Rainbow Boy and the Pride Parade is a cute picture following a boy who learns to be confident in himself after his parents take him to a pride parade where he sees different people being confident and proud of themselves. This book is also a bit of a counting book with the character seeing increasing numbers of different things at the parade. The art is bright, charming, and full of rainbows. I would recommend picking this up if you have a child at the read along age. Thank you Netgalley and Broadleaf Books for a digital review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Sure, this book I which his parents take the titular Rainbow Boy to a Pride Parade is excellent for gay and gender-nonconforming children; however, it’s a balm for the soul of any child who’s feeling down because of not fitting in. It’s good to know that there are other people who will accept you for who you are rather than pushing you into a box. Great for all kids!

In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley, Broadleaf Books and Beaming Books in exchange for an honest review.

I received a copy of this eBook from netGalley for a honest review.

I love this book about a little boy who wants to hide his rainbow and stop being different until his parents take him to a pride parade. The boy learns to accept himself when he sees all these other "different" people being themselves and proud of being unique. A beautiful book with great illustrations.

*Rainbow Boy and the Pride Parade* by Taylor Rouanzion, with illustrations by Stacey Chomiak, is a cheerful and uplifting picture book that celebrates identity, family, and community. I would give it a full 5 out of 5 stars. The story follows a young boy on his first visit to a Pride parade with his parents. Along the way, he encounters a colorful array of people, including mamas, daddies, sparkly boys, and even proud dogs, all joyfully embracing who they are. The book is written in a way that is thoughtful and completely appropriate for early elementary-aged children.

The central message of self-acceptance is handled with care and warmth. There is nothing inappropriate or controversial in this story, despite what some might try to suggest. The illustrations are bright and expressive, with a unique paper-and-chalk texture that adds charm and energy to every page. I would happily recommend this book to any family looking to introduce the idea of Pride and the importance of being true to yourself. I received an advanced reader copy from NetGalley and Broadleaf Books, and it was a joy to read.

I absolutely love this book. The illustrations are stunning. I love the beauty that is depicted and the love and joy that are spread throughout these pages. Finally, the way that counting is included is a great learning tool for kiddos!

Terrific book written by a mom and librarian that celebrates LGBTQIA+ pride. I especially liked the disabled pride prevalent in the story and illustrations. I especially appreciated the gender non-conforming features of the story. Highly recommend for both families and public libraries to celebrate and educate children on pride, pride parades, and LGBTQIA+ communities.

Rainbow Boy and the Pride Parade by Taylor Rouanzion is the follow up to Rainbow Boy. The title character is a young boy who likes a lot of things that many people would say were for girls. Rainbow Boys parents are loving and accept Rainbow Boy for who he is. But sometimes it's hard being different and one day Rainbow Boy decides he doesn't llike rainbows anymore because rainbows make him different. His parents respond by taking him to a Pride Parade. A counting lesson is woven into the story from that point as readers see one parade marshal, two daddies with their baby and so on. With support from his parents and a colorful community around him, Rainbow Boy decides to be proud of who he is. This is a sweet and heartwarming story and could also be a great conversation starter.

The book is illustrated by Stacey Chomiak, the creator of Still Stace: My Gay, Christian Coming of Age Story. I love that book! Chomiak shows her range in illustrating the Rainbow Boy books. Her graphic memoir is a very different style from a picture book and for Rainbow Boy and the Pride Parade, Chomiak uses round, soft shapes and a wide color palette that manages to be warm and soothing rather than overwhelming. Rouanzion and Chomiak's talents work well together and make Rainbow Boy and the Pride Parade a beautiful book about pride, support, acceptance and community.

Thank you to Net Galley for providing a review copy of this book.

This is an amazing kids book it is inclusive and can be a good book to use to help kids learn to count while also teaching them that just because people are didn't doesn't mean the are bad or less than. I absolutely love this way of teaching kids to not discriminate.

Rainbow Boy And The Pride Parade is a beautiful, colorful story for children everywhere. Every child feels different at times and being a rainbow child can be especially tough. This book shows children how wonderfully normal being a part of a rainbow family really is. The illustrations are amazing and I love the sneaky counting lesson too. This book is perfect for kids ages 3-5.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read the free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

"Would you like to see a place where everyone is a rainbow?"

