Compiled from Various Sources as of March 2024 by Colleen M. Quinn, Esq., The Adoption & Surrogacy Law Center, Fellow – AAAA & AAARTA, www.quinnlawcenters.com
Hope & Rosie Have a Baby: The Gift of Family
Follow an inquisitive little boy who learns of his two moms’ quest to have children, and the joy they experience while creating their family through sperm donation and pregnancy. Told in a language a child can understand, read the tale of how both moms welcome their child into a new family. Come and celebrate the unique gift parents can receive on their way to becoming a family.
- By: Irene Celcer
- Publication: Graphite Press, 2019
- Available on Amazon.com
My Two Moms and Me
Families with two moms are celebrated in this board book that follows busy mothers and their kids throughout their day—eating breakfast, going on a playdate, heading to the pool for a swim, and settling back in at night with a bedtime story and a good-night lullaby. LGBTQ+ parents and their friends and families will welcome this inclusive and cheerful book that reflects their own lives and family makeup.
- By: Michael Joosten
- Publication: Doubleday Books for Young Readers, 2019
- Intended for Children Aged 0-3
- Available on Amazon.com
My Two Dads and Me
Families with two dads are celebrated in this board book that follows busy fathers and their kids throughout their day—eating breakfast, getting dressed, heading out to the park, and settling back in at night with a bubble bath and a good-night lullaby. LGBTQ+ parents and their friends and families will welcome this inclusive and cheerful book that reflects their own lives and family makeup.
- By: Michael Joosten
- Publication: Doubleday Books for Young Readers, 2019
- Intended for Children Aged 0-3
- Available on Amazon.com
The Pea That Was Me: A Two Dads’ Egg Donation and Surrogacy Story
Reading this book to your child is a wonderful way to introduce them to the idea that a doctor, a nice egg donor, and a very kind surrogate helped to bring them into their loving family. The very basic facts that to make a baby you need an egg, a sperm, and a tummy for the baby to grow in are introduced in an age-appropriate manner. Emphasis is on how much these children are wanted and cherished, and how many other people were happy to help!
- By: Kimberly Kluger-Bell
- Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (July 9, 2014)
- Intended for Children Aged 4+ years
- Available at Amazon.com
Two Dads: A Book About Adoption
Having Two Dads is double the fun! Many families are different, this family has Two Dads A beautifully illustrated, affirming story of life with Two Dads, written from the perspective of their adopted child.
- By: Carolyn Robertson
- Publisher: Sparklypoo Publications (November 9, 2014)
- Intended for Children Aged 4-8 years
- Available at Amazon.com
Daddy Dog and Papi Panda’s Rainbow Family: It takes love to make a family
This children’s book is about the formation of a non-traditional family. The characters are same sex parents who created their family through a combination of adoption and surrogacy. The book presents the topic of a modern family in a simple fun way geared towards children. The characters are vividly colored animals including: Daddy Dog, Papi Panda and the children (Mikey Monkey and the three little kitties: Adriana, Ave, and Alex). The book is ideal for children of same sex parents as well as for parents who wish to educate their children about the diversity of family structure.
- By: Anthony Hale
- Publisher: Tricycle CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (March 1, 2012)
- Intended for Children Aged 3-7 years
- Available at Amazon.com
A Tale of Two Mommies
A Tale of Two Mommies is a beach conversation among three children. One boy asks another boy about having two mommies. A young girl listening in asks some questions too.
True to a child’s curiosity, practical questions follow. “Which mom is there when you want to go fishing? / Which mom helps out when Kitty goes missing?” To which he answers: “Mommy helps when I want to go fishing. / Both Mommies help when Kitty goes missing.”
This book lets us look inside one non-traditional family, a same sex couple and their son. As the children talk, it’s clear this boy lives in a nurturing environment where the biggest issues are the everyday challenges of growing up.
- By: Vanita Oelschlager
- Publisher: Vanita Books (September 1, 2011)
- Intended for Children Aged 4-8 years
- Available at Amazon.com
Mommy, Mama, and Me
Rhythmic text and illustrations with universal appeal show a toddler spending the day with its mommies. From hide-and-seek to dress-up, then bath time and a kiss goodnight, there’s no limit to what a loving family can do together. Shares the loving bond between same-sex parents and their children.
- By: Lesléa Newman
- Publisher: Tricycle Press; Brdbk edition (December 9, 2008)
- Intended for Children Aged 3-7 years
- Available at Amazon.com
Daddy, Papa, and Me
Rhythmic text and illustrations with universal appeal show a toddler spending the day with its daddies. From hide-and-seek to dress-up, then bath time and a kiss goodnight, there’s no limit to what a loving family can do together. Share the loving bond between same-sex parents and their children.
