Reading to your children is a wonderful way to bond with them and spend quality time together, not to mention it helps them learn to love to read.
The best way to keep your child interested in reading is to find stories they can relate to and connect with. However, that can prove to be difficult when it comes to finding books that portrays a family that has two mommies… or any other type of diverse family for that matter.
Chances are, you’re going to find next to nothing in terms of LGBT-themes children’s books at your library or local bookstore. Have no fear though, we’ve compiled useful list of children’s books that celebrate having a diverse family.
Take a look at these suggestions that can be found online, or maybe you can even request your local library or bookstore to carry them…
Mommy, Mama, and Me : By Leslea Newman
This book tells the story of the everyday life of a family with two moms. It’s great for young toddlers through preschoolers, as they can easily relate to the story and what the child does with his two mommies like going to the park and having bath time. There’s also a version with two dads entitled Daddy, Papa, and Me as well.
And Tango Makes Three: By Justin Richardson
This endearing book tells the true story of two male penguins in Central Park Zoo in NYC that paired up with each other and were eventually given an egg to hatch. The result was their chick, Tango, which they raised together as a family. It’s a great example of how love and caring makes a family, not how many daddies or mommies you have.
A Tale of Two Mommies: By Vanita Oelschlager
It’s got fabulously vibrant illustrations done by Mike Blanc and tells the story of two friends asking a third how his family works since he has two mommies. But they don’t want to know the questions that adults tend to over think. Instead they are curious about with one bakes the cakes and who coaches little league. In the end they find out that their friend isn’t any different from them just because he has two mommies. There’s also a dad version entitled A Tale of Two Daddies as well.
The Big Book of Families: By Mary Hoffman and Ros Asquith
Whether your family has two moms, two dads, a step-dad, or even no dad, this book pretty much covers any kind of family you can think of. It has a lot of great, funny pictures and plenty of details for even the most inquisitive child. And it will be even more fun when you get to pick out your family within the pages.
Molly’s Family: By Nancy Garden
Molly draws her two mommies in her kindergarten class and gets told by classmates that she can’t have two moms. Instead of the teacher scolding the classmates, she instead teaches a lesson we could all learn from…that every family is different and that’s okay. It’s a great way to start a discussion with your child about how to handle that type of situation, should they face it in school.
King and King: By Linda de Haan and Stern Nijland
This is a great alternative to the typical princess fairytale stories. It’s the story of a prince who is told he must marry a princess in order to inherit the throne. There’s just one problem…the prince isn’t into princesses. It’s a story about staying true to yourself and finding love…and of course, ends happily ever after.
Do you have any more titles to suggest? Let us know in the comments below!
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