'Twas the Night Before Pride

by Joanna McClintick, Juana Medina (Illustrator)

A glittering celebration of queer families puts Pride gently in perspective—honoring those in the LBGTQ+ community who fought against injustice and inequality.

Pride's . . . a day that means "Together, we are strong!"

This joyful picture-book homage to a day of community and inclusion—and to the joys of anticipation—is also a comprehensive history. With bright, buoyant illustrations and lyrical, age-appropriate rhyme modeled on "'Twas the Night Before Christmas," it tackles difficult content such as the Stonewall Riots and the AIDS marches. On the night before Pride, families everywhere are preparing to partake. As one family packs snacks and makes signs, an older sibling shares the importance of the march with the newest member of the family. Reflecting on the day, the siblings agree that the best thing about Pride is getting to be yourself. Debut author Joanna McClintick and Pura Belpré Award–winning author-illustrator Juana Medina create a new classic that pays homage to the beauty of families of all compositions—and of all-inclusive love.

Genres: Picture Books, LGBT, Childrens, Queer, Family, Fiction, Pride

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2022

About the author

Joanna McClintick is a debut children's book author and a licensed social worker at the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Community Center in Manhattan. When she was dreaming about building her family, she wrote this poem to honor Pride's history of resistance and imagined sharing it with her future child one day. It has become a tradition to read it at their annual brunch the day before the Pride March with family and friends. Joanna McClintick lives with her wife and child in Brooklyn.

Reviews

[Trio]

So Charming!

I did the audio version of Joanna McClintick's 'Twas the Night Before Pride, and it was wonderful, but now I'm dying to see all of Juana Medina's colorful illustrations. The narrator, Vikas Adam, has a warm and appealing voice, and I think listening to the audio, while paging through the physical book, would be an incredible experience.

I highly recommend purchasing both versions of 'Twas the Night Before Pride to share with your kids. What a perfect addition to any family library!

thank you to Dreamscape Media, through NetGalley, for providing an audiobook copy of ‘Twas the Night Before Pride for the purpose of my honest review, all opinions are my own

[MissBecka Gee]

This is an awesome way to teach kids the history of Pride!
This is done in the vein of 'twas the night before Christmas, but queer.
Very clever, descriptive, fun, highly informative and short enough to be palatable for tiny humans.
The narrator was not for me, I think reading the print version would be even better!
Much love to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for my DRC

[Read by Curtis]

'Twas the Night Before Pride by Joanna McClintick is a children’s book to be published on May 10, 2022. I received an advanced audiobook copy from Dreamscape Media and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

If you’re like me, you’re dumbfounded that no one has thought to write this book before. I mean, a children’s book about Pride? Brava Ms. McClintick, for jumping on that idea.

'the Night Before Pride has good and bad things about it.

What I liked:

History. In a very succinct and age-appropriate way, McClintick explains the history of how Pride began as an equal rights movement that began at the Stonewall Inn in New York City. And she does it in rhyme! This is something I would never have thought was possible.

Drag queens. If there had been no mention of drag queens in a book about Pride, I would have given this zero stars. They’re not front-and-centre, but they do arrive early (which, if you know drag queens, is almost unheard of).

Representation. Aside from drag queens, McClintick gives air time to families with two moms, bikers, and the numerous genders. That said…

Here’s what I didn’t like:

Lack of representation. No two dad families, no poly relationships, no trans folk, no bears, no PFLAG, no bisexuals. While I acknowledge that it must be difficult to include a fluent narrative, a history of Pride, and represent all factions of the LGBTQIA+ rainbow in a child-appropriate manner, I insist that a book about Pride should represent as much diversity as it can. That said, it should be noted that I am reviewing the audiobook, so I’m hopeful that the published copy includes more diverse representation in picture form.

The poetry meter is sometimes flawed. It’s annoying when a line in a poem could be reworded to make the beat count work. The perfectionist in me wants to edit this to fix it, which begs the question, who edited this? Because it wasn’t me. That said, I AM reviewing an advanced copy, so maybe some of those issues are being ironed out as I type this.

The narration of the audiobook. Skip the audio version. Why they didn’t get a kid to do it is beyond me.

Two lines in particular bothered me:“My mom told us all we should go to bed early. She’s that kind of mom who’s more boyish than girly. ” If there were words I did not expect to cross during this story, two were definitely “boyish” and “girly.” The second irksom line was “It sometimes happens we’re not given respect; It can take a long time for some to accept. ” It’s just too passive for me, as if to say, “Hey, not everyone accepts us, it’s just taking them longer #whatever shrugging-emoji. Um, no queen.