- By: Lesléa Newman
- Publisher: Tricycle Press; Brdbk edition (December 9, 2008)
- Intended for Children Aged 3-7 years
- Available at Amazon.com
Emma and Meesha My Boy: A Two Mom Story
This is a delightful story of little girl with two moms as she learns how to be nice to her cat. Follow along as Emma gets in trouble trying to play with Meesha Kitty and cheer as she learns to treat him with care.
- By: Kaitlyn Considine
- Publisher: TwoMomsBooks.com (November 15, 2005)
- Intended for Children Aged 3-6 years
- Available at Amazon.com
Families Like Mine: Children of Gay Parents Tell It Like It Is
The author, who was herself raised by her gay dad and his partner interviewed over fifty adults in their 20’s and 30’s who had gay or lesbian parents. She offers an insiders’ perspective on what it is like to grow up in an LGBT family, covering topics like coming out, how kids talk about (or hide) their LGBT parents, kids’ experiences at school, how the children develop their own sexual identity, HIV/AIDS, and family breakup.
- By: Abigail Garner
- Publisher: Harper (March 30, 2004)
- Intended for Teenage and Young Adult Readers
- Available at Amazon.com
One Dad, Two Dads, Brown Dad, Blue Dads
Two children-one with blue dads, one from a more traditional family-compare notes in this lighthearted book about parents who are different. In the end, they discover that blue dads are not really different from other dads. Except in one way.
- By: Johnny Valentine
- Publisher: Alyson Publications (May 1, 2004)
- Intended for Children Aged 2+ years
- Available at Amazon.com
On The Duke Who Outlawed Jelly Beans
This is a collection of five original fairy tales: The Frog Prince, The Eagle Rider, the Dragon Sense, The Ogre’s Boots and The Duke Who Outlawed Jelly Beans. Embedded within the stories are a cast of gay and lesbian characters.
- By: Johnny Valentine
- Publisher: Alyson Publications 2nd. Edition(May 1, 2004)
- Intended for Children Aged 2+ years
- Available at Amazon.com
How it Feels to Have a Gay or Lesbian Parent: A Book By Kids for Kids of All Ages
How It Feels to Have a Gay or Lesbian Parent: A Book by Kids for Kids of All Ages gives voice to the thoughts, feelings, and experiences of children, adolescents, and young adults who have a gay or lesbian parent. In their own words, they talk openly and candidly about how and when they learned of their parent’s sexual orientation and the effect it had on them—and their families. Their stories echo themes of prejudice and harassment, conflict and confusion, adaptation, and adjustment, and hope for tolerance and a family that can exist in harmony.
- By: Judith Snow
- Publisher: Routledge (July 16, 2004)
- Intended for Children Aged 3+ years
- Available at Amazon.com
Our Story
An excellent guide to donor insemination for young children, with one version about having lesbian parents
- By: Nicola Baxter
- Publisher: Donor Conception Network (2003)
- Intended for Children Aged 3-6 years
- Available at www.donor-conception-network.com
King and King
When the queen decrees that it’s time for the prince to marry, princesses come from far and wide hoping to catch his eye. But the one who actually charms the prince is the brother of one of the princesses, and guess what? They live happily ever after!
- By: Linda de Haan
- Publisher: Tricycle Press (March 1, 2003)
- Intended for Children Aged 6+ years
- Available at Amazon.com
Sons Talk About Their Gay Fathers: Life Curves
In this book, Andrew Gottlieb, author of Out of the Twilight: Fathers of Gay Men Speak, explores yet another side of the impact of homosexuality on families. He now looks at how sons react to learning that their fathers are gay, allowing us to see, over time, how this has changed their family relationships and their own lives. Simply and elegantly written, this psychoanalytically oriented qualitative research study is accessible to both the beginner and the more advanced researcher and practitioner. It draws from a wide range of literary, popular, and psychological sources and includes an interview guide, a reference section, and an index.
- By: Andrew R. Gottlieb
- Publisher: Routledge (July 1, 2003)
- Intended for Teenage and Adult Readers
- Available at Amazon.com
Felicia’s Favorite Story
At bedtime Felicia wants to hear her favorite story, of how she was adopted by Mama Linda and Mama Nessa. And so, Felicia’s parents tell her how they flew off in a big silver airplane to meet her and how they loved her from the very first moment they saw her.
