handmade hats. But Cornelius is hiding a secret under his own tall, pointy hat: He’s really a unicorn. Hoofington is a friendly place, but its horses pass on lots of mean rumors about unicorns. When Cornelius is chosen to perform for this year’s Hoofapalooza, will he find the courage to show everyone his unicorniness? It’s Okay To Be A Unicorn! is an inspiring story about the rainbow magic of kindness.
“Love Makes a Family” by Sophie Beer
Fiction Picture Book (Ages 0-3) • Theme: Family
This book shows that it doesn’t matter what your family looks like, the only thing that makes a family a family is love! Each page showcases bright illustrations of diverse families doing special activities together, from baking a cake to finding a lost shoe. Your little one will love looking through the pages to see their own family reflected, and of course feel the love your family shares together.
“My Two Moms and Me” by Michael Joosten
Fiction Picture Book (Ages 0-3) • Theme: Family
This sweet board book features a diverse array of families with lesbian mothers going about their daily routines, including playdates, pool-dates, and bedtime reading. Published in 2019 with artwork by an acclaimed fashion illustrator, it’s a welcome follow-up to Heather Has Two Mommies. Don’t miss My Two Dads and Meby the same creators!
“Pink is for Boys” by Robb Pearlman
Fiction Picture Book (Ages 4-8) • Theme: Gender
Pink is for boys . . . and girls . . . and everyone! This timely and beautiful picture book rethinks and reframes the stereotypical blue/pink gender binary and empowers kids-and their grown-ups-to express themselves in every color of the rainbow. Featuring a diverse group of relatable characters, Pink Is for Boys invites and encourages girls and boys to enjoy what they love to do, whether it’s racing cars and playing baseball, or loving unicorns and dressing up. Vibrant illustrations help children learn and identify the myriad colors that surround them every day, from the orange of a popsicle, to the green of a grassy field, all the way up to the wonder of a multicolored rainbow. Parents and kids will delight in Robb Pearlman’s sweet, simple script, as well as its powerful message: life is not color-coded.
“Pride Puppy” by Robin Stevenson
Fiction Alphabet Book (Ages 3-5) • Theme: Pride and Pride Parades
A young child and their family are having a wonderful time together celebrating Pride Day—meeting up with Grandma, making new friends and eating ice cream. But then something terrible happens: their dog gets lost in the parade! Luckily, there are lots of people around to help reunite the pup with his family. This rhyming alphabet book tells a lively story, with rich, colorful illustrations that will have readers poring over every detail as they spot items starting with each of the letters of the alphabet. An affirming and inclusive book that offers a joyful glimpse of a Pride parade and the vibrant community that celebrates this day each year.
“Rainbow: A First Book of Pride” by Michael Genhart, PHD
Fiction Picture Book (Ages 2-5) • Theme: Pride Flag
A must-have primer for young readers and a great gift for pride events and throughout the year, beautiful colors all together make a rainbow in Rainbow: A First Book of Pride. This is a sweet ode to rainbow families, and an affirming display of a parent’s love for their child and a child’s love for their parents. With bright colors and joyful families, this book celebrates LGBTQ+ pride and reveals the colorful meaning behind each rainbow stripe. Readers will celebrate the life, healing, light, nature, harmony, and spirit that the rainbows in this book will bring.
“Sewing the Rainbow: The Story of Gilbert Baker and the Rainbow Flag” by Gayle E. Pitman
Fiction Picture Book (Ages 5-7) • Theme: Pride Flag
Follow the journey of a boy from a small Kansas town who made his gray life sparkle, unfurling a rainbow of color to galvanize the gay rights movement. Includes a Reader Note that provides more in-depth discussion of the beginnings of the gay rights movement and a more detailed look into Gilbert Baker’s place in our shared history.
“The Boy and the Bindi” by Vivek Shraya
Fiction Picture Book (Ages 4-8) • Theme: Gender
A five-year-old boy becomes fascinated with his mother’s bindi, the red dot commonly worn by South Asian women to indicate the point at which creation begins and wishes to have one of his own. Rather than chastise her son, she agrees to it, and teaches him about its cultural significance, allowing the boy to discover the magic of the bindi, which in turn gives him permission to be more fully himself.
“The GayBC’s” by M.L. Webb
Fiction Alphabet Book (Ages 3-8) • Theme: GSRD (2SLGBTQ+) Terms
This alphabet book features bright illustrations and an inclusive message about the beauty of embracing one’s truest self. A playdate extravaganza transforms into a celebration of friendship, love, and identity as 4 friends sashay out of all the closets, dress up in a wardrobe fit for kings and queens, and discover the wonder of imagination. From A is for Ally to F is for Family to Q is for Queer, debut author/illustrator M. L. Webb’s playful illustrations and lively, inclusive poems feature a glossary in the back which offers opportunity for further discussion of terms and identities. The GayBCs is perfect for fans of A Is for Activist and Feminist Baby—showing kids and adults alike that every identity is worthy of being celebrated.
