IBBY Canada officially launched Reading with Pride: Stories for Everyone, a landmark exhibition with an accompanying print catalogue, at the 40th IBBY World Congress, which took place in Ottawa from August 6-9.
Nearly 300 2SLGBTQIA+ picture books collected by Honourable Senator Kristopher Wells—and expanded through a national call by IBBY Canada—debuted on August 6.
Believed to be one of the largest archival collections in the world, Reading with Pride spans the earliest 2SLGBTQIA+ children’s books to modern works, including nearly 100 Canadian titles in both official languages. The titles by Canadian authors or illustrators included in the collection are listed below under their designated category.
FAMILY
All Our Love, written by Kari-Lynn Winters, illustrated by Scot Ritchie (North Winds Press/Scholastic Canada, 2024)
Asha's Mums, written by Rosamund Elwin and Michele Paulse, illustrated by Dawn Lee (Women's Press, 1990)
Awake, Asleep, written by Kyle Lukoff, illustrated by Nadia Alam (Orchard Books/Scholastic, 2023)
Families, written by Jesse Unaapik Mike and Kerry McCluskey, illustrated by Lenny Lishchenko (Inhabit Media, 2017)
A Family Is a Family Is a Family, written by Sara O'Leary, illustrated by Qin Leng (Groundwood Books, 2016)
I Am Perfectly Designed, written by Karamo Brown and Jason "Rachel" Brown, illustrated by Anoosha Syed (Henry Holt Books for Young Readers, 2019)
It's a They!, written by Dr. Lindsay Herriot (Orca Book Publishers, 2024)
Love Is in the Hair, written and illustrated by Syrus Marcus Ware (Flamingo Rampant)
Mom and Mum are Getting Married!, written by Ken Setterington, illustrated by Alice Priestley (Second Story Press, 2004)
Mom Marries Mum!, written by Ken Setterington, illustrated by Alice Priestley (Second Story Press, 2020)
Monicka's Papa is Tall, written by Heather Jopling, illustrated by Allyson Demoe (Nickname Press, 2010)
The Family Tree, written by Sean Dixon, illustrated by Lily Snowden-Fine (Tundra Books, 2024)
My Family, Your Family, written by Kathryn Cole, illustrated by Cornelia Li (Second Story Press, 2020)
The Newspaper Pirates, written by j wallace skelton, illustrated by Ketch Wehr (Flamingo Rampant, 2015)
The Not-So-Only-Child, written by Heather Jopling, illustrated by Lauren Page Russell (Nickname Press, 2006)
A Plan for Pops, written by Heather Smith, illustrated by Brooke Kerrigan (Orca Book Publishers, 2019)
Ryan's Mom is Tall, written by Heather Jopling, illustrated by Allyson Demoe (Nickname Press, 2007)
Saturday is Pattyday, written by Lesléa Newman, illustrated by Annette Hegel (Women’s Press, 1993)
See You Later, Alligator!, written by Lana Button, illustrated by Noémie Gionet Landry
(Scholastic Canada, 2024)
We're Happy You're Here, written by Julie Wilkins, illustrated by Brady Sato (Orca Book Publishers, 2024)
What Makes a Baby, written by Cory Silverberg, illustrated by Fiona Smyth (Triangle Square, 2013)
The Witching Hour, written by Jennifer Harris, illustrated by Adeline Lirius (Tundra Books, 2025)
COMMUNITY AND BELONGING
The Adventures of Tulip, Birthday Wish Fairy, written by S. Bear Bergman, illustrated by Suzy Q. Malik (Flamingo Rampant, 2019)
The Bear Fairy, written by Paul Coccia, illustrated by Fred Blunt (Tundra Books, 2026)
The Fabulous Edwina, written by Edwin Dumont, illustrated by Melissa Cho (Second Story Press, 2025) **dual-language edition—Omaamakaadendaagozi Edwiina / The Fabulous Edweena—also available with Anishinaabemowin (Ojibwe) translations by Margaret Noodin and Angela Mesic.