- By: Leslea Newman
- Publisher: Two Lives Pub (November 1, 2002)
- Intended for Children Aged 3+ years
- Available at Amazon.com
Heather Has Two Mommies
Mama Kate, Mama Jane, and Heather became a family using donor insemination. The was the first book published by Alyson Wonderland which has a number of books for and about children of lesbian and gay parents. 2000 is the updated edition.
- By: Leslea Newman & Diane Souza
- Publisher: Alyson Publications (2000)
- Intended for Children Aged 2-6 years
Out of the Ordinary: Essays On Growing Up with Gay, Lesbian, and Transgender Parents
Collection of essays by 20 contributors who have a queer mom or dad (or two). The lack of sophistication in these essays is both the book’s weakness and its strength, for these accounts, many by first-time writers, sometimes unintentionally show with dramatic clarity how at early ages the authors sensed and shouldered their parents’ struggles. These narrators don’t sound like products of the current, proud gay-parenting boom; many are the children of parents who struggled to leave straight lives (and marriages) and to establish new identities later in life.
- By: Noelle Howey & E. Samuels (Eds.)
- Publisher: Stonewall Inn (2000)
- Intended for Teenage and Adult Readers
- Available at Amazon.com
Lesbian and Gay Voices: An Annotated Bibliography and Guide to Literature for Children and Young Adults
With a foreword by Nancy Garden, the highly acclaimed author of Young Adult Fiction, this thoughtfully written annotated bibliography reviews picture books, young adult fiction, short stories nonfiction works and biographies for young readers. Entries specify the age level appropriateness of each work as well as literary awards received for the work. Each annotation is followed by a list of topics in the work which the user will find cross-referenced in the topic index. With additional recommendations on books for librarians, educators and parents, and a set of suggested guidelines for evaluating books, this user-friendly guide is valuable as both a reader resource and as collection development tool. The guide also provides author profiles of selected writers who have made outstanding contributions to this field of literature. This information is complemented by inspiring author quotes, photographs, and lists of their books categorized by age level appropriateness. The up-to-date information on helpful resources for teens and their families found here along with a select bibliography and additional indices make this comprehensive guide a powerful and important reference tool for helping young gay and lesbian readers.
- By: Francis A. Day
- Publisher: Greenwood (June 30, 2000)
- Intended for Teenage and Young Adult Readers
- Available at Amazon.com
Holly’s Secret
When Holly’s family moves to a new town, she changes her name and lies about her parents (two moms), hoping that she’ll fit in. She learns that her true friends will stand by her. The dialogue between Holly and her family is very loving and realistic.
- By: Nancy Garden
- Publisher: Firar, Strauss, and Grioux (BYR) (September 25, 2000)
- Intended for Children Aged 8-12 years
- Available at Amazon.com
- Available at Amazon.com
Zack’s Story: Growing Up with Same-Sex Parents
Written for pre-teens. Eleven-year-old Zack describes life with his two moms in this photo-essay.
- By: Keith Greenberg
- Publisher: Lerner Publications (1996)
- Intended for Children Aged 10-12 years
- Available at Amazon.com
Daddy’s Roommate
Both the story and pictures are warm and positive as they show the boy Nick with the two partners, depicting loving family relationships.
- By: Michael Willhoite
- Publisher: Alyson Publications (July 1, 1994)
- Intended for Children Aged 4+ years
- Available at Amazon.com
Gloria Goes to Gay Pride
Gloria and her two mothers join in a Gay Pride parade.
- By: Leslea Newman
- Publisher: Alyson Publications (1991)
- Intended for Children Aged 2-6 years
- Available at Amazon.com
Asha’s Mums
Thoughtful story showing how a young girl and her two moms deal positively with homophobia at school and introduce their family to her teacher and classmates.
- By: Rosamund Elwin & Michele Paulse
- Women’s Press (1990)
- Intended for Children Aged 6+ years
- Available at Amazon.com
Special thanks by Colleen Quinn to those who compiled before me:
Dawn Davenport – Creating a Family. http://www.creatingafamily.org/
Diane Hinson – Creative Family Connections, AAARTA Fellow. https://www.creativefamilyconnections.com/index.html
The Education Committee, Spring 2007, of the Mental Health Professional Group of the American Society for Reproduction Medicine (ASRM): Kim Kluger-Bell, MFT, Chair, Jana Frances Fisher, Ph.D. Jennifer Adams, Ph.D. (based on the Children’s Bibliography compiled by Elaine Gordon, Phd, and Ellen Speyer, MFT)