A Child's Introduction to Pride: The Inspirational History and Culture of the LGBTQIA+ Community

by Sarah Prager, Caitlin O'Dwyer (Illustrator)

Overview

The perfect primer for kids ages 8-12, this book celebrates love, hope, equality, and progress by taking an inspirational and essential look at the rich history and culture of the LGBTQIA+ community in the United States and around the world. Now a 2024 Rainbow Book List Top 10 Books for Young Readers!

The history of the LGBTQIA+ community has often been overlooked, but it's one that is filled with heroes, struggles, triumph, and joy. A Child’s Introduction to Pride is full of remarkable stories of groundbreaking events and inspirational people, featuring profiles of dozens of queer icons from various time periods and walks of life. Young readers will meet members of the community who have made big contributions to politics—like Harvey Milk and Marsha P. Johnson—as well as important people from the worlds of sports, music, literature, dance, science, and more. Kids will also be introduced to key terms like "gender" and "identity" while learning about the importance of coming out and what it means to be a good ally.

In addition to learning about the history of the LGBTQIA+ rights movement, A Child's Introduction to Pride offers a kid-friendly guide to understanding pronouns and intersectionality, as well as explorations of "gayborhoods," and a pull-out poster with a timeline of important events from ancient times to the modern era. Featuring charming illustrations and a lively design that honors the vibrancy and inclusive nature of the wide-ranging LGBTQIA+ community, A Child's Introduction to Pride is a celebration of a movement that readers of all ages will love.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780762481910
Publisher:	Running Press Book Publishers
Publication date:	05/02/2023
Series:	A Child's Introduction Series
Pages:	96
Sales rank:	658,139
Product dimensions:	10.30(w) x 10.45(h) x 0.65(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Sarah Prager is the author of Kind Like Marsha: Learning from LGBTQ+ Leaders; Queer, There, and Everywhere: 23 People Who Changed the World; and Rainbow Revolutionaries: 50 LGBTQ+ People Who Made History. She came out as lesbian when she was fourteen and feels grateful for her extended LGBTQIA+ family and loves telling the stories of our shared history. She's written for the New York Times, National Geographic, The Atlantic, NBC News, and many other outlets about LGBTQIA+ topics.

Caitlin O'Dwyer is a passionate illustrator and designer with a focus on kids' literature and pet portraits. She was born in Albury, New South Wales, in southeastern Australia, and loved drawing from the moment she could pick up a pencil. Caitlin attended La Trobe University, completing her bachelor's degree in Graphic Design with a focus on Illustration in 2014. She currently lives with her partner Sue in Bendigo, Victoria, Australia.

Editorial Reviews

"A strong survey of queer culture and history."—Kirkus Reviews

"This beautiful book helps introduce Pride and acceptance to young readers...the perfect gift for any young person in your life this Pride."—Good Housekeeping

“Prager has done a heroic job of crafting this crowded survey/history of LGBTQIA+ culture and community…The book is greatly enhanced by the many full-color illustrations by O’Dwyer. They help make this an agreeable introduction to a valuable subject."—Booklist

"Well-documented and exceptionally written with vibrant illustrations, this book is sure to engage children with LGBTQIA+ Pride."—Rainbow Round Table of the American Library Association

"A Child's Introduction to Pride is such an achievement…Anyone reading this will learn something new, but with every fact you read it's supports her larger message: Queer people have always been everywhere, across the globe, in all communities, in all time periods."—Joanna McClintick, author of 'Twas the Night Before Pride

"Highly recommended to readers of all ages, this book will certainly instill a sense of pride in everyone who reads it."—Lesléa Newman, author of Heather Has Two Mommies, Sparkle Boy, and Always Matt: A Tribute to Matthew Shepard

From the Publisher

2023-03-29
Prager offers young readers a deep dive into LGBTQIA+ history.

The author starts by explaining gender and sexual identities, defining terms such as lesbian, gay, and asexual, before exploring LGBTQIA+ history from the ancient world to the present. Prager includes racially and culturally diverse figures from around the world, among them poet Sappho, painter Frida Kahlo, and civil rights leader Bayard Rustin, though the book is weighted a bit more toward the United States. She also addresses the impact of colonialism on LGBTQIA+ identities in a way that young people will easily understand. Prager asks readers to consider whose stories get told (we’re far more likely to know stories of LGBTQIA+ royalty than of servants and peasants, for example) and how interpretations of history affect our understanding of the past. For the most part, the author effectively walks the line between presenting information accessibly and oversimplifying, though several times she uses pronouns for historical figures that aren’t entirely supported by historical records. Though the assumptions are reasonable efforts to respect those individuals’ identities, these figures may not have identified in ways that modern readers would easily recognize. Ultimately, however, the author is thoughtful in her analysis of historical evidence, and readers will love combing through and learning about LGBTQIA+ people throughout history. O’Dwyer’s graceful illustrations enhance the text.

A strong survey of queer culture and history. (places of interest, resources, glossary, further reading) (Nonfiction. 8-13)

Kirkus Reviews