Six LGBTQ Picture Books from the 21st Century That Readers Still Return To

# What this list covers This selection pulls six LGBTQ-themed picture books Book Riot included in its "Best Books of the Century (So Far)" series. The titles were chosen for how they show queer lives to young readers: through family routines, gender expression, Two-Spirit identity, body diversity, and joy. The brief summarizes each book's focus and why it matters now.

# The six books and what they do

47,000 Beads

This book features a Two-Spirit main character and is written by Two-Spirit authors. The story follows Peyton, who used to enjoy pow wow dancing but becomes uncomfortable wearing the traditional dress. Family members come together to prepare a gift that communicates acceptance and explains being Two-Spirit. The book is notable for Indigenous and 2SLGBTQIA+ representation and remains one of the few Two-Spirit children's books available.

Tango Makes Three

A nonfiction picture book about two male penguins, Roy and Silo, who form a pair and raise an egg together. The book illustrates that same-sex pairings occur in nature and has been the subject of controversy over the last two decades. Beyond debates, the book is presented as a historical document and a joyful story for readers.

Bathe the Cat

A rhyming, storytime-friendly book that centers a family with two dads, mixed-race children, and a stubborn cat who disrupts the chore list. The text uses repetition and rhythm, and the illustrations include small details—like LGBTQ+ flag fridge magnets—that normalize the family structure by treating it as ordinary.

Everywhere Babies

A board-book-style rhyming text that depicts babies in everyday life and a broad range of family types, including two-mom and two-dad households. Published earlier in the century, it stood out at release for showing diverse families in a book not solely about LGBTQ identity.

Julian Is a Mermaid

A story about a child who sees mermaids on the subway and fashions a mermaid costume at home. The book pairs a message of self-love and resistance to gender norms with watercolor art on brown paper. It has won the Stonewall Award and has been a target of bans.

Lovely

A short, colorful picture book about body diversity and what makes bodies "lovely." Pages pair minimal text with illustrations that include different shapes, shades, disabled bodies, and queer bodies, answering the question "What is lovely?" through concrete descriptions like "sporty" and "fancy." The book frames difference as something to celebrate.

# Why these books matter now

# How to use this list Pick a title based on the reading occasion: rhythmic and funny readaloud (Bathe the Cat), celebration of body diversity (Lovely), explorations of gender expression (Julian Is a Mermaid), Indigenous Two-Spirit experience (47,000 Beads), historical gay parenting in nature (And Tango Makes Three), or early board-book diversity (Everywhere Babies). The list can guide purchases for classrooms, storytime selections, or family library additions.