The Kids Are All Right

8 of the Best Recent LGBTQ+ Picture Books

Laura Sackton

Senior Contributor

Laura Sackton is a queer book nerd and freelance writer, known on the internet for loving winter, despising summer, and going overboard with extravagant baking projects. In addition to her work at Book Riot, she reviews for BookPage and AudioFile, and writes a weekly newsletter, Books & Bakes, celebrating queer lit and tasty treats. You can catch her on Instagram shouting about the queer books she loves and sharing photos of the walks she takes in the hills of Western Mass (while listening to audiobooks, of course).

American Psychological Association

Noah is confused about Emily's family, so he asks her―who’s Pop and who’s Dad? Jacob knows just how to explain, but how can he? The penguin book isn't in the library anymore! As the day goes on, everyone is still talking about the mysterious missing book. Ms. Reeves tries to explain why the book is no longer in the library and what all the fuss is about. In the meantime, Jacob hatches a plan to tell the story about Emily's family.

I started reading picture books as an adult at the end of last year and now it’s…sort of all I can talk about. I could go on and on forever about all the joy and wonder picture books have brought into my life. And because queer lit is my first love, it’s not surprising that love has spilled over into picture books. I love reading books about kids being themselves and parents being awesome. I love reading nonfiction picture books about queer history and biographies of…well, basically anyone queer! Maybe most of all, I love stories featuring queer kids and/or families that aren’t about being queer at all.

This list is a mix of all of those things. It includes some of my favorite 2024 queer releases (and I don’t just mean when it comes to picture books). You’ll find a book about a Pride celebration, but you’ll also find poetry about queer people throughout history and a beautiful, magical tale about a fisherman and a merman. There’s a biography of the gay baseball player who invented the high five and a heartwarming story about a nonbinary kid who finds a way to make a birthday party better and more inclusive for everyone. Maybe you’re already sensing just how many different kinds of LGBTQ+ picture books have come out recently — there’s something here for all kids (and adults, of course!), whether you’re looking for silly, serious, or something in between.

Marley's Pride cover

Marley’s Pride by Joëlle Retener and Deann Wiley

Marley has always wanted to go to Pride, but their anxiety made it feel really hard. When they learn their beloved Zaza is going to be given an award, they decide to give it a try despite being afraid. This is such a tender and celebratory book about a queer kid figuring out how to be themself at Pride — with the help of their family and some new friends.

Cover of There's No Such Thing as Vegetables

There’s No Such Thing as Vegetables by Kyle Lukoff and Andrea Tsurumi

This is definitely not a book about how gender is something that we made up — except that it is. Chester arrives at the community garden to harvest some vegetables for a salad. He’s greeted by a chorus of vegetable voices explaining (not at all calmly) that vegetables don’t exist, so he’s out of luck. This is a wonderfully subversive story about language and categorization, and it’s also a really good time. It’s one of the funniest books I’ve read in ages, and the vegetable faces are a solid 10/10, no notes.

Cover of Circle of Love

Circle of Love by Monique Gray Smith and Nicole Niedhardt 

This celebration of queer Indigenous love and kinship is overflowing with warmth, joy, and color. Over the course of a day at the Intertribal Community Center, Molly excitedly introduces readers to her big family, blood and chosen. There are her cousins and friends, her grandmother and her grandmother’s wife, and more. Molly shares a different kind of love with each person, and the way Monique Gray Smith writes all these kinds of love onto the page is truly heartwarming.

Cover of Nen and the Lonely Fisherman by Ian Eagleton & James Mayhew

Nen and the Lonely Fisherman by Ian Eagleton and James Mayhew

This is a lovely, quiet book about a merman who longs for love and sends his song out through the waves, and the lonely fisherman who hears his singing and feels something open in his heart. The story is soft, simple, and heartwarming, and the illustrations — especially of the ocean — are captivating.

A Song for Nolan cover

A Song for Nolan by Rushie Ellenwood and Sally Chen

Are birthday parties at roller rinks still a thing? Either way, this book is a delight. Nolan is READY for a skate party at the roller rink — they have the perfect outfit and the perfect skates. Everything is going great until the DJ announces there will be a boy’s skate and then a girl’s skate. Nolan is left feeling like they don’t belong anywhere. So they muster all their bravery and request the DJ play a song for everyone. This is a joyful and uplifting book about a nonbinary kid asking for what they need — and making things a bit better for everyone in the process.

Cover of Rainbow Allies by Nancy Churin, illustrated by Izzy Evans

Rainbow Allies by Nancy Churnin and Izzy Evans

This moving book about the power of community is based on true events. After their Pride flag is stolen and their house egged, a lesbian couple suddenly feels afraid and alone in a place they thought they belonged. It’s the kids of the neighborhood who rally around them, and come up with a plan to combat the hate and help Cari and Lauri feel safe and loved again.

Cover of Queer and Fearless

Queer and Fearless by Rob Sanders and Harry Woodgate

Look, there is basically nothing I love more than children’s poetry. Poems + gorgeous illustrations = the best thing ever. And when those poems celebrate the lives of LGBTQ+ activists, writers, artists, scientists, politicians, and more — even better! The book features 17 queer heroes, from Marsha P. Johnson to Richard Blanco. There’s a poem about each person’s life, accompanied by a short biography. Back matter includes notes on the different styles of poetry and why they were chosen. This is a bright and vivid book that’s full of information, but always centers beauty and emotion.

Cover of Glenn Burke, Game Changer

Glenn Burke, Game Changer by Phil Bildner and Daniel J. O’Brien

When I discovered picture book biographies, it was like stepping into a new world. I’m never going to have time to read biographies of every interesting person in the world. But picture book biographies? Sign me up! This book tells the story of professional baseball player Glenn Burke, the first MLB player to come out as gay, and the inventor of the high-five. His spontaneous gesture during a game in 1977 has now become a universally recognizable symbol of celebration and achievement. This book tells the story of that day, the challenges Burke faced as a gay Black player, and his many achievements.


Looking for more LGBTQ+ picture books? Here’s a great list of picture books for Pride, and you’ll find some excellent books for younger kiddos on this list of queer board books. I adore this collection of picture books with LGBTQ parents just being parents, and there are some great picture books on this list, too.