All in all, this is a book that I maintain should have existed years ago. It’s got some minor flaws, but in lesser hands it could have been a hot mess.

[Una-Jane Winfield]

This book is not appropriate for children: it is grooming children to campaign for LGBT aims. But why should children know or care anything about this subject? Neither sexual orientation (lesbian, gay or bissexual) nor "gender identity" ("trans" status) are appropriate subjects until secondary school in the sixth form, if then. This is the sexualisation of children. Candlewisk Press: I hope you will pulp this.

[Eric Rosswood]

A great way to introduce children to the meaning and history of Pride.

[Zak F]

'Twas the Night Before Pride is a delightful book that beautifully captures the essence of pride. The story is not only lovely but also serves as a perfect tool for parents and teachers to explain the significance of pride to young children. The engaging illustrations throughout the book add an extra layer of charm, keeping young readers captivated. The descriptive yet simple language ensures that even the youngest of minds can grasp the concept of pride and understand its importance in the lives of many. It's a heartwarming and educational read that sparks conversations about acceptance, diversity, and love.

[Abby Johnson]

A vibrant picture book that not only celebrates a family attending a Pride parade, but tells the story of the first Pride, the Stonewall riots. Wonderful reading for rainbow families and allies!

[Jillian]

A couple of forced rhymes can be easily overlooked for the value of presenting the history of the LGBTQIA+ Rights Movement and how that has evolved in Pride parades in a developmentally appropriate way for younger children.
While this will likely be a "controversial" book in some areas due to current political situations, it is a valuable addition to any collection and provides representation from the point-of-view of a child of two moms. And using the popular 'Twas the night before... format adds to a universal & child-friendly appeal. I was left wishing for some back matter or author's note to add some context for older children ready for it.

[Ava W.]

So cute!!!

[Kim Novak (The Reading Rx)]

Great into on Pride history for youngsters in proud or ally families, whether they are coming to you with questions or you are starting a conversation. The illustrations are broadly inclusive, colorful, and adorable and radiate joy. Obviously there is a faction out there who will want to ban the book based on the cover alone. They should read the book and learn something.

[TL *Humaning the Best She Can*]

This was a fun idea, kudos to the author 👏 and to the illustrator as well...artwork is beautiful 😍.

This was a fun way to introduce young ones to Pride.
(Baby chewing on the flag was cute)

Powerful message told in a way that's easy for kids to understand.

[Sarah BT]

Bright and bold colorful illustrations work wonderfully to excite readers about an upcoming Pride parade. Not only are the kids in the book preparing for a parade, the book also delves into the story of Pride, giving readers a brief history in rhyming verse. A great choice for families.

[*JEN the booknerd*]

Very cute and important book about Pride and the story of Stonewall.
The art was great as well as the story.

[Jaime M]

Oh I liked this book! I would have liked to see some Indigenous 2-spirit & Indigiqueer also represented - maybe there was it can be hard to tell but the terms weren’t offered - there were many many faces, bodies, families - it was great. It was the very first introduction to Pride for my almost 4 y/o. I don’t know why I didn’t read it earlier!

He repeated “that family has two mommies” or “that family has two daddies” & it was a good way to talk about different families dynamics from a Pride perspective & we talked about going to one together.

💕

[Emily]

10/5 stars, brilliant

[Matal “The Mischling Princess” Baker]

“‘Twas the Night Before Pride” is beautiful picture book. Written by Joanna McClintick and illustrated by Juana Medina, the book’s main focus is a child preparing to celebrate the upcoming (the following day) Pride Parade.

The book is told from the viewpoint of a young child with rhymes. And while the rhymes are simple and perfect for a beginning reader, the author went out of her way to show young readers how the Pride Parades started—with the 1969 Stonewall Riots.

One might think that this is a heavy bit of history for such young children, but the way that the author approached it was entirely age appropriate. Using succinct language, the author reveals how the LGBQT+ fight for justice culminated in a yearly parade. McClintick didn’t just leave it there, but educated primary readers by stating that the parade isn’t just about having fun and wearing pretty costumes. Instead, the parade is about asserting one’s human dignity and civil rights.

Near the end of the book, the author’s MC tells readers what the pride parade means to them when s(he)/they say,

“Pride means to me: Being yourself is a blast!”

The artist, Medina, did an excellent job illustrating this book using vivid colors and beautiful displays of the parade at different angles (e.g., street level, high-rise level, etc.). I appreciate how Medina also included some great ethnic diversity throughout the book.