Y'all, I cried. This is the kind of story I want to keep on my shelf and read again and again.

The sequel to Rainbow Boy is even more charming than the first. Aware that his love of rainbows and colors make him different, the boy doesn't want to wear his colorful outfits anymore. His mother invites him to a Pride parade where he gets to be around people just like him. In the first book, the boy challenged gender expectations, but in the second, he sees the possibilities of what it means to defy them. Namely, love, joy, and pride.

The boy counts the people that go by in the parade and realizes he has things in common with them. The boy has a mommy and a daddy, and while we aren't privy to their sexual orientations or relationship to the queer community, I found it especially meaningful that parents would take their child to a Pride parade so that he could feel included and proud to be who he is.

Rainbow Boy and the Pride Parade represents all kinds of rainbow families, including ones that differ in race, gender, and disability. We even see several amazing drag queens, one of whom is referred to using they/them pronouns. The book heavily features all kinds of LGBTQIA+ pride flags (I spotted the lesbian flag, transgender flag, bisexual flag, nonbinary flag, progress pride flag, genderfluid flag, pansexual flag, asexual flag, genderqueer flag, and aromantic flag).

This book is a powerful, yet age appropriate, introduction to Pride events and the LGBTQIA+ community. Young readers can see how much they have in common with queer people and understand the immense love and joy there is when LGBTQIA+ people are able to live their authentic selves. Families who are hesitant to take their kids to Pride events can acknowledge the benefits of seeing people whose experiences may be similar or different to theirs. All kids, especially the rainbow ones, deserve to be proud of who they are.

As an early childhood educator, and a queer person myself, I am always looking for books that represent the LGBTQ+ community in a diverse and fun way. I loved all of the beautiful artwork and the representation of the flags. The story was heartwarming, and approachable for young children.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

Did I go into this thinking I’d be crying in the middle of a children’s book? No, I did not. But that is certainly what happened.

What. A. Beautiful. Wonderful. Meaningful. Book.

As a parent of a little boy who is different, this hit me square in my heart. That little boy is a boy who was teased for having long hair to the point where he cut it off. A boy who enjoys dresses and occasionally being fabulous but who doesn’t feel comfortable showing that part of himself outside of our house. To feel seen and represented is huge.

The illustrations were bright and beautiful. I appreciate the inclusion within the pages of the story of people of every walk of life. Including things like “mom hugs” and “love is love” made me smile so big. And I’m so glad this book exists for LGBT kids and adults and for current and future allies.

Loved this book about a little boy whose family embraces who is and takes him to his first pride parade to see all the other rainbow people. Part counting book, part story - Rainbow Boy is about seeing you’re not alone in the world and it’s a wonderful thing to be who you are even when you feel different. Perfect for LGBTQ+ families and children as well as any family who wants to share diversity with their child/children, show them different is a wonderful thing and let them know they are not alone.

This is a beautifully illustrated picture book full of vibrant colors and joyful representation. I really appreciated the inclusive cast of characters and the simple, accessible language. The counting element was a fun touch and adds educational value. That said, the shift between dialogue and counting sometimes felt a little disjointed—it might have worked better focusing on just one of those elements. Still, it's a sweet and important story that offers much-needed LGBTQ+ representation in children's literature. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

An adorable book about a boy who is scared of being seen as different so his parents take him to a pride parade. He counts out all of the things he sees, and finds his way back to his rainbow self. The counting was fun and can see it being a hit with kids, especially with how colourful the illustrations are. There is a bunch of representation in this book which is beautiful to see! Super wholesome!

This was a very cute book; however, the intended audience is a bit unclear—I'm just not sure who it was written for.

When you are afraid to be different, surround yourself with people just like you. A support system is so important no matter or age!

SOOOO cute and what a delight. Stories that show the beauty and joy at pride are so necessary, and this just warmed my heart. Absolutely precious. My one qualm is that I felt that there was a slight dichotomy with it being a counting book, it was a little bit long in my opinion.

Thanks to netgalley for the copy in exchange for the review!

A really wonderful story about a little boy who doesn't want to feel different, but when Mom and Dad take him to the pride parade, he can COUNT all the ways being different is the best part of being human!

Very sweet, colorful and approachable. It's a great follow up to the original, and a must-have for libraries. Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for letting me read!