In the Children’s Wing of the OPL, we are currently celebrating Rainbow Month in honor of Pride Month. We have pulled Love is Love and an assortment of other books for youth and families to read if they’re interested in learning more about what Pride/Rainbow Month means.
Love is Love
By Michael Genhart
Picture Book
One of my favorite books on this topic is a picture book called Love is Love written by Michael Genhart and illustrated by Ken Min. This book starts by telling the story of a young boy who is being teased and bullied for wearing a rainbow heart shirt. One of the teasers calls the boy’s shirt “gay”. When the boy’s friend asks him what that means, the boy replies “I think it’s because I have two dads.” The boy and his friend end up having a conversation about their parents. His friend has a mom and a dad for her parents. The friends talk about the similarities of their parents instead of their differences. The boy’s dads love each other and they both love him and the girl’s mom and dad also love each other and they both love her. Love is the bond that holds families together. The ending of the book makes the proclamation that “Love is the same. Wherever you live. Whoever you are. And whomever you love. Love is Love!”
The author, Michael Genhart, is a clinical psychologist who specializes in working with children and families who have LGBTQIA+ affiliations. At the end of the book, Dr. Genhart includes a lot of helpful resources and discussion points for parents, teachers, and other caring adults to use with youth of all ages and genders in discussing this topic. I highly recommend this book as a good introduction to what it means to be a member of the LGBTQIA+ family.
Rainbow: A First Book of Pride
By Michael Genhart
Picture Book
Michael Genhart also wrote another picture book on this topic for children called Rainbow: a First Book of Pride. With bright colors and cheerful illustrations, this book uses children from different types of families to tell the story of the original meanings of the colors in the rainbow flag, and then they unite together at the end of the book for a Pride parade. Through this book, Dr. Genhart teaches that “Rainbows are so colorful and beautiful, nature’s way of smiling at us all. Rainbow flags are happy too. They celebrate love, hope, diversity, and acceptance.”
Written by Cheryl, Children’s Librarian
