Parents of young children are expressing their outrage over a list of 32 LGBTQ children’s books that have been written for children as young as three years old. Many of the books on the list can be found in libraries at preschools and elementary schools all across the country, which means not only are these books readily available for young children, they are also being read to children in the classroom.
The list was recently compiled by Allison McDonald, the founder of No Time for Flash Cards, a company that provides fun activities for teachers and parents that can be used to engage children in the learning process. McDonald is a graduate student studying early childhood development who feels that early childhood is the prime time for kids to be exposed to diversity.
Many parents object to having the books on this list in schools because they feel they are the ones, and not the teachers or education system, that should be teaching their children about the subject matter that is contained in these children’s books. McDonald disagrees. In her blog post on which the list of children’s books was compiled, she says that if a parent is against gay marriage, then they aren’t the one best suited to teach their children about LGBTQ issues.
She further defends her position stating, “Two dad and two mom families are a fact, transgender children and adults are real, and all LGBTQ individuals and their families deserve to be represented, celebrated and included in all parts of life including school and home bookshelves.”
McDonald goes on to say that many of the LGBTQ books on the list would be “perfect for a toddler or young preschooler.” It’s important to note that toddlers range anywhere in age from 12 to 36 months old.
For parents that are curious about the content of the books, here is a description for one of the books called “Uncle Bobby’s Wedding” by Sarah S. Brannen: “This is a great book that normalizes same-sex weddings… Kids don’t care that their uncle is marrying a man they just want to know how they are going to be effected.”
Another book called “George” by Alex Gino is about a little boy in the 4th grade who isn’t a boy on the inside, instead George is really a she.
Some of the books need no further explanation as to why parents are upset that these books are being read to their preschool aged children. Books like “Jacob’s New Dress” by Sarah Hoffman, “My Princess Boy” by Cheryl Kilodavis, and “Heather Has Two Mommies” by Lesléa Newman.
Parents should also be aware of the other books on the list; many of them with unassuming titles:
- “Worm Loves Worm” by J.J. Austrian
- “Morris Micklewhite and the Tangerine Dress” by Christine Baldachinno
- “ABC: A Family Alphabet Book” by Bobbie Combs
- “A Peacock Among Pigeons” by Tyler Curry
- “10,000 Dresses” by Marcus Ewert
- “Molly’s Family” by Nancy Garden
- “Red: A Crayon’s Story” by Micheal Hall
- “King and King” by Linda de Haan
- “I Am Jazz” by Jessica Herthel
- “The Purim Superhero” by Elisabeth Kushner
- “The Misadventures of the Family Fletcher” and “The Family Fletcher Takes Rock Island” by Dana Alison Levy
- “Everywhere Babies” by Susan Meyers and Marla Frazee
- “Donovan’s Big Day” and “Mommy, Mama, and Me” by Leslea Newman
- “A Tale of Two Daddies” and “A Tale of Two Mommies” by Vanita Oelschlager
- “The Family Book” by Todd Parr
- “This Day in June” by Gayle E. Pitman
- “In Our Mothers’ House” by Patricia Polacco
- “And Tango Makes Three” by Justin Richardson
- “Two Dads” by Carolyn Robertson
- “Stella Brings the Family” by Miriam B. Schiffer
- “Zak’s Safari” by Christy Tyner
- “Introducing Teddy” by Jessica Walton
- “Daddy’s Roommate” by Micheal Willhoite
- “Home At Last” by Vera B. Williams and Chris Raschka
In response to the LGBTQ Children’s Book list, one parent said it best when she commented, “I am a pretty tolerant person and I do teach my children that every person is deserving of love and respect, but I would be livid if I found out a teacher read these books to my kids without informing me of it ahead of time. This is a topic that I want to be in charge of discussing with my kids, since there are aspects of it that are against our religious beliefs. I do not feel this would be appropriate to discuss with children without the permission of parents.”
~ Christian Patriot Daily
