Read Proud: Picture Books about LGBTQ Families

Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh engages all of our communities in literacy and learning. Check out the titles below and ask your local librarian for more.

Children’s Services
Children’s Services

Sep 3, 2026

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In the Catalog

Bathe the Cat

Bathe the Cat

Alice B. McGinty

Dad has posted a list of chores for the family to do before grandma comes, including bathing the cat; but the cat does not want a bath, so she mixes up the instructions, and soon the family is mowing the floor, vacuuming the lawn, mopping the baby–and the house is in chaos.

From the Catalog

Hoopla

Born Ready

Born Ready

The True Story of A Boy Named Penelope

Jodie Patterson

Just before his fifth birthday, Penelope lets his mother know he is a boy and, with her support and his ninja powers, faces the rest of his family and his classmates. Drawn from the author’s memoir, The bold world.

From the Catalog

Daddy, Papa, and Me

Daddy, Papa, and Me

Lesléa Newman

A toddler’s daily activities, from playing to tea time, in the company of two loving fathers.

From the Catalog

Home at Last

Home at Last

Vera B. Williams

After Lester is adopted from his foster home by Daddy Albert and Daddy Rich, he can’t fall asleep in his new bed. What will it take to make Lester feel home at last.

From the Catalog

I Promise

I Promise

Catherine Hernandez

A children’s book that celebrates honest and intimate moments of gay parenting.

From the Catalog

Julián Is a Mermaid

Julián Is a Mermaid

Jessica Love

Mesmerizing and full of heart, Jessica Love’s author-illustrator debut is a jubilant picture of self-love and a radiant celebration of individuality.

From the Catalog

Hoopla

Mommy, Mama, and Me

Mommy, Mama, and Me

Lesléa Newman

A toddler enjoys a number of daily activities in the company of two loving mothers.

From the Catalog

Neither

Neither

Airlie Anderson

In this colorful and touching story that celebrates what makes each of us unique, a little creature that’s not quite a bird and not quite a bunny–it’s “neither”–searches for a place to fit in. In the Land of This and That, there are only two kinds: blue bunnies and yellow birds. But one day a funny green egg hatches, and a little creature that’s not quite a bird and not quite a bunny pops out. It’s neither!

From the Catalog

Plenty of Hugs

Plenty of Hugs

Fran Manushkin

Illustrations and gently rhyming text follow two mothers and their toddler on a sunny day.

From the Catalog

Libby

Pride Colors

Pride Colors

Robin Stevenson

In this photographic concept book, babies and toddlers are introduced to the Pride flag and the meaning behind each color.

From the Catalog

Hoopla

Prince & Knight

Prince & Knight

Daniel Haack

In this modern fairy tale, a noble prince and a brave knight come together to defeat a terrible monster and in the process find true love in a most unexpected place.

From the Catalog

Princess Puffybottom... and Darryl

Princess Puffybottom… and Darryl

Susin Nielsen-Fernlund

When Darryl arrives in Princess Puffybottom’s kingdom, she is not amused.

From the Catalog

Rainbow

Rainbow

A First Book of Pride

Michael Genhart

Children from different kinds of families demonstrate the original meanings of the colors in the rainbow flag, and then come together at a Pride parade.

From the Catalog

When Aidan Became a Brother

When Aidan Became a Brother

Kyle Lukoff

Aidan, a transgender boy, experiences complicated emotions as he and his parents prepare for the arrival of a new baby. Why it was banned/challenged: features a transgender character

From the Catalog

Libby