LGBTQ+ inclusive children's books
11 hand-picked books from the Bookbear catalogue tagged “LGBTQ+”, with Indian authors first. Each one has an age range, a short description, a heads-up on any sensitive topics and a link to buy in India.
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Talking of Muskaan
by Himanjali Sankar
Ages 12–15Indian author
When Muskaan disappears from school, four friends piece together why — and confront difficult truths about belonging and acceptance. A groundbreaking Indian YA novel on LGBTQ+ identity, widely praised and taught in progressive schools.
Heads-up: Suicide & self-harm, Homophobic bullying
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Daddy, Papa, and Me
by Lesléa Newman
Ages 1–4
A toddler spends a busy, happy day playing, cooking and cuddling with Daddy and Papa. A warm rhyming board book about a two-dad family.
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When Aidan Became a Brother
by Kyle Lukoff
Ages 4–8
Aidan transitioned before the baby arrived — so he helps his parents rethink the nursery they'd already set up. A sweet, matter-of-fact Stonewall Award winner.
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Red: A Crayon's Story
by Michael Hall
Ages 4–7
A crayon labelled RED is actually blue inside and feels like a failure — until someone asks him to draw the ocean. A gentle, perfect metaphor for identity and self-acceptance.
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Neither
by Airlie Anderson
Ages 4–7
In a land of birds and fish, a creature is born that is neither — it doesn't fit in anywhere until it discovers a place where everyone belongs. Gentle and universal.
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Can Bears Ski?
by Raymond Antrobus & Lauren Spollon
Ages 4–7
Bear can't hear well and his friends struggle to understand. A tender, funny story about hearing loss and what it means to really listen — by the award-winning Deaf poet Raymond Antrobus.
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Victories Greater Than Death
by Charlie Jane Anders
Ages 13–17
A teenage girl who is secretly the human clone of a famous alien hero is swept into an intergalactic war when her alien crewmates arrive to find her.
Heads-up: Violence, War & battle violence
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And Tango Makes Three
by Justin Richardson & Peter Parnell
Ages 4–8
Based on a true story at New York's Central Park Zoo, two male penguins named Roy and Silo hatch and raise a chick of their own. A gentle, true tale about different kinds of families.
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Julián Is a Mermaid
by Jessica Love
Ages 4–8
After seeing three women dressed as mermaids, Julián longs to be one too — and his abuela shows him exactly how, with full and joyful acceptance. A warm celebration of self-expression.
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The Family Book
by Todd Parr
Ages 2–6
A bright, silly, reassuring look at all the different shapes families come in — big, small, same-sex parents, adoptive, single-parent — with one loving message: all families are special.
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Grandad's Camper
by Harry Woodgate
Ages 4–8
A granddaughter remembers the adventures her grandad and his late husband Gramps once had in their camper van — and helps Grandad find the courage to hit the road again. A tender story about love, loss and LGBTQ+ family, winner of the Klaus Flugge Prize.
Heads-up: Death & grief
