The Pirate Mums is a way of changing that – it’s a tool for grownups, particularly teachers, to introduce the idea of different family set ups in a low-key way that doesn’t immediately mark those families out as ‘other’. It’s incredibly important for children to see their own lives reflected in the characters in books and we love how Ava’s dads are a key part of Ava’s story without the fact that they are an LGBTQ+ family being the central theme. For eight-plus, Danny Chung Does Not Do Maths (Bonnier) by Maisie Chan, illustrated by Anh Cao, features would-be artist Danny, who is excited about a promised surprise – until it turns out to be his Nai Nai from China, taking up residence in his top bunk. But there’s more to Danny’s wrinkled little grandma than meets the eye. Funny, light-hearted, and challenging racist stereotypes, Chan’s debut is a delightful celebration of intergenerational love, individual strengths and bingo.

Patrice Karst wrote The Invisible String as a working single mum, looking for a way to comfort her son through the distress of nursery drop-offs. Yet the message of her book extends far beyond the context of its creation, and it has become a key text across a wide range of settings: social care, bereavement support, the prison system, the military, and fostering and adoption services. As soon as I heard that my story was going to be published, I knew that I’d want teachers in particular to take it to their hearts. And there are a number of reasons for that. Everyone around him encourages him to be what he seems to be, without seeing what he really is inside. LGBTQ experiences are the epitome of variety; they exist outside of the normal ways that many of us were taught to live, and they’re all the more beautiful for that. This makes Perfectly Norman a broadly relatable story about how fear and shame can cause us to hide who we really are, even though who we are is never a bad thing.The authors of the few books I was able to find that featured same-sex parents three years ago – most of which came out long before that – have done something wonderful and moving: write and bring their stories to market when major publishers were not interested, often when texts like theirs were not only not embraced by schools and teachers but, due to Section 28 and its hangovers actively rejected. Support physical development with role-play activities like getting little ones to talk and move like a pirate; More than half of children in the UK are now brought up outside the "nuclear family",which is usually defined as a mother and father who live with their children.So it is delightful to see books such as A Family Is A Family Is A Family (Sara O’Leary), More People To Love Me (Mo O’Hara), and In Every House, On Every Street (Jess Hitchman) embracing family diversity with sensitivity, humour and care. In a world where we are increasingly aware of, and knowledgeable about, gender dysphoria in trans children, a book like this helps to put complex feelings into simple words.

Illustration by Kip Alizadeh ‘What does “family” mean?' 'What are other people’s families like?' 'What’s going on in my family?' And ‘What is a "normal" family, anyway?!’. Lydia Corry studied painting at the Royal College of Art. Her first book, Eight Princesses and a Magic Mirror by Natasha Farrant, was nominated for the CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal 2021. She has illustrated several picture books. Norman’s wings can easily be a metaphor for gender or sexual orientation. It can also be a metaphor for a curious new hobby or interest; something that sets a child apart from the usual.These books, layered with shared emotional significance, serve as potent transitional objects too – pieces of Dad that Luna carries home, extending the afterglow of their time together and communicating to her deepest senses. They adorn her bedroom like talismans, reminders of his presence – the closeness of his hug – through the absence that will follow. The free educational resources also include ideas for PSHE, PSED and lessons across the curriculum as well as worksheets, drawing exercises and discussion prompts.