Love Is Love - a picture book I wish had been read to me when I was a little kid

Love is Love by Michael Genhart, illustrated by Ken Min

In a number of discussions across cultures and the world, children of two dads dressed in rainbow heart t-shirts confide in friends that they're being made fun of. There's a visual storyline of flying kites that come together to form a rainbow, just as all the children come together with their parents, allies, and a larger supportive community to celebrate that what makes a family is love.

The message is simple and beautiful, and the modeled response to mean words is uplifting:

So when some kids say, "Your dads are gay!"
I'll just say, "Yes, they are!"

And when some kids say, "You're not a real family!"
I'll just say, "Yes, we are!"

Definitely a picture book I wish had been read to me when I was a little kid!

Add your review of "Love is Love" in comments!

I Am Jazz - A Picture Book About A Transgender Child That I Wish Had Been Read To Me When I Was A Little Kid

I Am Jazz by Jessica Herthel & Jazz Jennings, illustrated by Shelagh McNicholas

From the time she was two years old, Jazz knew that she had a girl's brain in a boy's body. She loved pink and dressing up as a mermaid and didn't feel like herself in boy's clothing. This confused her family, until they took her to a doctor who diagnosed Jazz as transgender and explained that she was born this way. 

I really liked this child-focused and very appropriate-for-the-age title from Dial Books For Young Readers!

As we read it, my child asked why the book didn't include Jazz's original, boy name. This got us into a great discussion about how knowing Jazz's old name that didn't match who she was might have overshadowed the story of who she is. After all, who would want to be referred to by a name that didn't feel right?

Definitely a picture book that I wish had been read to me when I was a little kid, and that I'm so grateful I could read to my child, today.

My thanks to Yapha for the heads-up on this one!