5 Children’s Books About Different Kinds of Families

Sara O’Leary’s A Family Is a Family Is a Family says it all. Families come in all different types and sizes, and no one family is “normal.” Whether you live with four aunts, a grandparent, a sibling, or a mom and dad, these picture books show that love is what truly makes a family.

These titles represent families across the spectrum. Your family may be big or small, you might not look like each other, or you might come from different places. No matter what makes your family special, what matters is that you’re special together.

Many of these titles also feature families in different walks of life, making them excellent resources to help explain changing situations to children. These books are also a great way to introduce your child to family units that look different from their own. Introducing children to people, places and cultures that differ from their own can help encourage empathy and acceptance for the world around them.

Exploring different family structures isn’t limited to human families, though! Many of the titles below feature examples of found families, foster care and blended families through animals and other unconventional situations.

Cat Dog Dog: The Story of a Blended Family By Nelly Buchet

Two dogs and a cat are brought together when their human parents blend their families. While they don’t all get along at first, they quickly learn to look past their differences and discover that what unites them is love. Told in very few words, this adorable tale subtly shows that even seemingly polar-opposite siblings in a newly blended family can learn to get along.

The Digger and the Duckling By Joseph Kuefler

An excavator named Digger comes across a duckling while digging with his crew. The group of construction vehicles must learn to do more than dig and scoop to take care of their new addition. This unconventional take on a found family provides a subtle example that can be helpful when introducing the concept to children.

Spreckle’s Snack Surprise By Sandra Salsbury

A young dragon is hatched into a family of chickens. Spreckle is disappointed by how different he is from the rest of his family; he doesn’t like their food (plain corn kernels) and can’t participate in everything they do (like eating ice cream). That is, until he accidentally sneezes all over dinner and creates … popcorn! The wonderful surprise delights everyone and illustrates that our differences are often what bring us closer together.

No Matter What: A Foster Care Tale By Josh Shipp

This story doesn’t shy away from acknowledging how challenging and disheartening foster care can be for some children. It is not uncommon for children to lash out and feel that they must protect themselves from the possibility of rejection. Even when the right family comes along, it can still be hard for a child to accept that they have found their forever family.

The persistence of the elephants reminds caregivers to persevere and continually provide reassurance. Stories told through the perspective of animals often feel less pointed, which may help reluctant children be more receptive to the message.

Better Together! By Amy Robach

When a storm rages through their forest, the single-parent squirrel and chipmunk families take shelter together. While in close quarters, the two families learn to overcome their differences and work together. Once they return to their respective homes, however, they realize they have come to appreciate each other’s differences. After reuniting, they decide to join their families and live happily ever after.

To find more picture books that celebrate nontraditional families, see the Tulsa City-County Library book list or visit your local library!

Madalyn Rogers is a children’s associate at Hardesty Regional Library, which offers Family Storytimes on Mondays, Babies and Toddlers Storytimes on Tuesdays, and Toddlers and Preschool Storytimes on Wednesdays.