“This Day in June” by Gayle E. Pitman, PhD
Fiction Picture Book (Ages 5-8) • Theme: Pride and Pride Parades
In a wildly whimsical, validating, and exuberant reflection of the LGBT community, This Day In June welcomes readers to experience a pride celebration and share in a day when we are all united. Also included is a Reading Guide chock-full of facts about LGBT history and culture, as well as a Note to Parents and Caregivers with information on how to talk to children about sexual orientation and gender identity in age-appropriate ways. This Day In June is an excellent tool for teaching respect, acceptance, and understanding of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people.
Grade 5 to 8
“Middle School’s A Drag, You Better Werk!” by Greg Howard
Young Adult Fiction (Ages 10-13) • Theme: Drag
Another excellent middle grade novel from the author of The Whispers, this book follows entrepreneurial 12-year-old Mikey Pruitt as he starts his own talent agency and represents clients in the leadup to the big talent show. Among his roster is eighth-grader Julian Vasquez — drag queen name Coco Caliente — who helps Mikey see that he, too, can be openly gay at school.
“Small Town Pride” by Phil Stamper
Young Adult Fiction (Ages 8-12) • Theme: Pride
From acclaimed author Phil Stamper comes a poignant coming-of-age, contemporary middle grade debut novel about finding your place, using your voice, and the true meaning of pride. Jake is just starting to enjoy life as his school’s first openly gay kid. While his family and friends are accepting and supportive, the same can’t be said about everyone in their small town of Barton Springs, Ohio. When Jake’s dad hangs a comically large pride flag in their front yard in an overblown show of love, the mayor begins to receive complaints. A few people are even concerned the flag will lead to something truly outlandish: a pride parade. Except Jake doesn’t think that’s a ridiculous idea. Why can’t they hold a pride festival in Barton Springs? The problem is, Jake knows he’ll have to get approval from the town council, and the mayor won’t be on his side. And as Jake and his friends try to find a way to bring Pride to Barton Springs, it seems suspicious that the mayor’s son, Brett, suddenly wants to spend time with Jake. But someone that cute couldn’t possibly be in league with his mayoral mother, could he?
“The Whispers” by Greg Howard
Young Adult Fiction (Ages 9-12) • Theme: Identity
A fantastical coming-of-age story about loss, friendship, and identity. The Whispers centers around 11-year-old Riley, who believes in wish-granting fairies known as the whispers. Riley embarks on a journey with his friend Gary to find the whispers and ask for his mom to return, and maybe also for his crush Dylan to like him back.
“To Night Owl From Dogfish” by Holly Goldberg Sloan & Meg Wolitzer
Young Adult Fiction (Ages 10-13) • Theme: Family
This epistolary novel co-written by two powerhouse authors captures the budding friendship between bookish Avery Bloom and fearless Bett Devlin, whose dads fall in love and send them to sleepaway camp to get to know each other. Witty and heartwarming, To Night Owl From Dogfish subtly portrays two modern families on their way to becoming one.
Grade 9 to 12
Fiction
“Love Beyond Body, Space, and Time: An Indigenous LGBT Sci-fi Anthology and Fire Song” by Various Authors
Young Adult Fiction (Ages 14+) • Theme: Indigenous
“Love Beyond, Body, Space, and Time” is a collection of indigenous science fiction and urban fantasy focusing on LGBT and two-spirit characters. These stories range from a transgender woman trying an experimental transition medication to young lovers separated through decades and meeting far in their own future. These are stories of machines and magic, love, and self-love.
“Felix Ever After” by Kacen Callender
Young Adult Fiction (Ages 14-17) • Theme: Identity
Felix Love has never been in love—and, yes, he’s painfully aware of the irony. He desperately wants to know what it’s like and why it seems so easy for everyone but him to find someone. What’s worse is that, even though he is proud of his identity, Felix also secretly fears that he’s one marginalization too many—Black, queer, and transgender—to ever get his own happily-ever-after. When an anonymous student begins sending him transphobic messages—after publicly posting Felix’s deadname alongside images of him before he transitioned—Felix comes up with a plan for revenge. What he didn’t count on: his catfish scenario landing him in a quasi–love triangle…. But as he navigates his complicated feelings, Felix begins a journey of questioning and self-discovery that helps redefine his most important relationship: how he feels about himself. Felix Ever After is an honest and layered story about identity, falling in love, and recognizing the love you deserve.
