It’s easy to spot a Todd Parr book. The out gay author’s signature artistic style has captivated children for almost 25 years. His whimsical characters and bold colors no doubt help kids more easily digest the messages of inclusion and kindness for which his books are beloved.

Parr is revered by parents for covering these big topics in ways little ones can understand. From how to say goodbye to how to accept people’s differences to what to do when you feel worried, Parr’s mission is to help children feel more comfortable in this messy and scary world, a world that, despite Parr’s popularity, still struggles to fully embrace his message.

...One of his most popular books, The Family Book, is also his most controversial. The book teaches kids about all kinds of families – ones that live together, ones that live far apart, ones that are big, ones that are small, and the kicker: ones that have two moms and ones that have two dads.

A school district in Erie, Illinois made national news when it banned the book in 2012. The Family Book has since made the list of the American Library Association’s Top 100 Most Banned and Challenged Books of 2010-2019, coming in at number 67. It was also one of the most banned picture books of 2021-2022.