Overall, this is a wonderful book to introduce young people to what the Pride Parade is, how it’s celebrated, and, more importantly, shows children why the parade is celebrated in the first place. I highly recommend this book.

[Emma]

Written in the style of The Night Before Christmas, this beautiful picture book tells the story of a family and community preparing for Pride. It will be the baby's first Pride, so big sibling is excited to tell the story of the first Pride.

I think that story is what makes this book special. Many Pride books I've seen are either too Non-Fiction Textbook-ish with names and dates and stats, or too current/storybook-ish with a lack of historical context. This book perfectly blends the two into a rhyming, colourful, easy-to-read book that tells both sides of the story in gentle rhythmic prose.

[Jenn]

Childtren’s Book, LGBTQIA, History, Pride

This was my first children’s audiobook. I’m not too sure how my kids (aged 2 & 4) liked it, they listened but they were distracted. I think if I had the book to go with it that would have been a hit. I liked the music and how it changed for the mini history lesson on the first Pride parade. As for the book aspect I loved it! I can’t wait to buy a hard copy and show my crew. It was open and fun and highlighted some really great talking points for kids both from and not from LGBTQIA families.

Special thank you to #NetGalley, #JoannaMcClintick and #DreamscapeMedia for sharing this digital copy, these are my honest thoughts on #TwasTheNightBeforePride. Also, a thank you to narrator #VikasAdamn.

[Jenn]

Childtren’s Book/LGBTQIA/History/Pride

This was my first children’s audiobook. I’m not too sure how my kids (aged 2 & 4) liked it, they listened but they were distracted. I think if I had the book to go with it that would have been a hit. I liked the music and how it changed for the mini history lesson on the first Pride parade. As for the book aspect I loved it! I can’t wait to buy a hard copy and show my crew. It was open and fun and highlighted some really great talking points for kids both from and not from LGBTQIA families.

Special thank you to #NetGalley, #JoannaMcClintick and #DreamscapeMedia for sharing this digital copy, these are my honest thoughts on #TwasTheNightBeforePride. Also, a thank you to narrator #VikasAdamn.

[Mairéad]

This is a really lovely way to introduce the history of Pride to young readers. With its simple but effect story, bright appealing illustrations and rhythmic, rhyming text this would be a thoroughly enjoyable, highly relevant read aloud in a primary school classroom in June!

[Hanna]

I loved it! Super fun rhymes and an age-appropriate history for kiddos. As someone who chronically forgets to inflate my bike tires, I especially appreciated that that was part of the pride preparations.

[Caden]

“So Pride's not just about tutus and rainbow suspenders. It's about rights for queers and all our beautiful genders. Pride's a day that is crowded, it's a day that is long, it's a day that means, ‘Together, we are strong!’” 🏳️‍🌈

[Paula]

I wish this book had been available when my gay friends and relatives were young.

[Alexa]

A lovely explanation of the origins of pride. I also really enjoyed the illustrations in this book.

[Brooke]

I read this in target months ago and I forgot to put the date so I just guessed don't hate me

[João |]

Um livro muito educativo para as crianças que explica de forma muito muito simples o que é o Orgulho, mais concretamente o dia em que as pessoas queer saem à rua para festejar as conquistas alcançadas e lutar por aquelas que ainda não foram alcançadas. Um livro sobre orgulho e reivindicação.

[Kristen]

6/19/2024 - Excellent book on the history of Pride. Wonderful illustrations!

[Melissa]

A cute short story. I wish I had been able to read the book instead of listening to the audio. My library didn't have the ebook. 🙁

It was well narrated. I do wish it had been longer.

[elstaffe]

It's always such a joy to read a poetic/rhyming children's book where the meter also scans. This was a great book for many other reasons, of course, but that stuck out to me.

[Janalyn, the blind reviewer]

T’was The Night Before Pride is a children’s book about a family getting ready to go to the pride parade. I thought this book was so cute and really enjoyed Mr. Adams narration. As a person who grew up in the 70s with two Aunts Who were “roommates“ and now as the mother of a lesbian daughter. I think this book is perfect for teaching young readers and listeners that love is natural, no matter who you love. I highly recommend this book and think it should be in schools as a teaching tool. Teaching children early to love everyone is more helpful to the world and anything that goes to that effort is a good thing. I think Joanne McClintock had a great idea in writing this book and hopefully she has a written more or will in the future. I was given this book by net Gally and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Please forgive any grammatical or punctuational errors I am blind and dictate my review, but all opinions are my own.#DreamscapeMedia, #NetGalley, #Pride