I Love My Purse, written by Belle DeMont, illustrated by Sonja Wimmer (Annick Press, 2017)
A Kid Is a Kid Is a Kid, written by Sara O'Leary, illustrated by Qin Leng (Groundwood Books, 2021)
Love, Violet, written by Charlotte Sullivan Wild, illustrated by Charlene Chua (Farrar, Straus and Giroux Books for Young Readers, 2022)
M Is for Mustache: A Pride ABC Book, written by Catherine Hernandez, illustrated by Marisa Firebaugh (Flamingo Rampant, 2015)
Patches the Beaver: Welcome to Harmony Woods, written by Shane Gauthier, illustrated by Gabriel Wong (Harmony Woods Press, 2008)
Pride Puppy!, written by Robin Stevenson, illustrated by Julie McLaughlin (Orca Book Publishers, 2021)
Rain Boy, written and illustrated by Dylan Glynn (Chronicle Books, 2020)
Riley Can't Stop Crying, written by Stéphanie Boulay, illustrated by Agathe Bray-Bourret, translated by Charles Simard (Orca Book Publishers, 2021)
Spork, written by Kyo Maclear, illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault (Kids Can Press, 2010)
Who's Hockey, written by Jeff McLean and Terri Roberts, illustrated by Nicola Pringle (Game Seven Media, 2022)
You Hold Me Up, written by Monique Gray Smith, illustrated by Danielle Daniel (Orca Book Publishers, 2017)
SELF-DISCOVERY
47,000 Beads, written by Koja Adeyoha and Angel Adeyoha, illustrated by Holly McGillis (Flamingo Rampant, 2017)
Are You a Boy or a Girl, written by Kathleen Pendleton Jiménez (Green Dragon Press, 2000)
Backwards Day, written by S. Bear Bergman, illustrated by KD Diamond (Flamingo Rampant, 2012)
Call Me Gray, written by Andrew Larsen and Bells Larsen, illustrated by Tallulah Fontaine (Kids Can Press, 2025)
Church Hat, written by Debra Williams, illustrated by Janine Carrington (Debra Elayne Williams, 2021)
From the Stars in the Sky to the Fish in the Sea, written by Kai Cheng Thom, illustrated by Kai Yun Ching and Wai-Yant Li (Arsenal Pulp Press, 2017)
Ho’onani: Hula Warrior, written by Heather Gale, illustrated by Mika Song (Tundra Books, 2019)
Is That for a Boy or a Girl?, written by S. Bear Bergman, illustrated by Rachel Dougherty (Flamingo Rampant, 2015)
Jack (Not Jackie), written by Erica Silverman, illustrated by Holly Hatam (Little Bee Books/GLAAD)
Morris Micklewhite and the Tangerine Dress, written by Christine Baldacchino, illustrated by Isabelle Malenfant (Groundwood Books, 2014)
The Name I Call Myself, written by Hasan Namir, illustrated by Cathryn John (Arsenal Pulp Press, 2020)
Raven’s Ribbons, written by Tasha Spillett, iIllustrated by Daniel Ramirez (Owlkids Books, 2025)
Still by Tessa, written by Sylv Chiang, illustrated by Mathias Ball (North Winds Press/Scholastic Canada, 2024)
HISTORY AND CONTINUITY
Be Amazing: A History of Pride, written by Desmond Is Amazing (Napoles), illustrated by Dylan Glynn (Farrar, Straus and Giroux Books for Young Readers, 2020)
The Girls: The Wild and Wondrous Lives of Jean Wallbridge and Mary Imrie, written by Tyson Mastel, illustrated by S.J. Leithead (Tyson Mastel, 2025)
Happy Birthday, Alice Babette, written by Monica Kulling, illustrated by Qin Leng (Groundwood Books, 2016)
Meet Jim Egan, written by Elizabeth MacLeod, illustrated by Mike Deas (Scholastic Canada, 2024)
No Horses in the House! The Audacious Life of Artist Rosa Bonheur, written by Mireille Messier, illustrated by Anna Bron (Orca Book Publishers, 2023)
Queer History A to Z: 100 Years of LGBTQ+ Activism, written by Robin Stevenson, illustrated by Vivian Rosas (Kids Can Press, 2024)
QUEER AND TRANS JOY
The Bare Naked Book, written by Kathy Stinson, illustrated by Melissa Cho (Annick Press, 2021)
The Boy & the Bindi, written by Vivek Shraya, illustrated by Rajni Perera (Arsenal Pulp Press, 2016)
Getting Glam at Gram’s, written by Sara Weed, illustrated by Erin Hawryluk (Arsenal Pulp Press, 2024)
Guinea Pigs Don’t Wear Pants, written and illustrated by Chris Paul (Rainbows) Farias (Rebel Goose Books)
The Paper Bag Princess, written by Robert Munsch, illustrated by Michael Martchenko (Annick Press, 1980)
