Using Books to Explain Gay Families to Children
By GalTime .com. Posted on .
By Jenny Tiegs, GalTime Lead Ambassador, Yakima/Tri-Cities, for GalTime.com
October is National Book Month, a great opportunity to explore titles that will bring your library to life with diversity, tolerance and some new storylines that address the topic of same-sex couples.
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It is very likely that your child will have a classmate, friend, family member that has two moms or two dads. Or as a parent in a same sex relationship, it's powerful to not only have these books on your personal library’s shelves, but in your child's classroom in as well. Talk to your child’s teacher about incorporating these titles to make all children feel represented, reflected and respected in the stories read in class.
Since "family" is a common curriculum theme taught to elementary-aged children, it's a chance to include these titles as part of what makes up all types of families.
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Dr. Jeff Sapp, a professor at California University, adds, “Most early children’s books with variant gender themes offer even our youngest children models of the different ways families are made.”
While a book is helpful when the topic comes up, it is also important to remember to include these titles in your library and not always necessary to point out the difference, but rather accept how we all come from different families. How often does a parent explain to their child before reading Cinderella that it is a story about two heterosexuals falling in love and living happily ever after? Embrace books about many kinds of families with the same acceptance and ease.
FOR YOUNGER CHILDREN
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King and King by Linda de Haan and Stern Nijland
Fracturing fairy tales is very common among children’s books that address diversity because the original story or idea is common knowledge among many children and the differences are easy to point out. King and King is a great example as it focuses on The Prince, a young man who is being pressured by his mother to find a princess. He finally agrees to look for a wife, but also adds that he “never cared much for princesses.” After going through many visits from plenty of princesses, he finally finds a mate! But it is not the beautiful Princess Madeleine, but rather her brother, Prince Lee! True to all fairy tales, the wedding is gorgeous and perfect and everyone does live happily ever after. While this book is not in-your-face controversial, it does give parents an opportunity to discuss the prince’s lifestyle choice.
