Our Thoughts: It’s still relatively uncommon to find a picture book where queer parents are neither background characters nor something to be explained to or accepted by others, so this one feels extra special. Publisher Marketing: A little girl stays home with Mama when Mommy goes off on a work trip in this tender, inviting story that will resonate with every child who has missed a parent. Mama and Mommy and Me in the Middle by Nina LaCour, illus. Could Lockington’s latest be the next standard setter for queer middle grade? We think it stands a chance. Our Thoughts: Keen eyes might recognize the cover art is by Tonya Engel, who also illustrated the Stonewall Award winning Hurricane Child by Kacen Callender.

Lockington, comes a coming-of-age story surrounding the losses that threaten to break us and the friendships that make us whole again.

Publisher Marketing: From the author of the critically acclaimed novel For Black Girls Like Me, Mariama J. The energetic art is a pitch-perfect match. It’s a delightful example of queer stories about everyday life. Our Thoughts: This book is storytime gold, featuring a two-dad family and a sneaky cat.

Get ready for a rollicking read-aloud with a truly purrfect ending. Publisher Marketing: Bathe the floor? Sweep the dishes? This riotous romp of a picture book follows a frantic family as they try to get some chores done-with no help from the family cat, who keeps scrambling the list of chores with hilarious effects. As we wrote in our earlier post, there will be a separate slate of Children’s contenders so our posts will be separated from here on out. Before we move onto new releases, we want to highlight a few books that have already hit the shelves that we’re excited about. Pride Month is here, along with SO MANY exciting queer books.

Love violet picture book