Puffin publishes their first LGBT picture book

UK publishers Puffin have announced its first picture book about two gay dads with both an LGBT author and illustrator.

The children’s book is illustrated by Garry Parsons (The Dinosaur Who Pooped A Planet) and written by Gareth Peter, who was inspired by his own experience of adoption.

The story follows a young adopted girl with two fathers who has a love for books and goes on adventures with her parents.

The author said he thought Adventures With My Daddies was the first picture book to be written and illustrated by same-sex adoptive parents.

Gareth Peter has adopted two children with his partner, and thought there was a lack of representation for children like his own: “When our first boy came to live with us I felt there was a complete lack of picture books with LGBTQ+ families in them, ones that included families like ours.

“I think it’s essential children are able to see themselves represented in books.

“Schools are changing their policies around teaching relationships and sex education and I think it’s important there are colourful, fun, vibrant books that talk about a whole spectrum of families. I knew I wanted to be a dad from a young age, but being gay and growing up in the 1990s, I didn’t think it would ever be possible.”

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“But when the proud moment came when our sons moved in and I heard the magical word ‘daddy’, I wanted to capture this in a story,” he continued.

“When a child of a blended or LGBTQ+ family sees our book, I hope they will see themselves. But when a child from another dynamic sees it, I hope they will accept that families come in all shapes and sizes.”

Puffin’s editor director, Joe Marriott, said: “It’s a picture book that features a wonderfully likeable, fun and loving family that every reader will relate to, and answers an urgent need for more representations of gay characters in children’s literature.”