Peanut Goes for the Gold, written by Jonathan Van Ness, illustrated by Gillian Reid (HarperCollins Children’s Books, 2020)
Phoenix ani’ Gichichi-i’ / Phoenix Gets Greater, written by Marty Wilson-Trudeau with Phoenix Wilson, illustrated by Megan Kyak-Monteith, Anishinaabemowin (Ojibwe) translation by Kelvin Morrison
Pink, Blue, and You! Questions for Kids About Gender Stereotypes, written by Elise Gravel with Mykaell Blais, illustrated by Illustrated by Elise Gravel (Anne Schwartz Books, 2022)
Pink Is for Everybody, written by Ella Russell, illustrated by Udayana Lugo (Owlkids Books, 2022)
Pride Colors, written by Robin Stevenson (Orca Book Publishers, 2019)
Sarabeth’s Garage, written by Melanie Florence, illustrated by Nadia Alam (Tundra Books, 2026)
You Need Pants!, written by Sonya Bell, illustrated by Jordan Wray (Scholastic Canada, 2025)
FRENCH-LANGUAGE TITLES
Anatole qui ne séchait jamais, written by Stéphanie Boulay, illustrated by Agathe Bray-Bourret (Éditions Fonfon, 2018)
Au resto avec papa et papa, written by Guillaume Demers, illustrated by Karina Dupuis (Soulières éditeur)
Boris Brindamour et la robe orange, written by Christine Baldacchino, illustrated by Isabelle Malenfant, translated by Anne Bricaud (Bayard Canada, 2015)
Le coq qui voulait être une poule, written by Carine Paquin, illustrated by Laurence Dechassey (Éditions Michel Quintin, 2019)
Dans la nuit tu te dévoiles, written by Isabelle Jameson, illustrated by Sylvain Cabot (Les 400 coups, 2024)
De quoi sont faits les bébés?, written by Cory Silverberg, illustrated by Fiona Smyth, translated by Rachel Arsenault (Éditions Dent-de-lion, 2019)
Derrière les yeux de Billy, written by Vincent Bolduc, illustrated by Chloloula (Éditions Dent-de-lion, 2018)
L’enfant de fourrure, de plumes, d’écailles, de feuilles et de paillettes, written by Kai Cheng Thom, illustrated by Kai Yun Ching et Wai-Yant Li, translated by Kama La Mackerel (Éditions Dent-de-lion, 2019)
Être différent c’est merveilleux : Un livre illustré à propos de diversité et de bonté, written by Sharon Purtill, iIlustated by Sujata Saha, translated by Heather Frye, Charlotte Dupé and Malak Ben Abdallah (Dunhill Clare Publishing, 2020)
Ils sont..., written by Michel Thériault, illustrated by Magali Ben (Bouton d’or Acadie, 2017)
It’s a They! / Bienvenue à notre adelphe!, written by Dr. Lindsay Herriot, translated by Rachel Martinez (Orca Book Publishers, 2024)
Jamais sans mon sac à main!, written by Belle DeMont, illustrated by Sonja Wimmer, translated by Edith Cordeau-Giard (Éditions Scholastic, 2018)
Solo le singe et sa famille extraordinaire!, written by Nicholas Aumais, illustrated by Cara Carmina (Les Malins, 2022)
Mère(s) et monde, written by Sanita Fejzić, illustrated Alisa Arsenault, translated by Sylvie Nicolas (Bouton d’or Acadie, 2020)
Mes deux mamans à moi : L’homoparentalité, written and illustrated by Brigitte Marleau (Boomerang, 2020)
Papa est une princesse, written by Dana Blue, illustrated by Catherine Petit (Boomerang, 2022)
Papa Max et papa Lou, written by Mathilde Perrault-Archambault, illustrated by Stéfanie Van Hertem (Alice jeunesse, 2022)
Phoenix le merveilleux, written by Marty Wilson-Trudeau et Phoenix Wilson, illustrated by Megan Kyak-Monteith, translated by Marlène Cavagna (Éditions Scholastic, 2023)
Le rose, le bleu et toi! Un livre sur les stéréotypes de genre, written by Élise Gravel with Mykaell Blais, illustrated by Élise Gravel (La courte échelle, 2022)
Les taureaux qui voulaient adopter, written by Carine Paquin, illustrated by Laurence Dechassey (Éditions Michel Quintin, 2023)
Tout le monde compte : Les familles, written by Cécile Maloubier, illustrated by Mary Kirkpatrick (Éditions Dent-de-lion, 2023)
Une famille... c’est une famille, written by Sara O’Leary, illustrated by Qin Leng, translated by Isabelle Montagnier (Éditions Scholastic, 2018)
Ursule à bascule, written by Carmen Duplain, illustrated by Alexa Perchemal (Éditions Dent-de-lion, 2024)
To access the entire catalogue, click here.