Pride
These celebratory stories dive deep into Pride and underscore inclusion and self-love.
The Titles
Twas the Night Before Pride | The Rainbow Parade | This Day in June | The Meaning of Pride
Twas the Night Before Pride by Joanna McClintick
McClintick, J. (2022). ‘Twas the night before pride (J. Medina, Illus.). Candlewick
‘Twas the Night Before Pride chronicles the buildup to a Pride celebration, told through the perspective of one family. With rhyming text, and vibrantly illustrated by Pura Belpré award winner Juana Medina, the book includes a brief history of the first pride, including topics of oppression and resistance. Joanna McClintick wrote this poem as a wish – hoping that one day she would have the chance to share the history of pride with her own family. Ages 4-8.
Activity Idea
What story do you want to share with your family and friends? Author Joanna McClintick wanted to share the history of pride with her family – have students research and write stories that are special to them. Use McClintick’s intention to frame this creative research project for 3rd graders.
More resources found on the Teaching Books page.
Related Titles
Pride: Neilson, E. (2022). The rainbow parade. Dial Books for Young Readers. / Pitman, G. E. (2014). This day in June (K. Litten, Illus.). Magination Press. / Sanders, R. (2018). Pride: The story of Harvey Milk and the rainbow flag (S. Salerno, Illus.). Penguin Random House.
The Rainbow Parade by Emily Neilson
Neilson, E. (2022). The rainbow parade. Dial Books for Young Readers.
This book is about finding the courage to join in. When a young girl and her moms go to the Pride parade, they begin as onlookers, watching the festivities from the sidewalk. When the rainbow fairy queen stops by to give them candy, stickers, and necklaces, she tells them that they should be proud and march in the parade. As a group with a sign titled “LGBTQ+ FAMILIES” walks by, they decide to hop over the fence and join in. They walk and wave and cheer. On the way home from the parade, they decide they are going to practice pride all year long, not just one day a year at the parade. This book is for children ages 2 to 5 years old. The Rainbow Parade celebrates the diversity of the LGBTQ+ community and encourages inclusion for all.
Activity Idea
This book can be used in an inclusion storytime – even though Emily is scared that she will not be colorful enough or proud enough to be in the parade, her moms convince her that she is all she needs to be. Use with a book like Be a Bridge to show the ways we can create bridges to include everyone in our daily activities.
Related Titles
Inclusion: Latham, I. & Waters, C. (2022). Be a bridge (N. Adani, Illus.). Lerner Publishing Group.
Pride: McClintick, J. (2022). ‘Twas the night before pride (J. Medina, Illus.). Candlewick Press. / Pitman, G. E. (2014). This day in June (K. Litten, Illus.). Magination Press. / Sanders, R. (2018). Pride: The story of Harvey Milk and the rainbow flag (S. Salerno, Illus.). Penguin Random House.
This Day in June by Gayle Pitman
Pitman, G. E. (2014). This day in June (K. Litten, Illus.). Magination Press.
This book is a rhyming book about a pride parade in June. It describes the types of people that are at the parade and what they are doing, what the atmosphere is like, and what is happening at the parade. At the end of the book, there is a reading guide that describes what each rhyme means and includes background information on the LGBT+ community. There is also a note to parents that teaches how to discuss sexual orientation and gender identity with children of different ages. This book is targeted towards children between 4 and 8 years old. This Day in June is fitting for the Rainbow Connection because it discusses important LGBTQIA+ history and gives parents a guide on how to discuss important topics with their children.
Activity Idea
This can be used as a caregiver resource to teach children about Pride.
More resources found on the Teaching Books page.
Pride: McClintick, J. (2022). ‘Twas the Night Before Pride (J. Medina, Illus.). Candlewick Press. / Neilson, E. (2022). The rainbow parade. Dial Books for Young Readers. / Sanders, R. (2018). Pride: The Story of Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag (S. Salerno, Illus.). Penguin Random House.
The Meaning of Pride by Rosiee Thor
Thor, R. (2022). The meaning of Pride (S. Kirk, Illus.). Versify.
The Meaning of Pride offers an introduction to public figures within the LGBTQIA+ community. Featuring a range of faces, such as Alvin, Ailey, James Baldwin, Kristen Beck, Katie Brown, Fawizia Mirza, Tecia Torres, and Oscar Wilde, the picture book demonstrates the diversity of the members within the community, and that there are many ways to show pride. The authors include a note to the young reader encouraging them to feel pride for who they are, and also a note to adult readers encouraging them to educate LGBTQIA+ youth about history to “show them the path their community has taken to get to where we are and encourage them to see a better and brighter future.” The Meaning of Pride includes brief biographies of everyone included, and serves as a terrific tool to help young readers find a person they would like to learn more about.
Activity Idea
This book can be used as a jumping off point for a lesson on biographies. Students can find more information about the figures that interest them most. If there aren’t any books about a figure, students can collaborate to find more information online and create their own mini-biography.
More resources found on the Teaching Books page.
Related Titles
Pride: McClintick, J. (2022). ‘Twas the Night Before Pride (J. Medina, Illus.). Candlewick Press. / Neilson, E. (2022). The rainbow parade. Dial Books for Young Readers. / Pitman, G. E. (2014). This day in June (K. Litten, Illus.). Magination Press. / Sanders, R. (2018). Pride: The story of Harvey Milk and the rainbow flag (S. Salerno, Illus.). Penguin Random House.
