Yes, The Family Book Is Banned!

The Family Book is a picture book with Todd Parr’s signature bold colors and simple illustrations. Each page shows a different kind of family: some families are big, some are small, some have two moms or two dads, some families like to be quiet and some like to be loud, some families live near each other and some live far apart. Published by Little, Brown in 2003, it’s a board book aimed at the youngest readers, intended to show them that all families are valid and loved.

One sentence, “Some families have two moms or two dads,” got the book banned in Erie, Illinois in 2012 alongside all materials supported by GLSEN. Parents said it “pushes a homosexual agenda.” The book ranked as the 8th most banned picture book in the U.S. during the 2021-2022 school year. It’s been pulled from shelves in Duval County and Clay County, Florida, Keller ISD in Texas, and Davis School District in Utah. During Pink’s 2023 Trustfall tour in Florida, the singer distributed 2,000 free copies of banned books, including The Family Book, in protest.

Why You Should Read This

Todd Parr draws like a kid with a box of markers, and that’s the whole point. His books look like something a kindergartner might make, bright and goofy and welcoming. The Family Book says: your family is okay. Whatever it looks like, whoever’s in it, it counts.

The fact that this book gets banned tells you the bans were never about protecting children from “inappropriate content.” There’s nothing inappropriate here. It’s a board book. The objection is to the mere existence of same-sex families in a children’s book, to the idea that a kid with two dads might see his family reflected on a page. Parr has said he’s baffled by the outrage. “What’s wrong with being happy and who you are?” he’s asked. Nobody’s been able to give him a good answer.