“You Should See Me in a Crown” by Leah Johnson
Young Adult Fiction (Ages 12-18) • Theme: BIPOC
Liz Lighty has always believed she’s too black, too poor, too awkward to shine in her small, rich, prom-obsessed midwestern town. But it’s okay — Liz has a plan that will get her out of Campbell, Indiana, forever: attend the uber-elite Pennington College, play in their world-famous orchestra, and become a doctor. But when the financial aid she was counting on unexpectedly falls through, Liz’s plans come crashing down . . . until she’s reminded of her school’s scholarship for prom king and queen. There’s nothing Liz wants to do less than endure a gauntlet of social media trolls, catty competitors, and humiliating public events, but despite her devastating fear of the spotlight she’s willing to do whatever it takes to get to Pennington. The only thing that makes it halfway bearable is the new girl in school, Mack. She’s smart, funny, and just as much of an outsider as Liz. But Mack is also in the running for queen. Will falling for the competition keep Liz from her dreams . . . or make them come true?
Non-Fiction
“Gender Identity: Beyond Pronouns and Bathrooms” by Maria Cooks, Alexis Cornell
Nonfiction (Ages 12-15) • Theme: Gender Identity
An informative and project-filled book for middle graders to explore the meaning and history behind LGBTQ rights movements, including biographies of key figures in gender and gay/lesbian history, the context behind today’s transgender “bathroom wars” and dozens of activities and research ideas for perspectives and further learning. What does it mean to think of gender as being a range instead of being simply male or female? In Gender Identity: Beyond Pronouns and Bathrooms, middle school readers unpack the cultural significance of gender identity in the United States and around the world. Written using #ownvoices and with editors trained in the sensitivities of today’s gender discussions, the book is filled with interesting facts, primary sources, a range of text features, and more to engage readers.
“Gender Identity Workbook for Teens: Practical Exercises to Navigate Your Exploration, Support Your Journey, and Celebrate Who You Are” by Andrew Maxwell Triska
Nonfiction (Ages 12-16) • Theme: Gender Identity
Discover more about who you are and who you might want to become. Whether you’ve been pondering big feelings and questions about your gender, or you’re just a little curious about it, the Gender Identity Workbook for Teens is an interactive workbook that will walk you through what gender identity actually is. You’ll learn that there are endless ways to express yourself and that there’s no right or wrong way to identify.
“How to They/Them: A Visual Guide to Nonbinary Pronouns and the World of Gender Fluidity” by Stuart Getty
Nonfiction (Age Range Not Available) • Theme: GSRD (2SLGBTQ+) Terms
This charming and disarming guide unpacks all these questions and more with a fun, visual approach. From a real-deal they/them-using genderqueer writer, this book makes it humorous and easy to learn so that everyone can get it. No soap boxes or divisive comment section wars here. Sometimes funny, sometimes serious, always human, this 101 primer is about more than just bathrooms and pronouns. It’s about gender expression and the freedom to choose how to identify. While they might only be for some, that freedom is for everyone!
“It Gets Better: Coming Out, Overcoming Bullying, and Creating a Life Worth Living” by Dan Savage & Terry Miller
Nonfiction (Ages 14-17) • Theme: Coming Out
Growing up isn’t easy. Many young people face daily tormenting and bullying, and this is especially true for LGBTQ kids and teens. In response to a number of tragic suicides by LGBTQ students, syndicated columnist and author Dan Savage uploaded a video to YouTube with his partner, Terry Miller. Speaking openly about the bullying they suffered, and how they both went on to lead rewarding adult lives, their video launched the It Gets Better Project YouTube channel and initiated a worldwide phenomenon. It Gets Better is a collection of original essays and expanded testimonials written to teens from celebrities, political leaders, and everyday people, because while many LGBTQ teens can’t see a positive future for themselves, we can.
“Out North: An Archive of Queer Activism and Kinship in Canada” by Craig Jennex & Nisha Eswaran
Nonfiction (Age Range Not Available) • Theme: Queer History
Out North: An Archive of Queer Activism and Kinship in Canada is a fascinating exploration and examination of one nation’s queer history and activism, and Canada’s definitive visual guide to LGBTQ2+ movements, struggles, and achievements.
“Queer: The Ultimate LGBT Guide for Teens” by Kathy Belge, Marke Bieschke, Christian Robinson
Nonfiction (Ages 14-18) • Theme: GSRD (2SLGBTQ+) Terms
Queer is a humorous, engaging, and honest guide that helps LGBT teens come out to friends and family, navigate their new LGBT social life, figure out if a crush is also queer, and rise up against bigotry and homophobia. Also includes personal stories from the authors and sidebars on queer history.
“This Book is Gay” by Juno Dawson
Nonfiction (Age Range Not Available) Theme: GSRD (2SLGBTQ+) Terms
Inside you’ll find the answers to all the questions you ever wanted to ask: from sex to politics, hooking up to stereotypes, coming out and more. This candid, funny, and uncensored exploration of sexuality and what it’s like to grow up LGBT also includes real stories from people across the gender and sexual spectrums, not to mention hilarious illustrations.
References
Written by: Laura H.
