'Twas the Night Before Pride

February 1, 2022
A small family gets ready for the next day's Pride march. On "the night before Pride," drag queens brush their wigs "with great care," while bikers check the air pressure in their motorcycle tires. Across the city, marchers-to-be plan their outfits or polish musical instruments. Inside a family's home, a brown-skinned mom encourages everyone to "go to bed early," while the other mom, a White woman, packs snacks. At the older, wavy-haired, light-brown-skinned child's behest, the family tells light-brown-skinned, curly-haired baby Sammy "the whole story" about "Prides past." Harking back to 1969--"a less fair time"--the family's account abridges some of the many injustices that led to the famous Stonewall riot that sparked "a march that spread worldwide." Going beyond "tutus and rainbow suspenders," the family tells Sammy about "rights for queers and all our beautiful genders." As they settle into bed, the older child notes what Pride means to them: being yourself! Debut author McClintick, a social worker, joins forces with award-winning illustrator Medina to present a child's-eye view of Pride that borrows its cadence and rhyming scheme from Clement Clarke Moore's classic Christmas poem. Rainbows abound in Medina's full-color digital illustrations, which incorporate historical references and depict a wonderfully diverse cast, including background characters with disabilities. While there is no shortage of picture books about Pride, this one may be the most inclusive and expansive yet. Endpapers depict over 80 important historical LGBTQ+ figures, including some prominent children's book authors and illustrators. (This book was reviewed digitally.) An affirming and kid-friendly history lesson. (author's note, illustrator's note) (Picture book. 4-8)

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May 1, 2022
Grades K-2 Get out the party hats, folks. It's time to celebrate! It's the night before Pride, and two little kids and their moms are atwitter with excitement. Using Clement Clarke Moore's classic poem as inspiration, down to its metered rhyme, McClintick presents a loving survey of the queer community in all its diversity--including bikers, drag queens, musicians--as they make last-minute preparations for the city's Pride parade. And because tomorrow will be baby Sammy's first Pride, the mixed-race family gathers to tell them the history of the celebration, starting with the Stonewall riots and continuing to present-day homophobia, concluding that gathering for Pride helps people "to know that we matter, / to show all we exist / and that any oppression / we must always resist." Medina's rainbow-flecked digital illustrations do a superb job of capturing the spirit and scope of Pride and the excitement it generates, while the sprightly text joins in the celebration. With affirming discussions of togetherness and LGBTQ+ rights, the book's final takeaway that "being yourself is a blast" hits just the right note.

COPYRIGHT(2022) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

June 20, 2022
Packing snacks, making signs, and sharing queer history with their newest addition, an interracial queer family prepares for Pride in this celebratory picture book. Via largely scanning rhymes that echo Clement C. Moore’s holiday classic, an older child narrator and their two moms explain the upcoming outing to baby Sammy. Along the way, McClintick’s lines connect the family’s pride to the work of activists, artists, and everyday people who have fought “to know that we matter/ to show all we exist”: “So Pride’s not just about tutus and rainbow suspenders./ It’s about rights for queers and all our beautiful genders.” Medina’s rainbow-hued illustrations give Pride scale and scope, mingling images of protests with awe-inspiring parade views from above, the spreads brimming with people of arrayed abilities, gender expressions, and skin tones carrying a range of Pride flags in this warm and moving tale. End papers feature queer icons. Ages 4–8.

January 1, 2022
In accessible rhyming verse, the young narrator of this queer-themed picture book describes their mixed-race family's preparations for a Pride parade. One mom packs lunch, while the other mom makes sure the narrator and little sibling (both of whom have brown skin) get to bed early. But before bed, the family shares the story of the Stonewall Riots and "the very first Pride" with baby Sammy. The family-friendly text and simple cartoon illustrations handle discussion of the police raids and protests in an age-appropriate way. In general, Pride staples such as drag queens, bikers, and glitter, as well as participants of all ages, races, genders, and abilities are depicted as a smiling egalitarian community. This affirming story centers its protagonist's assessment, "Pride means to me: Being yourself is a blast!"

(Copyright 2022 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)