Yes folks it's time for We Recommend, in which you write in asking for specific recommendations, and we use our collective knowledge to come up with the perfect book. Interested? Write in and tell us your kid's age, tastes, other stuff—anything that might be relevant—and we'll do our part. Oh yeah, and the comments? The comments are the best part.
Here's one that I've been meaning and meaning and meaning to get to, and I hope we're not too late for the wedding!
I am now looking for some specific suggestions for children's books that deal with LGBT families. My partner and I are mothers to a 5 year old son from my previous relationship who is very loving and comfortable within our family unit, but he's in kindergarten and has external societal influences as well … all of which do not accept our family unit as the "norm". We are starting to prepare for our wedding, and have found that our son is having a difficult time accepting the idea of my partner and I getting married … because we are "two girls and a girl can't marry a girl". I'm looking for books that help reinforce our lessons of love in many versions.
For those who don't know this, LGBT is lesbian-gay-bisexual-transgendered (though it doesn't have to be all at once). Anyway, what's the right book? For that, we need a very short story.
Once upon a time we went to an awesome church book sale. And Chestnut, who was only 4 or so, picked up this book, and said "We have to get this one because it looks so good."
This book 1) is excellent. And 2) has all kinds of families in it. ALL KINDS. And makes kind of a point of it. Oh, did I also mention? It's excellent. There is a lot of silliness, and flying on the backs of birds, and other lovely stuff. Every child to whom I have read the title story has been thrilled with its out-and-out goofiness and injustice-defying message. This book has been nothing but good to us.
Also, I happened upon this blog in my journeys, which is maybe no longer active, but seems to be an excellent source for books for kids in gay families.
But, I hope this isn't the only one. Readers, any suggestions?
marcialerner.com 
No specific suggestions, unfortunately, but thanks for this recommendation. Sounds like a terrific book. I’m always on the lookout for anything with a matter-of-fact presentation of diversity/difference.
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This might be too obvious, but I’ve heard great things about “And Tango makes three”
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“And Tango Makes Three” is a wonderful book, destined to be a classic. Another LGBT classic is “Heather Has Two Mommies” which is very well written and beautifully illustrated. There’s also “Uncle Bobby’s Wedding,” which I like a lot because it is about the wedding of two male guinea pigs, AND it doesn’t make a big deal about them both being male – the story is about the niece of one of them and her fears that her Uncle Bobby won’t have time to play with her as much (especially if he and his husband have kids someday). Talk about normalizing the issue!
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There are a number of books about two-mom families; they vary in quality, and none of them in my opinion has really knocked it out of the park yet. (not like “And Tango Makes Three”, which really stands up by any standard.) But for this particular situation, “Mom and Mum are Getting Married,” by Ken Setterington, is a nice one. “Molly’s Family,” by Nancy Garden, is also a nice gentle book, about a kid with two moms whose classmates question her family picture for Open School Night. Patricia Polacco also has a recent one called “In Our Mothers’ House” that tells the story over a couple of generations of a loving and expansive family headed by two moms who adopt 3 kids (for sheer book-ness, that’s my favorite of the three, but I love Patricia Polacco so YMMV).
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Another picture book: King & King
by Linda de Haan and Stern Nijland; and a chapter book with all kinds of families (and lots of great boks mentioned) Penny Dreadful by Laurel Snyder.
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I have nothing to add but my thanks. I can’t wait to check these books out!
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thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!! for the suggestions … when i sent in my original request we (my wife-to-be and i) were really unsure about how to approach the issue with our son because he has always been so comfortable with our relationship and our family … but we’re definitely learning that the influence of commonly-expected social norms has quite an influence of children. so, thank you diamond, & all of the other suggestions … we are looking forward to bringing in some new stories to our library to encourage the perceived “normalcy” of our family!!
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