“Pride Puppy!” by Robin Stevenson is a rhyming alphabet book. With brightly colored illustrations, it tells the story of a puppy that gets lost during a Pride parade. “Pride Puppy!”, despite its cute premise and beautiful pictures, is at the center of a Supreme Court case happening right now. A small group of Maryland parents have sued over exposing their children to LGBTQ+ inclusive books like “Pride Puppy!” at their public school. As outlandish as it may seem to center a children’s book in such a high profile, so much is on the line for authors, for access to literature, and for families like the ones portrayed at Pride in this children’s book.

Trying to honestly explore serious topics with young readers can be a challenge, so it is no surprise the Jennifer Maruno leans on her experience as ...