Same-sex Families and New Parental Models: Redefining Motherhood and Fatherhood Through Children’s Picture Books

Family is one of the most common and influential topics in children’s literature. However, depictions of families with non-traditional gender dynamics are still not common in picturebooks addressed to young audiences. In particular, fathers and mothers rarely counteract their gender roles; they usually fulfil socially constructed expectations linked to masculinity and femininity. Parental models are particularly influential in children’s construction of gender identity. For this reason, it is fundamental to promote inclusive children’s literature. This paper explores a selection of children’s picturebooks from different countries in which where new parental gender dynamics are presented. The depiction of gender standards will be related to family structures: children’s literature on same-sex families seems to be particularly effective in counteracting gender stereotypes linked to fatherhood and motherhood challenging traditional family structures and parental gender norms.